Virginia man warns Taco Bell customers of alleged round-up scams after seeing his receipt: ‘Watch yourself when you go through these drive-thrus’

Having to pay only the amount that you agreed to pay should be the standard with any business, but one man found himself caught off guard when the number on his receipt did not match what he was told at the counter. Steven (@even_steven1993) shared his experience ordering food at a local Taco Bell drive-thru in Virginia, which he claimed ended with his total bill being rounded up without his consent.

According to Steven in a video that has garnered tens of thousands of views on TikTok, he visited Taco Bell for lunch, with his order coming to a total of $8.04. But when he drove to the payment window, he claimed the employee informed him that his new total was $9 instead.

Steven said he found the situation “weird,” as he recalled the employee telling him his total was “$8 and some change” when he finished placing his order. However, his suspicions grew when he allegedly noticed the employee crumpling his receipt and throwing it in the trash after paying.

Taco Bell allegedly added 96 cents to his total

“I said, ‘Excuse me, I want the receipt,’” Steven said. “She reprinted it [and] handed it to me while I was waiting on my food.”

When he looked at his receipt, Steven found that his total was rounded up. “As you can see, the total was $8.04. But then, she rounded up 96 cents,” he said, showing the receipt that had a “Round Up” charge added.

While Steven wasn’t overcharged by a huge amount, as some have experienced at other businesses, he was left wondering why his total was rounded up. “Yeah, we did, because we’re running low on change. And anytime that happens, the system automatically rounds up,” the employee told Steven, according to his account.

The reason, however, confused Steven more, as he paid using a debit card. “Oh, yeah. Well, it does it anyway,” the employee supposedly said in response.

Ultimately, Steven did not dispute the charge at the time, as it was less than a dollar, but the incident did leave him blindsided because it “makes zero sense.” Instead, he advised others to pay attention to their receipts whenever they make a purchase: “Watch yourself when you go through these drive-thrus, and anywhere and everywhere, honestly. Because f****** scam in every corner.”

U.S. no longer produces one-cent coins

According to Kiplinger, the reason for the round-up may be because of the shortage of pennies after the U.S. Treasury suspended the production of one-cent coins due to rising costs. The cost to produce a one-cent coin reportedly increased from 1.42 cents to 3.69 cents per penny, per the U.S. Mint. As a result, the last one-cent coin was made on November 12, 2025.

Although not yet formalized into law, the Common Cents Act serves as a guide on how businesses round up or down a cash transaction. Under the proposed bill, totals ending in one, two, six, or seven cents would be rounded down, while those ending in three, four, eight, or nine cents would be rounded up.

In Steven’s case, his bill may have been rounded up because his total ended in four cents. However, the bill also states that the rounding practice is not applicable to non-cash transactions, including credit cards, electronic fund transfers, gift cards, and checks.

Aside from the penny shortage, Taco Bell also has its own “Round Up” program that customers can willingly participate in by rounding up their total bill to the nearest dollar. The earnings from the program go towards supporting the youth across the nations by providing scholarships and educational opportunities.

It remains unclear why Steven’s total was rounded up, as his payment method did not require cash change, nor was he supposedly asked if he wished to participate in the Round Up initiative. Nevertheless, Steven claimed he returned to Taco Bell later and received $1 back.

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