BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Fremont's City Council just introduced a new rounding system for cash transactions, allowing businesses and customers to round to the nearest nickel when pennies aren't available.
The policy only applies to cash payments when one or both parties are out of pennies. Electronic payments, online transactions, checks, and automated billing are not affected by the new system.
Local businesses have mixed approaches to penny availability. A McDonald's manager said she stocks up on extra pennies every week to avoid shortages. Meanwhile, Osteria Kayla has been rounding transactions since the penny was discontinued.
Currently, there's no federal ruling on rounding policies. City Council members said they'll revisit the policy if federal guidelines are established.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
