Penny Rounding Sign Generator

How to make a penny rounding sign

1. Pick a headline. "Cash totals are rounded to the nearest 5¢" says the rule outright. "We're out of pennies" is friendlier. You can also write your own.
2. Choose the rounding rule your register uses: nearest 5¢ (symmetrical) or always round down. The sign's wording and table follow your choice.
3. Choose the language. Bilingual signs show English first with the Spanish below it.
4. Pick a size. Full page for a door or wall, half page for beside the register, or 4.25 × 5.5 in counter cards for a 5 × 7 in sign holder.
5. Select Print sign, or save it as a PDF to print later or send to a print shop.

Not sure what a total rounds to? Check it with the Penny Rounding Calculator, or print a full penny rounding chart for staff.

What to put on a penny rounding sign

A good sign answers the three questions customers ask at the register:

• What gets rounded? Only cash. Card, mobile and check payments are charged the exact amount under Treasury guidance, USPS policy and the state laws passed so far.
• Which way? With nearest 5¢ rounding, totals ending in 1, 2, 6 or 7 round down and totals ending in 3, 4, 8 or 9 round up, so no total moves by more than 2 cents. The table on the sign shows this with examples like $1.02 → $1.00 and $1.03 → $1.05.
• When? After everything is added up. The rounding applies to the final total, after sales tax, and the tax itself is still figured on the exact amount.

If you still give exact change when you have pennies, say so with the "exact change" line. Treasury guidance says businesses may keep accepting pennies and giving exact change.

Do you need a sign?

Arizona requires businesses that have no pennies at the point of sale to round cash totals to the nearest 5 cents and to post a notice at the register. That notice is what this generator makes.

Elsewhere, the rules differ. As of September 2026, 16 states have rounding laws in effect for cash sales, Connecticut's starts January 1, 2027, and several other states have issued guidance instead. Oregon and Vermont also require a posted notice from businesses that round. Check your state on the penny rounding laws by state page. Even where a sign isn't required, posting one tells customers the rule before they pay, which saves arguments at the register.

A note on rounding up: this generator doesn't make "always round up" signs. Most state laws describe symmetrical rounding, and cash-discrimination rules in some states and cities bar charging cash customers more than card customers. Connecticut guidance, for example, has said its cash-discrimination law bars rounding cash totals up until its rounding law takes effect on January 1, 2027.

Laws are changing quickly. This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Check your state revenue department for current rules, or see penny rounding laws by state.

Printing tips

• Paper and scale: choose US Letter and 100% (or "Default"). Don't use "Fit to page", which shrinks the margins unevenly.
• Headers and footers: turn them off in the print window's "More settings" so the date and web address don't print on the sign.
• Colors: if the colored band doesn't print, turn on "Background graphics". Or choose Ink saver, which prints in black on white.
• Half page and counter cards: cut along the dashed lines. A counter card is 4.25 × 5.5 in and fits a 5 × 7 in sign holder.
• On a phone: open your browser's Share or menu button and choose Print. Most phones can save a PDF from there.

Penny rounding sign FAQ