Cash rounding or Swedish rounding (New Zealand English) occurs when the minimum unit of account is smaller than the lowest physical denomination of currency. The amount payable for a cash transaction is rounded to the nearest multiple of the minimum currency unit available, whereas transactions paid in other ways are not rounded (for example electronic funds transfer such as with payment cards, or negotiable instruments such as cheques). Cash rounding typically occurs when low-denomination coins are removed from circulation owing to inflation. Cash rounding may be a compulsory legal requirement if such coins are no longer legal tender, or a voluntary practice where they remain in circulation but are scarce or impractical.
Cash rounding () was introduced in Sweden in 1972 when 1 and 2 öre coins were withdrawn from circulation, and has continued to be applied at incremental levels as smaller denomination coins have been withdrawn. The current level of cash rounding in Sweden is to the closest whole krona, after the 50 öre coin was withdrawn in 2010. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand used the name "Swedish rounding" in 1990 when withdrawing their 1- and 2-cent coins. In Canada, cash rounding to the nearest nickel (5 cents) due to the elimination of the penny in 2013 is also called penny rounding. In the United States, businesses are permitted, but not required, to round to the nearest nickel when pennies are unavailable.
When small-value coins are withdrawn, an alternative to the implementation of cash rounding is instead to increase the minimum unit of account to the smallest remaining currency unit and to round all prices and bank accounts to this value. Whereas cash rounding is an ongoing process, this alternative is a one-time conversion. It was done, for example, when the British farthing was withdrawn in 1960.
Practice Rounding is applied to the total of a bill, not to the line items on the bill. Typically, the total is rounded to the nearest multiple of the smallest denomination, which may be higher or lower than the unrounded total. Where the unrounded total is an equal distance from two multiples, practice varies: merchants may be required or encouraged to round down rather than up, giving the benefit to the buyer. An equal distance is possible when the rounding interval is an even number.
The introduction of cash rounding is typically accompanied by publicity campaigns for awareness among both consumers and implementing merchants; smaller campaigns will accompany the extension of an existing rounding system to a higher rounding interval.
Rounding with 0.05 or 5 intervals Country Dates Notes Albania One lek coins were last produced in 2013. Although they continue to circulate and are legal tender, cash transactions may be rounded to the nearest multiple of five lekë. Argentina Always rounded down. Due to high rates of inflation since the 2010s, low denominations are no longer produced and are quickly disappearing from circulation. Australia 1992 onwards 1c and 2c coins last produced in 1991 and removed from circulation in 1992, though they remain redeemable at banks. Payments completed by cheque or electronic means are not usually rounded, although some point-of-sale systems may round all transactions regardless of tender. The Bahamas 2021 onwards One cent coins issued by the Central Bank of the Bahamas ceased to be legal tender starting in 2021. All cash transactions should be rounded to the nearest multiple of five cents.Bahrain1966 onwards1 fils coins were last minted in 1966 and are currently no longer in circulation, so prices are rounded to the nearest 5 fils. Belgium 2019 onwards Starting 1 December 2019 cash payments (payable of at least 5 cents) must be rounded to the nearest 5 cents. 1 and 2-cent coins are still valid as means of payment. Bosnia and Herzegovina 2006 onwards The smallest coin issued is the 5 fening. 1- and 2- fening coins are never issued. So prices are automatically rounded to the nearest 5 fening upon the introduction of the coin in 2006. Brazil 2005 onwards 1-centavo coins no longer produced as of November 2005. Retailers now generally round their prices to the next 5 or 10 centavos. Canada 2013 onwards Penny no longer produced as of 2012. After 4 February 2013 pennies no longer distributed by banks. Cash transactions are rounded to the nearest $0.05. Electronic transactions are still completed to $0.01. CFP franc area (French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna) 2022 onwards 1- and 2-franc coins (along with the old coins) ceased to be legal tender on 30 November 2022 with the new coin series (which omits the 1 and 2 franc coins) circulating from September 2022. The rounding rule does not apply to non-cash transactions. Croatia 2009 to 2023 1- and 2-lipa coins were legal tender, but rarely used; the two coins are mostly minted for annual mint sets. Most prices were rounded to the nearest 5 or 10 lipa. Upon the introduction of the euro, the kuna lost its status as a legal tender currency. Estonia 2025 onwards 1 and 2-cent coins will remain legal tender. Finland 1980 onwards The 1-penni coin was phased out in 1980 and the 5-penni coin in 1990.
