# Cash value: 1/20th of a cent - Really? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [July 20, 2007, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-value-1-20th-of-a-cent-really/412500 "2007-07-20T05:37:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![I\_m\_Ron\_Burgundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9fc29f/32.png) [@I\_m\_Ron\_Burgundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_m_Ron_Burgundy)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-value-1-20th-of-a-cent-really/412500/1 "2007-07-20T05:37:25Z")
I got a 10% off coupon for a major chain store with my change of address forms. On the back, in the fine print, it says Cash Value: 1/20th of a cent. I found the [SD column about this](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_329c.html), and found out why they bothered printing it. One question remains, though. These things are free at the post office. If I collect 20, will the issuing store, or a bank, give me a cent? ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-value-1-20th-of-a-cent-really/412500/2 "2007-07-20T07:47:56Z")
I’m guessing not, but the coupon issuers will. Good luck spending less than a cent collecting it, though. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-value-1-20th-of-a-cent-really/412500/3 "2007-07-20T14:16:34Z")
Since this is really a question about one of Unca Cece’s columns, let’s move it to CoCC. **samclem** gQ moderator ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-value-1-20th-of-a-cent-really/412500/4 "2007-07-20T23:02:15Z")
[QUOTE=I’m Ron Burgundy?] I got a 10% off coupon for a major chain store with my change of address forms. On the back, in the fine print, it says Cash Value: 1/20th of a cent. I found the [SD column about this](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_329c.html), and found out why they bothered printing it. One question remains, though. These things are free at the post office. If I collect 20, will the issuing store, or a bank, give me a cent? [/QUOTE] I’m guessing that the store or the coupon issuer would be liable. But 20 of them for a cent? So take two THOUSAND of them and tell them they owe you a dollar. Maybe the manager will hand you a dollar to get you to go away. Maybe not. Maybe a cashier is not as wise as Cecil and will tell you to get lost? Maybe you can sue them for your dollar in civil court and win! Set a precedent! See why Cecil is right? The whole thing is not worth yours, mine, or even a drunk, homeless persons time. If you want to prove a point, you’ll probably win, and with your 40 pounds of coupons, maybe you can buy me a beer! ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-value-1-20th-of-a-cent-really/412500/5 "2007-07-20T23:47:30Z")
Does the 1/20th of a cent cash value apply across the board? [Here](http://www.tesco.com/themepark/) we have details of a theme park voucher offer with a cash value of £0.0001 (1/10,000th of a penny) while [this](http://www.travel4student.co.uk/en/Terms.htm) student travel offer can be cashed in at a more generous £0.001 (1/1,000th of a penny). No cash value at all is mentioned [here](http://www.standardrestaurant.co.uk/disc_voucher.htm). _Apropos_, I assume someone over here looked at the US cash value of 1/20th of a cent (1/40th of a penny) and decided it was far too generous. They consequently pre-empted hordes of marauding shoppers from cashing in at this most rewarding rate by decreasing it by a factor of 250. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2007, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-value-1-20th-of-a-cent-really/412500/6 "2007-07-21T13:18:36Z")
> [@I'm Ron Burgundy?](#): > > One question remains, though. These things are free at the post office. If I collect 20, will the issuing store, or a bank, give me a cent? One problem with your get rich quick scheme, most coupons also say one coupon per customer. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Outpits](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4bbf92/32.png) [@Outpits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Outpits)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2007, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-value-1-20th-of-a-cent-really/412500/7 "2007-07-21T15:07:54Z")
[QUOTE=Chez Guevara] Does the 1/20th of a cent cash value apply across the board? [Here](http://www.tesco.com/themepark/) we have details of a theme park voucher offer with a cash value of £0.0001 (1/10,000th of a penny) while [this](http://www.travel4student.co.uk/en/Terms.htm) student travel offer can be cashed in at a more generous £0.001 (1/1,000th of a penny). No cash value at all is mentioned [here](http://www.standardrestaurant.co.uk/disc_voucher.htm). _Apropos_, I assume someone over here looked at the US cash value of 1/20th of a cent (1/40th of a penny) and decided it was far too generous. They consequently pre-empted hordes of marauding shoppers from cashing in at this most rewarding rate by decreasing it by a factor of 250. [/QUOTE] I am glad to see this silliness is not a US -only issue, but I do have minor quibbles. IANB, but I think you are off by a couple orders of magnitude. You equate (pound sign) 0.001 with 1/1000th of a penny. I believe that should be either 1/1000th of a pound or 1/10th of a penny. The same with your first example. Now you only need briefcases of the coupons, not truckloads, to get an over-priced pint of ale. ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2007, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-value-1-20th-of-a-cent-really/412500/8 "2007-07-21T15:41:56Z")
Oh shit. Thanks for correcting my error. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2007, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-value-1-20th-of-a-cent-really/412500/9 "2007-07-23T16:55:24Z")
You’re not the only one to make [this](http://verizonmath.blogspot.com/2006/12/verizon-doesnt-know-dollars-from-cents.html) mistake. 😃