FTC and 20 states sue Dollar General over shelf prices

The Federal Trade Commission and 20 states sued Dollar General on Monday. They say the discount chain repeatedly mislabeled prices, so shoppers paid more at the register than the price on the shelf tag or in an ad.

What the suit says

The complaint was filed in federal court in Tennessee, where Dollar General is headquartered. It says the overcharges cost consumers millions of dollars. It also says the company failed to fix the problem despite what it calls "extensive corporate knowledge" of it. Shoppers filed more than 29,000 pricing complaints between January 2023 and March 2026, according to Scripps News.

Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said, "Dollar General has betrayed the trust of millions of American consumers." States joining the suit include California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee.

Dollar General did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Associated Press. The reports do not say how much money the government is seeking or how the company will answer the claims in court. A lawsuit is a set of claims, not a final ruling.

What to do

Check your receipt against the shelf tag before you leave the store. Small overcharges add up fast, especially if you shop at discount stores often. If a price rings up higher than the tag, point it out at the register.