Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ROY FREIMAN
District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)
Assemblyman ROBERT J. KARABINCHAK
District 18 (Middlesex)
Assemblyman CLINTON CALABRESE
District 36 (Bergen and Passaic)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Simmons, Assemblymen Kearney and Spearman
SYNOPSIS
Allows rounding for cash transactions.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee on September 17, 2026, with amendments.
An Act concerning certain cash transactions and supplementing Title 56 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. If a 1[business] merchant1 accepts cash transactions and chooses to round up or down when calculating amounts due at the point of sale, the following provisions apply:
(1) A cash transaction where the price ends in one-hundredth or two-hundredths ($.01 or $.02) of a dollar shall be rounded down to the nearest tenth of a dollar.
(2) A cash transaction where the price ends in three-hundredths or four-hundredths ($.03 or $.04) of a dollar shall be rounded up to the nearest five-hundredths of a dollar.
(3) A cash transaction where the price ends in six-hundredths or seven-hundredths ($.06 or $.07) of a dollar shall be rounded down to the nearest five-hundredths of a dollar.
(4) A cash transaction where the price ends in eight-hundredths or nine-hundredths ($.08 or $.09) of a dollar shall be rounded up to the nearest tenth of a dollar.
b. 1The rounding of any transaction, pursuant to subsection a. of this section, shall only be applied to the final transaction total after all taxes, fees, discounts, and any other adjustments have been accounted for.
c.1 The provisions of subsection a. of this section shall not apply to transactions where a check, debit card, credit card, wire transfer, or any other non-cash form of payment is used in a transaction.
1[c] d1. Nothing in this act shall be construed to prohibit a program that rounds a purchase or transaction up as a donation; provided that the program is voluntary, and the consumer has the right to opt in to and opt out of the donation.
2. Any 1[business] merchant1 that 1[violates the provisions of this bill] rounds up the price of a cash transaction in violation of paragraph (1) or (3) of subsection a. of section 1 of this act1 shall be subject to a civil penalty of $1,000 for the first offense, $2,500 for the second offense, and $5,000 for the third and each subsequent offense. Each day on which a violation occurs shall constitute a separate and distinct offense. A penalty imposed pursuant to this section shall be collected in a civil action by a summary proceeding under the “Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999,” P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.). The Superior Court shall have jurisdiction of proceedings for the enforcement of the penalty provided by this section.
3. This act shall take effect 30 days after enactment.