Chipotle Caught Cheating Customers? Restaurant Rounds Off Checks, Gets Rid Of Pennies
Pennies: Who needs them? That seemed to be Chipotle’s motto up until last week when the burrito chain was caught cheating its customers out of pennies.
The Huffington Post reports that Chipotle was rounding off bills so that they wouldn’t have to deal with pennies.
Accordingto the Star-Ledger’s Karen Price Mueller who investigated the strange money practice, Chipotle didn’t always round checks up to the nearest nickel. In its busiest markets, the fast food chain would round checks up or down depending on the final price of the bill. Still, some customers were confused as to why they had too much, or too little, change in their pockets.
The idea, according to spokesman Chris Arnold, is to limit the amount of cash transactions to make sure that lines keep moving. Arnold said that Chipotle wasn’t invested in some penny pinching scheme and hasn’t turned any sort of profit from the pennies.
The company did, however, recognize that the practice could anger some people. But Chipotle isn’t ready to re-instate the penny. Instead, the restaurant will no longer round checks up to the nearest nickel. Instead, people will be given up to 4 cents in savings every time they eat at Chipotle.
What do you think of Chipotle’s “no penny rule?” Do you think the penny will slowly find its way out of circulation?
Tags : chipotle, chipotle change, chipotle cheating, chipotle pennies
Posted: August 29, 2012
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Aug 29, 2012
gas stations do this everytime you buy a gallon of gas. ever noticed that 9/10 of a cent? they tack it on as a round up..so if its 2.49 and 9/10s of a cent then you are actually paying 2.50 per gallon.
Aug 29, 2012
JCP does this but they ask you if they can round up and then they donate those funds to a charity. If Chipotle claims not to be greedy or running a scheme, then maybe they should do the same!
Aug 29, 2012
Gas stations only round at the end of a transaction. If you by 10 gallons of gas in your scenario, its going to cost you 24.99 and not 25.00. On a side note. I will pay that extra penny if gas is at 2.49 again…
Aug 29, 2012
i would gladly pay 2.50 per gallon if it were 2.49 too…this 3-4$ per gallon is rediculous,but that 2.49 was an example……they been doing this forever…simply because they can.i asked a hess associate about it one day,and was told they just round it up being they dont make 9/10ths of a penny.
Aug 29, 2012
They want to get rid of the penny which the US has been playing around with for years. Canada is actually doing it. The penny does cause many issues in terms of cost of production and time wasted overall. Congrats for them to step ahead of the curve and get rid of it early. You say greedy? Well now u can go there and enjoy your 4 cent discount. Greedy I ask you, SMH.
Aug 29, 2012
There was a Richard Pryor movie about this kind of cheat – he was skimming pennies off of payroll checks. Perhaps their customers should be given their pennies back.
Aug 29, 2012
There was a Richard Pryor movie about this kind of cheat – he was skimming pennies off of payroll checks. Perhaps their customers should be given their pennies back.
Aug 29, 2012
Ha! "Office Space"
Aug 29, 2012
That's ridiculous. Why don't they just round the prices up or down? There's no law that things have to end in.99. Jeesh. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YeplYgIQ18
Aug 29, 2012
That's ridiculous. Why don't they just round the prices up or down? There's no law that things have to end in.99. Jeesh. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YeplYgIQ18
Aug 29, 2012
No wonder I have so darn many pennies in my Toyota!
Aug 29, 2012
Wow that is earth shattering. Worst case you lose two pennies. So now they will raise all of the prices by.05 and round down from.04. Are the whiners happy now?
Aug 29, 2012
Here is an interesting article on coin denominations: http://www.freakonomics.com/2009/10/06/do-we-need-a-37-cent-coin/
Aug 29, 2012
I'm going to Chipotle today and paying with pennies.
