It may not be much...but it's mine!

[WorldWacky]

I frequent a local convenience store quite often. They have one of those "take a penny, leave a penny" bowls at the registers. I've never needed to take a penny. Honestly, didn't even notice it until my change was put there directly by the cashier! The kids currently have a jar that they are using as our "Disney fund" jar. Those pennies make their way into that jar. There have even been a few times when no change was offered at all when it was a few cents.
Sorry if I sound like a Grinch, but it's MY few cents, thank you very much!
Has anyone ever had a similar experience?

 

[lizabu]

I live in Canada and the penny was recently discontinued. They now round off to the nearest 5cents. I never bothered with pennies too much in the months leading up to this change.

 

[wilkeliza]

I frequent a local convenience store quite often. They have one of those "take a penny, leave a penny" bowls at the registers. I've never needed to take a penny. Honestly, didn't even notice it until my change was put there directly by the cashier! The kids currently have a jar that they are using as our "Disney fund" jar. Those pennies make their way into that jar. There have even been a few times when no change was offered at all when it was a few cents.
Sorry if I sound like a Grinch, but it's MY few cents, thank you very much!
Has anyone ever had a similar experience?

Yes and I will remind the cashier everytime that it is not their decision to put my change in any donation jar or leave a penny take a penny jar with out my permission. I also have a savings jar (mine is for nothing in particular I just save all my change and cash it in once the jar is full) and so I do not leave my change in the leave a penny take a penny things.

It may seem like nothing but there have been years I've had 200-300 "extra" dollars just in change.

 

[ronandannette]

I frequent a local convenience store quite often. They have one of those "take a penny, leave a penny" bowls at the registers. I've never needed to take a penny. Honestly, didn't even notice it until my change was put there directly by the cashier! The kids currently have a jar that they are using as our "Disney fund" jar. Those pennies make their way into that jar. There have even been a few times when no change was offered at all when it was a few cents.
Sorry if I sound like a Grinch, but it's MY few cents, thank you very much!
Has anyone ever had a similar experience?

I think it's terrible form, but nothing to get excited about. I'm guessing that cashier just needs to be asked for it back one single time and s/he won't do that any more. FWIW though, the way things are done in Canada would really drive you crazy. There is no such thing as pennies any more; prices are rounded to the nearest $.05. For example, a $.97 item would be charged as $1.00 and no change would be given at all.

 

[cijay]

I think I would ask for the penny (another Canadian here who has no pennies) back just on principle. It's not about the penny it's...like you said,, you HAVE a place for your pennies.

 

[WorldWacky]

I think it's terrible form, but nothing to get excited about. I'm guessing that cashier just needs to be asked for it back one single time and s/he won't do that any more. FWIW though, the way things are done in Canada would really drive you crazy. There is no such thing as pennies any more; prices are rounded to the nearest $.05. For example, a $.97 item would be charged as $1.00 and no change would be given at all.

Yes that would drive me crazy, but only because the kids are trying to fill their jar.
Ordinarily, a penny here or their really doesn't bother me, it just seems to be the norm for all of the cashiers at this store. Wonder if they're saving up for a trip of their own.

 

[usnuzuloose]

I have had that happen. I would buy a refill on my coffee and it was .99 cents and I would give a dollar and the cashier would always try and keep the penny. The penny is not that big of deal, but cashier's should never assume that it is theirs to keep.

 

[wenrob]

Did you take your money back? I would have, that's MY money and not the cashier's call to make.

 

[dollarmite]

If someone did this to me, I'd ask again for my change. If that means the cashier has to retrieve it out of the plate, out of her own pocket, or take it out of the till again and explain the shortfall to their manager, then so be it. Depending on his/her attitude, I'd also get the manager involved.

What she has committed is theft, and I won't tolerate my money being stolen.

 

[Micca]

I often leave a penny or two, and every once in a while I'll take one. Still, that's the call of the customer, not the cashier.

 

[bcla]

Just as an aside, once I once tried dipping into one of those trays for a couple of pennies when the cashier asked me what I was doing. He insisted that it wasn't for customers to take a penny if they needed one. It wasn't that big a deal to me, but he seemed rather unclear on the concept.

