# FTC and 20 States Sue Dollar General Over Checkout Prices

By Riza Dagoc

Canonical URL: https://www.tokenpost.com/news/regulation/41438
Published: 2026-10-26T23:30:47.000Z
Updated: 2026-10-26T23:30:47.000Z
Section: Regulation

> The complaint lists at least 29,265 pricing complaints. Dollar General disputes the FTC’s proposed method for calculating consumer relief and says it will defend the case.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and 20 states sued Dollar General on Monday, alleging the discount retailer repeatedly charged customers more than posted prices and seeking court-ordered relief.

The case was filed Oct. 26 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. The FTC and states seek a permanent injunction, monetary relief and civil penalties. Their complaint alleges Dollar General routinely charged prices above those displayed on shelves, product labels and advertisements.

The complaint lists at least 29,265 customer complaints categorized as “Did Not Honor Marked Price” from Jan. 1, 2023, through March 31, 2026. It says the complaints came from all 48 states where Dollar General operates.

FTC investigators made four undercover purchases from Jan. 16 to April 1, 2026, in Ohio, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Maryland, and found items that rang up at prices different from those displayed. In a Cleveland purchase, 13 of 58 items had a discrepancy: eight were overcharges and five were undercharges. The complaint calculates the net overcharge at $3.25.

The filing says Dollar General stores are supposed to schedule a five-hour shift each week to replace outdated price labels. The FTC and states allege the company failed to establish adequate safeguards for posted prices. They also say Dollar General entered seven settlements with six state attorneys general or consumer protection agencies over pricing inaccuracies between 2019 and 2026, paying more than $6 million in penalties.

FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection Director Christopher Mufarrige said Dollar General “has betrayed the trust of millions of American consumers and imposed significant financial harm.”

Dollar General said in an Oct. 26 regulatory filing that it had cooperated with FTC staff since early February 2026 and received a draft complaint on Sept. 23. The company disputes the FTC’s proposed redress method, saying it is unsupported and overstates consumer harm. “The Company intends to vigorously defend this matter,” it said.

The allegations have not been decided by a court.