The Chamber supports the planned rounding rules for 1- and 2-cent euro coins

The Ministry of Finance has drafted a bill according to which, in physical points of sale, the merchant is obliged to round the total cost of the shopping basket (not each individual product) up or down to the nearest five cents in cash payments. The Chamber supports the planned amendment but pointed out that the state must play an active role in informing consumers.

Rounding rules reduce the burden on companies
The Chamber of Commerce supports the Ministry of Finance's proposal to establish rounding rules for 1- and 2-cent euro coins, which, according to the draft, are applied to the final total at the cash register when paying in cash. According to the rounding rules, the merchant in physical points of sale is obliged to round the total cost of the shopping basket (not each individual product) up or down to the nearest five cents. The final purchase amount ending in one, two, six, or seven euro cents is rounded down, and the amount ending in three, four, eight, or nine euro cents is rounded up. The Chamber supports the logic of the rounding rules and their implementation, as it reduces the burden on companies, as they would no longer need to return 1- and 2-cent coins from cash registers.

In addition to the merchant, the state must also conduct information campaigns
According to the draft, information about the rounding of the final price of goods or services must be clearly and legibly presented to the consumer in a written, unambiguous, and easily noticeable manner. The Chamber believes that state-run information campaigns for consumers are important in the implementation of rounding rules. In addition to information provided by merchants, it is very important for the state to actively inform consumers, so that people and consumers do not think that it is a merchant's initiative but a state initiative, and that the mathematical rounding rules are not for deceiving consumers. The Chamber is of the opinion that the retail sector should not be the main party responsible for explaining to consumers.

According to the draft, the changes will come into force on January 1, 2025.