Both Dollar Tree and Dollar General have items that ring up for one cent. If you only have time for one store this week, which should it be? It depends on what you value: predictability or surprise.
How each store creates penny items
At both chains, a $0.01 price is an internal signal that an item should be removed. Items that staff miss can still be bought. The idea is the same. The details are not.
Lists and timing
Dollar General is the more predictable of the two. Prices change on Tuesdays, and several well-known sites publish a weekly penny list, usually a day ahead. You can plan a trip around it. See how the Dollar General list works.
Dollar Tree is less organized. Some sites post lists, often monthly, but they’re incomplete. You’ll do more of the hunting yourself.
Checking the price
Dollar General: the Dollar General app scanner shows $0.01 for penny items when set to your store. Simple.
Dollar Tree: according to The Krazy Coupon Lady, the app shows “Product Not Found” for penny items. You need an in-store price scanner to confirm. Our Dollar Tree price check guide explains.
Store policy
Dollar General: shopper guides report that policy is to sell an item at a penny if it rings up that way, but managers sometimes refuse.
Dollar Tree: according to The Krazy Coupon Lady, a policy update starting January 2026 tells employees to complete penny sales. It’s new, so not every cashier knows yet, and it could change.
Side by side
| Dollar General | Dollar Tree | |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly penny lists | Yes, widely shared | Fewer, less complete |
| Best day to check | Tuesday | No set day |
| Check price with | DG app scanner | In-store scanner |
| App shows penny items | Yes, as $0.01 | No, “Product Not Found” |
| Pre-penny clue | 90% off | $0.25 markdown |
So which is better?
Pick Dollar General if you want a plan: a list, a day and an app that confirms the price.
Pick Dollar Tree if you enjoy the hunt and have a store with an in-store scanner. Fewer people chase Dollar Tree pennies, which can mean less competition.
The best answer for most people is both. If you pass one on the way to the other, stop in. A quick scan of the clearance area takes five minutes.