Dollar General Penny Policy (All You Need To Know)

Penny shopping is a kind of retail scavenger hunt, where shoppers try to find and buy items that cost just a penny. Penny shopping started with Dollar General stores, though shoppers can find ways to get things for a penny at many other stores.

So, if you want to join in the fun, you may want to know what the Dollar General penny policy is and how it helps you save money. I’ve researched the subject matter in-depth, and here’s everything you need to know!

Dollar General Penny Policy In 2024

Dollar General uses penny pricing to identify items employees are supposed to pull from the shelves and discard as of 2024. If a shopper finds the item on the shelves before it has been pulled and brings it to the cash register, the Dollar General Penny Policy is that the store has to sell it for a penny.

To find out more about penny shopping at Dollar General stores and how to find penny items, carry on reading! I found all the answers you need!

What Are Dollar General Penny Items?

Penny items at Dollar General are clearance or old items that haven’t sold for a long time and that the store decides to pull.

So, to make it easier for employees to find and pull these items, Dollar General has a system that prices these for a penny.

Then, Dollar General staff are supposed to locate these penny items and pull them from the shelves to be thrown away or donated.

However, if shoppers find a penny-priced item on the shelves before an employee pulls it, they can bring it to the checkout and buy it for a penny!

Does Dollar General Have To Honor Penny Items?

The Dollar General policy is to honor penny items that a customer finds and brings to the checkout.

However, some store employees may not be aware of this policy and may refuse to sell penny-priced items.

Instead of arguing, you can just show them a copy of the Dollar General Penny Policy online.

How Do You Penny Shop At Dollar General?

Penny shopping at Dollar General stores has become popular with bargain hunters trying to get household goods and gifts at throwaway prices.

So, if you want to go penny shopping at Dollar General, you have to know how to identify items that will ring up for one penny at the cash register.

However, the penny items won’t be marked with the price, and you also can’t ask store employees where to find them.

Instead, you have to look for all kinds of clues on the price and product tags, which makes penny shopping like a scavenger hunt.

How Do I Find Penny Items At Dollar General?

Penny items are usually products that Dollar General discounts or labels as “out of season.”

Once store employees track them down, they will often be thrown away and sometimes donated.

As previously mentioned, Dollar General doesn’t clearly mark penny items with the discounted price.

However, shoppers can identify penny items by looking at the labels and the codes printed on them.

Sometimes, the season codes alongside the barcode will tell you that certain items are off-season and likely to ring up for a penny.

For example, some standard season codes you might see include:

• FA for Fall
• WI for Winter
• SP for Spring
• SU for Summer

Also, some items may have symbols on their price tags that identify “out of stock” items that employees must remove from the shelves.

Further, these symbols can include circles, diamonds, ovals, and stars.

Additionally, some websites publish weekly lists of Dollar General penny items, updated every Tuesday.

Like any scavenger hunt, penny shopping has its rules, and the first one is to be polite to store employees at all times.

Second, don’t go into areas of the store closed to customers or make a mess in the store while searching for deals.

Do Dollar General Employees Get In Trouble For Selling Penny Items?

Dollar General employees are given penny item lists every week on Tuesdays to help them find and pull items that must be thrown away or donated.

However, sometimes shoppers find these items before the Dollar General staff have a chance to check all the shelves.

Also, Dollar General staff may occasionally miss penny items because each store has a vast area to cover.

So, if you’re a penny shopper concerned about what happens to Dollar General staff, don’t worry if you find an item they were supposed to pull.

With that, Dollar General staff aren’t blamed if some penny items get left behind on the shelves.

Also, they certainly won’t be fired for missing a few items that needed to be removed.

However, once the sale is complete, Dollar General employees will go to the area where you found the penny item and remove any other penny items they find there.

Finally, Dollar General employees don’t get a reprimand or written up if a customer finds a penny item in the store.

If you are looking to learn more, you can also see our posts on whether or not Dollar General accepts checks, Dollar General shoplifting policy, if Dollar General takes coupons. 

Conclusion

Penny shopping is a kind of bargain shopping scavenger hunt, with its own rules, where the prize is the throwaway price of one penny for all sorts of useful items.

According to the Dollar General Penny Policy, if you find an item that will ring up for a penny and bring it to the cash register, the employees have to honor the price.