Aug 29, 2012
As long as they are telling the cutomer what they are doing this is fine…..but by not telling…that's just wrong…
Aug 29, 2012
A few pennies is the least of it. How about the folks paying more for 'ethical' food who find out it's only "whenever possible" and when it's not available the price doesn't change. Then it can be dollars difference…but it's just marketing. Chipotle won't even address it to answer, but ban the question. "with regard to chickens, again from their annual report “As a result of ongoing supply challenges, we had to suspend serving naturally raised chicken in certain markets beginning in the second quarter of 2010. " Ethical? If they're not telling people, or guiding people to repeat the "whenever possible" mantra, perhaps it's too much to think about what about when it's not possible due to supply/cost. And with 3 restaurants needing 2,000 chickens per week, or part of (not the white meat) that's not something small farms they show in ads can do.
Doesn't honesty matter anymore?
Aug 29, 2012
A few pennies is the least of it. How about the folks paying more for 'ethical' food who find out it's only "whenever possible" and when it's not available the price doesn't change. Then it can be dollars difference…but it's just marketing. Chipotle won't even address it to answer, but ban the question. "with regard to chickens, again from their annual report “As a result of ongoing supply challenges, we had to suspend serving naturally raised chicken in certain markets beginning in the second quarter of 2010. " Ethical? If they're not telling people, or guiding people to repeat the "whenever possible" mantra, perhaps it's too much to think about what about when it's not possible due to supply/cost. And with 3 restaurants needing 2,000 chickens per week, or part of (not the white meat) that's not something small farms they show in ads can do.
Doesn't honesty matter anymore?
Aug 29, 2012
Austin, I like where you're head is at! lol
Aug 29, 2012
In Brazil this practice is pretty standard and you will rarely receive a centavo as change…
Aug 29, 2012
All those lunches at Chipotle when we were at TapouT… Good thing I always had Subway instead
Aug 29, 2012
Their food still sucks donkey balls.
Aug 29, 2012
Superman 3 was the movie…..on a sidenote, if we eliminate the penny now..will the nickel be next, thereby rounding up to the nearest 5 cents? Will this lead to the elimination of all change at some point to round everything up to the next whole dollar? I don't like where this is going.
Aug 29, 2012
Superman 3 was the movie…..on a sidenote, if we eliminate the penny now..will the nickel be next, thereby rounding up to the nearest 5 cents? Will this lead to the elimination of all change at some point to round everything up to the next whole dollar? I don't like where this is going.
Aug 29, 2012
Superman 3 was the movie…..on a sidenote, if we eliminate the penny now..will the nickel be next, thereby rounding up to the nearest 5 cents? Will this lead to the elimination of all change at some point to round everything up to the next whole dollar? I don't like where this is going.
Aug 29, 2012
Most people aren't going to miss the pennies. I save all my change and I must say it does add up so I'm sure there making thousand a month by doing this. I don't think they should keep the money but instead give it to a feed the kids in America foundation. I think that would make most people happy and put a sign up showing they do that and it may even bring more business.
Aug 29, 2012
Most people aren't going to miss the pennies. I save all my change and I must say it does add up so I'm sure there making thousand a month by doing this. I don't think they should keep the money but instead give it to a feed the kids in America foundation. I think that would make most people happy and put a sign up showing they do that and it may even bring more business.
Aug 29, 2012
Most people aren't going to miss the pennies. I save all my change and I must say it does add up so I'm sure there making thousand a month by doing this. I don't think they should keep the money but instead give it to a feed the kids in America foundation. I think that would make most people happy and put a sign up showing they do that and it may even bring more business.
Aug 29, 2012
You are reading the signs wrong. It's not $2.49 and 9/10 of a cent for a gallon of gas. It's $2.49 for 9/10 of a gallon of gas. The price is what is stated, but you are not buying a full gallon for that price.
Aug 29, 2012
pennies have been talked about going out of circulation for years. Maybe they're just ahead of the curve? if you're so worried about saving money, don't buy the guac. And next time you're in line whining about the wait, remember the industrious cashier counting out pennies and slowing you down from getting lunch.
