Cash Payments and Pennies – What’s Changing

November 10, 2025

The United States Mint has stopped making new pennies. Because of this, the City of Muskegon can no longer get pennies from banks. This change affects cash payments for city services and bills.

Here’s what you need to know:

Cash Payments

  • If you pay in cash, we ask that you bring exact change if possible.

  • If you do not have exact change, your total will be rounded up to the nearest $0.05 (five‑cent increment).

  • You can still use pennies if you have them, but the city may not be able to give pennies as change.

  • Because of rounding, cash payers may pay a few cents more.

  • Any extra from rounding will be credited on your next bill when possible.

Other Payment Methods

  • Check, ACH, credit card, debit card, or money order payments are still accepted and will be processed for the exact amount owed.

Taxes and Federal Guidance

  • The city is waiting for instructions from the federal government on how to handle taxes under the new penny rules. We will share updates as soon as guidance is available.

Why This Is Happening

  • Pennies cost more to make than they are worth, so the U.S. Mint has stopped producing them.

  • As pennies become harder to get, the city cannot rely on having them for cash transactions.

What You Should Do

  • Try to pay with exact change when using cash.

  • Consider using non-cash payment methods if possible to avoid rounding.

Thank you for your patience as we adjust to these changes together.