Bill > H0837

This bill, titled the "Nickel Rounding for Cash Transactions Act," authorizes businesses to round the final total of cash transactions to the nearest five-cent increment when one-cent coins are unavailable or impractical, aiming to provide legal clarity and consumer fairness. "Cash" is defined as physical coins or paper currency, and a "cash transaction" involves payment made partially or entirely with cash. "Rounding" means adjusting the final amount due, after taxes and fees, to the closest amount divisible by five cents, with amounts ending in $0.01, $0.02, $0.06, or $0.07 rounded down, and amounts ending in $0.03, $0.04, $0.08, or $0.09 rounded up. If a business rounds a transaction, any cash refund must be for the exact amount initially paid. This rounding does not apply to electronic payments, wage payments, rebates, cash disbursements, or transactions prohibited by federal law, and it is explicitly stated that such rounding will not be considered an unlawful price increase or deceptive practice. Customers can still pay the exact amount if they have the correct change, unless the business has posted a notice about rounding, and businesses are not required to accept cash if they have a clear policy against it. Businesses that choose to round must post a clear notice at the point of sale or on receipts, and all taxes will continue to be calculated on the pre-rounding amount. This act will take effect on July 1, 2026.

Business and Industry

https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2026/H.837