 

[anniemae]

I would be a little miffed too, not at the money, but the principle of it. It is not the cashiers decision to make. I always throw my pennies in those "give a penny take a penny" cups, but I want to do it, not have the cashier do it. Honestly I have never had that happen. If it did, I would probably not do anything, but would think its odd.

 

[mom2rtk]

I've never taken a penny from the jar, nor do I wish to leave one. I would have been miffed.

 

[wilkeliza]

I'll admit 1 penny is no big deal and I wasn't miffed in Canada as that is how there system works but I've had cashiers keep .50 cents before and I definitly asked for my change. They said they didn't have any coins in the till. I was kind of taken aback by that as I have workd retail and it is the cashiers job to make sure they have proper change.

 

[sasywtch]

There was a small store I use to go to that would keep the penny (or 2) and I was too shy to speak up. It bothered me greatly because it is my money. It may only be a penny but it's money and it's mine. The store I go to now, he hates pennies if something came to 16 cents and I gave him a quarter, he'd give me back a dime. I always try to find a penny when I go in there now.

 

[Julie's Haircut]

I live in Canada and the penny was recently discontinued. They now round off to the nearest 5cents. I never bothered with pennies too much in the months leading up to this change.

I think it's terrible form, but nothing to get excited about. I'm guessing that cashier just needs to be asked for it back one single time and s/he won't do that any more. FWIW though, the way things are done in Canada would really drive you crazy. There is no such thing as pennies any more; prices are rounded to the nearest $.05. For example, a $.97 item would be charged as $1.00 and no change would be given at all.

So how exactly does it work in Canada? Say, in a supermarket. Is EACH item rounded up or down when rung up, or just the grand total? After GST or before?

I advocate eliminating the penny in the US as well, but I'd go a step further and eliminate the nickel as well. The grand total rounded up or down to the nearest 10 cents.

For amounts over $100, I'd round to the nearest dollar.

 

[ashley0139]

The few cents wouldn't bother me, but what would bother me is the cashier just assuming I wanted to leave the change and not give me the option.

 

[ronandannette]

So how exactly does it work in Canada? Say, in a supermarket. Is EACH item rounded up or down when rung up, or just the grand total? After GST or before?

I advocate eliminating the penny in the US as well, but I'd go a step further and eliminate the nickel as well. The grand total rounded up or down to the nearest 10 cents.

For amounts over $100, I'd round to the nearest dollar.

Great question; I've never actually thought about it but it must be just the total after tax because individual items are still priced with odd numbers.

 

[bcla]

So how exactly does it work in Canada? Say, in a supermarket. Is EACH item rounded up or down when rung up, or just the grand total? After GST or before?

I was vacationing in Australia back in 1992 at the time they eliminated their penny. However, all prices included tax. That didn't stop stores from using prices with different endings. There were prepared signs showing how to round up/down based on total. 1/2/8/9 rounded down/up to 0, 3/4/6/7 rounded down/up to 5.

 

[elphaba91]

I was vacationing in Australia back in 1992 at the time they eliminated their penny. However, all prices included tax. That didn't stop stores from using prices with different endings. There were prepared signs showing how to round up/down based on total. 1/2/8/9 rounded down/up to 0, 3/4/6/7 rounded down/up to 5.

Aussie here. As you stated, all our prices already include tax (it seems ridiculous to me that yours don't!), but stores can still charge prices that aren't rounded to the nearest 5c. The price is never actually rounded off - only your change. So let's say your purchase comes to $9.99. The register will show that you owe $9.99. If you pay by card you will be charged $9.99. But if you pay with a $10 note then the register will simply show $0.00 change (and I suppose round itself off internally so the money will balance at the end of the day).

People are now actually proposing that we get rid of 5 cent coins, which I'm opposed to a) because a lot of charities will lose out on customers who drop their 5 cent coins in collection tins; and b) because that means getting did of the coin with the echidna on it!

We don't have give a coin take a coin things here - most stores will have official collection tins by the register. But I agree, it is definitely your call what you want to do with your penny!