Aug 29, 2012
pennies have been talked about going out of circulation for years. Maybe they're just ahead of the curve? if you're so worried about saving money, don't buy the guac. And next time you're in line whining about the wait, remember the industrious cashier counting out pennies and slowing you down from getting lunch.
Aug 29, 2012
pennies have been talked about going out of circulation for years. Maybe they're just ahead of the curve? if you're so worried about saving money, don't buy the guac. And next time you're in line whining about the wait, remember the industrious cashier counting out pennies and slowing you down from getting lunch.
Aug 29, 2012
pennies have been talked about going out of circulation for years. Maybe they're just ahead of the curve? if you're so worried about saving money, don't buy the guac. And next time you're in line whining about the wait, remember the industrious cashier counting out pennies and slowing you down from getting lunch.
Aug 29, 2012
pennies have been talked about going out of circulation for years. Maybe they're just ahead of the curve? if you're so worried about saving money, don't buy the guac. And next time you're in line whining about the wait, remember the industrious cashier counting out pennies and slowing you down from getting lunch.
Aug 29, 2012
Pennies should have been taken out of use a decade ago! It cost more to make a penny than its worth DUH!
Aug 29, 2012
Get rid of pennies already. In 1787, they made sense. 200 years later, they don't.
Aug 29, 2012
Its not that what Chipotle is doing isn't logical, but in some since it is illegal. We have a monetary system to avoid such confusions, and to some degree is stealing. A penny is a penny, they have no right to take or give to you a will. Just put up a sign saying " We round" and call it a day, but don't not tell me… Jeesh!
Aug 29, 2012
this reminds me a little of the office space scam.
Aug 29, 2012
this reminds me a little of the office space scam.
Aug 29, 2012
Ken are you serious? That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard… The price is listed at price per gallon… in this example 2.499 per gallon
Aug 29, 2012
That won't help once tax is added in.. there will still be change involved. And if they are rounding prices to make them "easier" for us incompetent money counters, you know the company is going to round those prices up so they aren't losing money. I'd rather have to deal with a little change than to consistently pay more for items.
Aug 29, 2012
I was thinking the same thing!
Aug 29, 2012
They could set their prices so it INCLUDES tax. Lots of places do it.
Aug 29, 2012
Go to Chipotle this week and pay with ONLY pennies! Let's make it Pay With Pennies Week!
Aug 29, 2012
Chipotle is a bunch of lying, scamming, cheating thieves! I won't go back. If they will steal a penny from you, they will also steal dollars from you!
Aug 29, 2012
same thought i had haha
Aug 29, 2012
same thought i had haha
Aug 29, 2012
same thought i had haha
Aug 29, 2012
Remember that is how Richard Pryor's Character in Superman 3 or 4 Got rich. Very funny.
Aug 29, 2012
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Aug 29, 2012
You are right Michael, the price IS (in this example) $2.499 per gallon. Ken, you need to read the signs correctly. Many stations don't post the extra 9/10 of a cent anymore, but many do. It started as a marketing ploy and continued from there.
Aug 29, 2012
Seriously people…pennies are more trouble than they are worth. I hate carrying pennies in my coin purse, they are the first to go!
Aug 29, 2012
If anyone finds their pennies annoying, I will gladly take them!
Aug 29, 2012
I stopped visiting them over their recruitment and assistance of illegal aliens. I'm really glad now. They have been caught in another scam. I"m glad I have not been back.
Aug 29, 2012
Michelle Notinterested – As I mentioned in another post, it costs more than a nickel to make a nickel, it costs far more than a penny to make a penny. Something has to be done and this has been a topic of discussion for a few years now. Now you know why the Government is broke. They spend more than they take in and they spend more to create coins than they are worth.
Aug 29, 2012
At least they don't hate gay marriage.
Aug 29, 2012
At least they don't hate gay marriage.
Aug 29, 2012
At least they don't hate gay marriage.
Aug 29, 2012
At least they don't hate gay marriage.
Aug 29, 2012
You don't see Qdoba mentioned in this articale~just sayin! Love me the Q.
Aug 29, 2012
You don't see Qdoba mentioned in this articale~just sayin! Love me the Q.
Aug 29, 2012
You don't see Qdoba mentioned in this articale~just sayin! Love me the Q.
Aug 29, 2012
Are you kidding? That's completely logical, why would they want to deal with logic?
Aug 29, 2012
Are you kidding? That's completely logical, why would they want to deal with logic?
Aug 29, 2012
nooooo, it's not like their food is overpriced or anything like that in the first place…
Aug 29, 2012
that's a good thought but if they are going to cheat they will lie too!!
Aug 29, 2012
Well there are a few states that prohibit that practice I would guess that is why.
Aug 29, 2012
Well there are a few states that prohibit that practice I would guess that is why.
Aug 29, 2012
Well there are a few states that prohibit that practice I would guess that is why.
Aug 29, 2012
Well there are a few states that prohibit that practice I would guess that is why.
Aug 29, 2012
Well there are a few states that prohibit that practice I would guess that is why.
Aug 29, 2012
Well there are a few states that prohibit that practice I would guess that is why.
Aug 29, 2012
Well there are a few states that prohibit that practice I would guess that is why.
Aug 29, 2012
Well there are a few states that prohibit that practice I would guess that is why.
Aug 29, 2012
Well there are a few states that prohibit that practice I would guess that is why.
Aug 29, 2012
I'm a chipotle employee.. worst company ever anyways. and for way more reasons than this.
Aug 29, 2012
Your answer is so baffling to even read.
Aug 29, 2012
How about this one. They're not honest and haven't been. People *think* they have "ethical meat" but the company stresses they serve it "whenever possible." It's not always possible. They know this, as have said this and more. They don't adjust the price when it's not possible. So customers think they're eating "humane ethical meat" when in fact it's no different (when it's not possible) than any other restaurant. But customers are paying more for it. They know it, they market it, they bury questions and do not buy from small farmers represented to be sources. The fact is to be a supplier of just a few restaurants means having over 18000 birds on hand at all times. Small farms? In comparison to Tyson yes. Not what most think.
Aug 29, 2012
Cashless society; gotta start somewhere, why not with the penny? Same thing, different day. When they want to get rid of something, they start chipping away at it.
Aug 29, 2012
Corporate greed at it's finest, and an example of our humanity being eroded just a bit more as corporations assume greater and greater preeminence in our society at the expense of the common man. The ostensible reason for the banishing of the penny here was to limit cash transactions "in order to keep the lines moving", which, by inference, equates to faster service, sure, but more importantly from Chipotle's perspective, would absolutely equate to more money being generated. Chipotle netted 215 million dollars in 2011, but evidently this does not satisfy them. I don't necessarily begrudge anybody for wanting to make a buck, but it's nice to know that each of us don't constitute a living, breathing human being to be this corporation but merely a cash- (or preferably debit or credit) carrying base unit in a "line", a money-making flow of flotsam in grist mill that must be kept moving and moving ever more quickly and profitably.
Aug 29, 2012
Michelle Notinterested I love your profile pic! Lol I know its off topic but I just got happy seeing the Psych logo
Aug 30, 2012
pennies are bad bad luck.
Aug 30, 2012
if you round pennies to the nearest nickel the most you would be out is 4 cents. if you cant afford 4 cents youre at the wrong mexican fast food joint, let me suggest del taco or toxic hell.
Aug 30, 2012
if you round pennies to the nearest nickel the most you would be out is 4 cents. if you cant afford 4 cents youre at the wrong mexican fast food joint, let me suggest del taco or toxic hell.
Aug 30, 2012
Great. have fun in Brasil with your pennies.
Aug 30, 2012
The Chipotle by me sets its prices so that after tax, the amount comes out to even quarter amount (.00,.25,.50,.75). No matter the combination, it always works out. This story may be talking about something different, but my situation seems to relate.
Aug 30, 2012
The Chipotle by me sets its prices so that after tax, the amount comes out to even quarter amount (.00,.25,.50,.75). No matter the combination, it always works out. This story may be talking about something different, but my situation seems to relate.
Aug 30, 2012
oops i didnt realize this was posted on fb
Aug 30, 2012
It's dishonest. If you don't want to deal with the pennies, tell me the price is 1.00. Don't tell me that the price is.99 and not give me back a penny change from a dollar.
Aug 30, 2012
It's dishonest. If you don't want to deal with the pennies, tell me the price is 1.00. Don't tell me that the price is.99 and not give me back a penny change from a dollar.
Aug 30, 2012
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Aug 30, 2012
I love del taco!!! lol
Aug 30, 2012
This is a smart and sensible move, that is just as much for the customer as it is for anything else – personally I hate having to deal with pennies. In the grand scheme of things, I think all of us wouldn't mind paying a few extra pennies to move the line along.
What about the fact that you can ask Chipotle to add extra ingredients on your burrito with no charge? No other restaurant I know of allows that, I'm sure that adds up to a LOT of extra expense for them. Nobody is crying about that.
Aug 30, 2012
Just saying after every 10 gallons sold they get a free penny may not seem like much,but add it up after all the years of buying gas how much they have stolen from us individually,and then how much they have taken from everyone as a whole…then they have the nerve to have the prices so high. Now
Aug 30, 2012
We noticed this not with this company but with a local KFC. However, even though the receipt stated one p rice they charged an extra twenty cents to the debit card bill. My husband brought the two receipts. So now I double look because to me that should be illegal to round anything up and I don't care what their reason is.
Aug 30, 2012
"The company did, however, recognize that the practice could anger some people. But Chipotle isn’t ready to re-instate the penny. Instead, the restaurant will no longer round checks up to the nearest nickel. Instead, people will be given up to 4 cents in savings every time they eat at Chipotle."
Some of you didn't bother to READ This!
Aug 30, 2012
"The company did, however, recognize that the practice could anger some people. But Chipotle isn’t ready to re-instate the penny. Instead, the restaurant will no longer round checks up to the nearest nickel. Instead, people will be given up to 4 cents in savings every time they eat at Chipotle."
Some of you didn't bother to READ This!
Aug 30, 2012
How about this one "EAT SOMEWHERE ELSE" JEEZE
Aug 30, 2012
How about this one "EAT SOMEWHERE ELSE" JEEZE
Aug 30, 2012
are you people serious? have you been to chipotle ever? have they not given you aLL YOUR CHANGE BACK BECAUSE THEY SURE DO GIVE ME MINE PENNIES AND ALL.
Aug 30, 2012
Even better David!
Aug 30, 2012
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Aug 30, 2012
Amanda- Thanks..looking forward to season 7 this fall
Bruce – while the government IS broke –for sooooo many reasons—, I was commenting on the problem of private business practices.
The fact is that printing money without the gold backing it up is going to cause a loss of value to the dollar (just check it out in currency exchange all over the world) and it leads our lawmakers to believe tney can spenda much as they want. After all, if they want more, they can just print it, right? THAT'S the logic that gets us in trouble.
Aug 30, 2012
If the German Government could make citizens push wheelbarrows of paper money to a baker for a loaf of bread…
If the Chinese Government could have "the fen" which is like a 1/50th of a cent…then…
What kind of BS is Chipotle pulling? Where's a "Class Action" attorney when you want one?
Aug 30, 2012
If the German Government could make citizens push wheelbarrows of paper money to a baker for a loaf of bread…
If the Chinese Government could have "the fen" which is like a 1/50th of a cent…then…
What kind of BS is Chipotle pulling? Where's a "Class Action" attorney when you want one?
Aug 30, 2012
Jan Hoadley – Ok, thanks for trying.
Aug 30, 2012
David Arkyboy Studer Agreed. If it doesn't work for you, eat somewhere else – or better yet – at home
Aug 31, 2012
That's just plain high-handed and presumptive of the customer's ignorance. If they break a trust unilaterally like that, they had better work overtime making it up. The appearance is just small and stupidly greedy.