Penny Rounding Chart

Penny rounding chart: nearest 5 cents

This rounding pennies chart follows the new nearest-5-cent rule used since the penny stopped being made. Only the last digit of the total matters. It shows each ending digit, using totals from $1.00 to $1.09 as examples, and what it rounds to under each rule. The number in brackets is how much the cash total changes.

Every cent from .00 to .99: full nearest-5¢ table

Under nearest 5¢ rounding, only cents values ending in 0 or 5 (.00, .05, .10 and so on up to .95) stay the same; every other value moves to the closest multiple of 5 cents. No cash total changes by more than 2 cents either way, and .98 and .99 round up to the next whole dollar.

How to read the chart

1. Add everything up first, including sales tax. Rounding applies only to the final cash total, and the tax itself is still figured on the exact amount.
2. Look at the last digit of that total. A total of $24.42 ends in 2.
3. Find the digit on the chart. With nearest 5¢ rounding, 2 rounds down, so $24.42 becomes $24.40.
4. Charge the exact total for cards. Card, mobile and check payments are never rounded.

The every-cent table works the same way for staff who'd rather find the whole cents value: a total of $6.98 has 98 cents, and the table shows .98 rounds up to 1.00, so the customer pays $7.00 in cash.

Common price endings at a glance

Shelf prices tend to end in the same few cents, but the customer pays the total after tax, and that can land on any cent. Use this table for quick checks, and always round the final total, not the price tag. For the reasons behind the rule and how tax fits in, see how penny rounding works.

Totals ending in 3 or 8 are common after sales tax. Both round up 2 cents under nearest 5¢: .x3 to .x5 and .x8 to the next 10 cents.

Which rounding rule should you use?

The chart defaults to nearest 5¢, the rule most state laws and federal guidance describe; always round down is the customer-favorable alternative, and always round up is on the chart only for comparison. For why, and when a store might choose round-down, see how penny rounding works.

Laws are changing quickly. This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Check your state revenue department for current rules, or look up your state's rule.

A 5-minute cashier training drill

Run this with each new cashier before their first shift. Keep one chart by each register, and use the same rule on the chart and in the register settings.

1. Give the cashier a printed 0–9 chart and the list below, with the answer key covered.
2. Have them write the cash total for each amount using nearest 5¢ rounding. Most people finish in under five minutes.
3. Check against the answer key. Two or more wrong? Go over the one-line rule again and repeat the drill with your own totals.

The one-line rule: totals ending in 1 or 2 go down, 3 or 4 go up, 6 or 7 go down and 8 or 9 go up. Endings 0 and 5 stay as they are.

Drill: round each cash total to the nearest 5¢

1. $12.37
2. $8.03
3. $19.99
4. $0.04
5. $4.96
6. $7.50
7. $31.12
8. $15.58
9. $2.21
10. $49.94

Where staff get stuck

• Totals of 1 to 4 cents. Under nearest 5¢, 1¢ and 2¢ round to zero and 3¢ and 4¢ round up to 5¢. Some businesses handle these small sales differently; the calculator's FAQ explains how USPS does it. Pick one approach for your store and tell staff before it comes up.
• Part cash, part card. The card part is always charged the exact amount. Registers handle the cash part of a split payment differently, so ring a test split sale on your POS, write down what it does, and make that the store rule. Some states spell this out, so check your state's rule too.
• Cash refunds. Decide whether a cash refund gives back the rounded amount the customer paid or the exact amount, write it down, and use it every time. Receipts that show both the exact and the rounded total make this easier. Rules vary by state, so check the state page before you settle on one.
• A customer pays with pennies. Pennies are still legal tender (U.S. Treasury). If your store accepts them and the customer hands over the exact total, pennies included, charge the exact total and don't round.

Printing tips and how to save a PDF

• Save as PDF: select Print chart, then choose Save as PDF (or Microsoft Print to PDF). That gives you a free printable penny rounding chart PDF without a separate download.
• Paper and scale: choose US Letter and 100% (or "Default"), not "Fit to page".
• Headers and footers: turn them off in the print window's "More settings".
• Colors: turn on "Background graphics" to print the colored band and row shading, or choose Ink saver for black on white.
• Half page: prints two charts per sheet. Cut along the dashed line and keep one at each register.

Penny rounding chart FAQ