As the U.S. Treasury phases out the use of the penny, it’s creating a host of new challenges for businesses and consumers that could cost all of us a good chunk of change. That’s because eliminating the 1-cent piece is more complicated than it seems, creating a two-tier system that treats customers who pay with cash differently than customers who pay electronically, whether that be with a debit or credit card or a digital wallet. This raises a host of legal and regulatory concerns, from unequal treatment of consumers to proper tax collection. While there’s still a lot to figure out, the bottom line is clear: We’ll all be paying more when it comes time to check out. The crux of the problem is rounding. As pennies exit circulation, it is becoming increasingly difficult for retailers to make exact change for cash transactions. Without pennies, cash transactions will have to either be rounded up to the nearest 5 cents or down to the nearest 5 cents. Because federal and state officials have not provided guidance on the issue, businesses are left to set their own rounding policies. Th