FTC, States Sue Dollar General Over Deceptive-Pricing Claims

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission and 20 states sued Dollar General Corp. on Monday, alleging the discount retailer routinely charged customers more than the prices displayed on shelves or in advertisements.

Dollar General, which operates more than 21,000 stores, overcharged by millions of dollars in violation of federal and state consumer protection laws, according to a lawsuit filed in Tennessee federal court. The pricing discrepancies from 2019 through March 2026 led to almost 30,000 consumer complaints to the company, demonstrating “pervasive and systemic pricing inaccuracies,” federal and state enforcers said.

“Rather than ensuring its prices at checkout are accurate, for years Dollar General avoided implementing safeguards to prevent continued overcharging, effectively shifting the burden of its own operational shortcomings onto the very communities and consumers who can least afford it,” the complaint alleged.

Dollar General didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Between 2019 and 2026, the company entered into seven settlements in six different states related to inaccurate pricing, paying a total of $6 million in penalties, the complaint said.

Top photo: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) headquarters in Washington, DC, on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg.