‘I’m sorry, we don’t take those anymore’: Walgreens customer says pharmacist refused two pennies, then took them back when a $20 wouldn’t work

The U.S. Mint stopped producing pennies for circulation last year, but the coins remain legal tender. A Walgreens pharmacist reportedly refused two pennies from a customer paying for a 12-cent prescription, claiming the store no longer accepted them because the Mint no longer makes them. The exchange appears to have ended with the pharmacist taking the same coins after all, according to a Reddit post by u/stf210 in r/MaliciousCompliance.

According to the customer, the trouble started when they counted out a dime and two pennies. The pharmacist allegedly replied, “I’m sorry, we don’t take those anymore,” and held firm even after the customer pointed out that pennies are still legal tender. When the customer asked to speak with someone else, the pharmacist reportedly said, “I’m the only person here.”

The customer says they then tried to pay with a $20 bill instead. The pharmacist accepted the larger bill but appeared to realize the register didn’t have enough singles to make change for the 12-cent prescription. The customer says the pharmacist looked frustrated while saying, “I don’t have exact change.”

The pharmacist apparently needed those pennies after all

The customer reminded the pharmacist that exact change had been offered from the start, as the dime and two pennies covered the 12-cent total. The pharmacist then reportedly handed the $20 bill back and accepted the original coins without saying anything else. The customer eventually left with the prescription, though the payment apparently took far longer than it should have.

A commenter later questioned why a pharmacy would charge a price that only pennies could cover while refusing to accept them. “If they don’t take pennies, they need to stop charging in increments of that and stick with coins they do accept,” the commenter said. Another commenter asked why the pharmacist wouldn’t simply take the dime.

Another commenter wondered how the store could make exact change without pennies in the drawer. That question may get harder for retailers as supplies shrink, as banks have reportedly struggled to restock the coins since production ended.

The penny has caused friction at other chains too, including a Home Depot penny sale that a manager allegedly refused to honor. In that case, a shopper said he was blocked from taking a vanity cabinet he had paid a penny for.

Walgreens pharmacy counters have drawn viral attention before, including an Arizona coach’s dispute at Walgreens over medication instructions. The account in this case comes only from the customer’s post, and neither the pharmacist’s nor Walgreens’ side could be verified. It remains unclear whether the pharmacist followed store guidance or acted alone.