When Finland introduced euro notes and coins in 2002, cash payments were rounded to the nearest five cents, however one- and two-cent coins remain legal tender. Finland has its own design for 1- and 2-euro cent coins for mint sets with the intention of issuing them as non-circulating coins.Georgia2019 onwards1-tetri and 2-tetri coins lost legal tender status in 2021. Hungary 2011 onwards The centesimal subdivision of the Hungarian forint (the fillér) was discontinued in 1999, and is not used for transactions, but may appear in contexts where precision is needed, such as petrol prices. Cash rounding is done to the level of 5 Ft, which is also the smallest denominated coin available after a new set of coins was introduced in 2011. The 1-forint and 2-forint coins were withdrawn in 2008 and are no longer legal tender. Full precision to the forint level remains possible through bank transactions. Ireland 2015 onwards A National Payments Plan in April 2013 planned "to trial the use of a rounding convention in a pilot project in a mid-size Irish town", with the 1- and 2-cent coins no longer being minted for general circulation while remaining legal tender. The trial in Wexford was declared successful in June 2015 and rounding to the nearest 5 cents commenced on 28 October 2015. Compliance is voluntary and retailers must make exact charging upon request. One- and two-cent coins remain legal tender, and rounding does not apply to electronic non-cash payments. Those coins with the Irish designs are still minted for coin sets and other countries, such as when back in 2017, Portugal purchased 272 million Irish 1- and 2-euro cent coins to save costs on minting. Israel 1991 to 2007 1-agora coins were removed from circulation on 1 April 1991. Transaction amounts could still be specified to the nearest agora. Cash purchase totals were rounded to the nearest 5 agorot. This system was in effect until 1 January 2008, when the 5 agorot coin was also removed from circulation. Italy 1918 to 2002, 2018 onwards 1 and 2-centesimi coins were last minted in 1918 and demonetized in 1924. All coins smaller than 1 lira were demonetized in 1947. 1 and 2 lire coins were last issued for circulation in 1959, then prices were rounded to the nearest 5 lire, although 1 and 2 lire coins remained legal tender. In the early 1990s, 5, 10 and 20 lire started to disappear from circulation, but they remained legal tender, making the 50 lire the smallest commonly used coin, until being withdrawn upon introduction of the euro in 2002.
Since 1 January 2018 the Italian Mint discontinued the issuance of 1- and 2-euro cent coins for general usage; when payment is made in cash, some sellers round up or down to the nearest multiple of five cents.Art. 13-quater "Sospensione del conio di monete da 1 e 2 centesimi", in Decreto Legge 24 aprile 2017, n. 50 "Disposizioni urgenti in materia finanziaria, iniziative a favore degli enti territoriali, ulteriori interventi per le zone colpite da eventi sismici e misure per lo sviluppo." As of 2022, many sellers still give and accept 1 and 2-cent coins, as there's still plenty of pre-2018 coins in circulation, and more recent coins issued in other Eurozone countries too. There are still a limited number of post-2018 coins minted, but those are only meant for annual coin sets and not for general circulation.Kazakhstan1- and 2-tenge coins are rarely used in Kazakhstan, and prices are normally rounded to the nearest 5 tenge. Lithuania From 1 May 2025 1 and 2-cent coins will remain legal tender. Malaysia 2008 onwards In 2007, Bank Negara announced the cessation of 1 sen coin production and was removed from circulation by 2011, although those coins remain legal tender. The Malaysia government announced the introduction of a rounding mechanism to the nearest multiple of 5 sen for over-the-counter payments to be fully implemented by 1 April 2008.
The total amount of a bill which ends in 1, 2, 6 and 7 sen will be rounded down while the total bill which ends in 3, 4, 8 and 9 sen will be rounded up to the nearest multiple of 5 sen. Mexico 1992 to 2002 5 centavo coins no longer produced as of 2002. Retailers now generally round their prices to the next 10 centavos.Moldova2017 onwardsMinting of the 1-ban coin was stopped in 2017 and has slowly been removed from circulation. The 5-bani coin is the smallest denomination currently found in circulation in Moldova. Netherlands 1980 to 2002, 2004 onwards In 1980 the production of the Dutch 1 cent coin (0.01 guilder) ceased and the coinage was demonetised in the same year (at that time no coins between 1 and 5-cent existed). After introduction of the Euro in 2002, the Netherlands used 1- and 2- euro cent coins (equivalent to about 2.2 and 4.4 Guilder cents) until 2004.