California stores may soon have the option to round cash transactions to the nearest nickel under Assembly Bill 1793, introduced as a solution to a growing penny shortage after the last batch of pennies was produced at the end o f last year.The bill gives stores, not customers, the choice to round up or down to the nearest nickel on cash purchases.For some shoppers, the change raises concerns about fairness for cash-dependent customers."But for people who are counting their change, it can be really difficult because sometimes you're on that last penny and you're counting on that for gas," Alyssa Bellateixeira said.Bellateixeira said that while she typically pays by card, she sympathizes with those who rely on cash.Some businesses say they have already been dealing with the shortage on their own. Khalid Mansour, owner of Blue Fig Farms, said his store ran out of pennies three months ago and has since been rounding transactions at the register."At the cashier, I tell the cashier to basically round those numbers off. For example, if a customer's receipt was two ninety eight, we'll give them three dollars back," Mansour said.Mansour said most customers have taken the change in stride, though some have had questions."Some customers were joking off about it you know and when they come to pay at the cashier so they tell us 'Did you raise the price because of the penny shortage?'" Mansour said.Cash-only businesses are also adapting. Ruben Rosales, co-owner of Happy Jack's, said his business avoids odd change by taxing items first before adding up the total.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere: Download Our Free App for Apple and Android Sign Up for Our Daily E-mail Newsletter Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Instagram Subscribe to Us on YouTube ...read more read less