8 Precautions Kentuckians Should Take When Shopping at Dollar General

Dollar General recalled an instant coffee in 2025 over the potential presence of glass, and Kentucky was one of the states on the notice.

A package bought that July might still be in the back of your pantry. Go look.

These are the precautions Kentuckians should take when shopping at Dollar General.

1. Comparing Register and Shelf Prices

Dollar General had 789 stores in Kentucky as of February 2025, so there’s probably one near you.

In 2023, Dollar General settled with Ohio’s attorney general for $1 million over allegations that items rang up higher at the register than the price marked on the shelf.

Under that agreement, clerks at Ohio stores had to match the register price to the shelf tag when a customer pointed out a gap.

The agreement had district managers run random price checks every 45 days.

It set a 24-hour deadline for correcting a shelf tag.

Pennsylvania’s attorney general followed in December 2025 with a $1.55 million settlement with Dollar General.

The office said Dollar General stores in Pennsylvania failed more than 40% of pricing accuracy inspections between 2019 and 2023.

Under that settlement, Pennsylvania stores must post a notice at each register saying the lowest posted price will be honored.

Tell the cashier if you spot a gap.

2. Photographing Shelf Tags

A national class settlement over Dollar General’s shelf prices, valued at $15 million, got final approval from a New Jersey judge in March 2026.

It covered shoppers who paid a different price than the shelf label from October 10, 2016, through November 19, 2025.

Dollar General denied wrongdoing in the lawsuits behind that deal.

Shoppers who documented an overcharge and had complained at the time qualified for cash, while others could claim $3 off a first purchase of $10 or more.

The claim window closed April 13.

Snap a photo of any shelf tag that looks off, since no place gets every tag right.

3. Expiration Dates on Medicine and Food

In 2019, Dollar General agreed to pay New York State $1.1 million in a case where the attorney general said investigators found expired over-the-counter drugs in New York stores.

The attorney general said investigators began visiting New York stores undercover in March 2016.

Under the agreement, Dollar General committed to weekly shelf checks for expired products and monthly store audits in New York.

It agreed to track expiration dates electronically at its distribution centers.

Read the date on any medicine before it goes in your cart, and we’d give vitamins and food the same look.

4. Recall Notices on Packaged Food

If you bought Clover Valley Instant Coffee at Dollar General in July 2025, check the lot number on the package.

Dollar General announced a recall of the eight-ounce size on August 11, 2025, over the potential presence of glass.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s notice says the coffee was sold only in Dollar General stores from July 9 to 21, 2025.

Kentucky is among the states the notice lists.

The affected lots are L-5163, L-5164 and L-5165, with best-by dates in December 2026.

Glass in food can cause tooth damage, cuts to the mouth and throat, or intestinal perforation.

The FDA’s page lists the recall as completed and terminated, but a package bought that July could still be sitting in a pantry.

5. Activating Digital Coupons First

Dollar General’s terms say a digital coupon has no value until you activate and redeem it.

The terms say a coupon may expire if you don’t buy the product within the timeframe listed in its details.

Under those terms, you can’t trade an activated digital coupon for cash.

Dollar General may discontinue digital coupons at any time without notice.

Activate the coupons you want in your myDG Wallet before you walk to the register.

6. Checking Your DG Cash

After you use a Dollar General Cash Back Offer, open your myDG Wallet and look for the DG Cash.

Dollar General’s terms say any DG Cash you’ve earned shows up in that wallet on its website or app.

The same terms allow Dollar General to adjust your DG Cash total to reflect what it says you earned.

They say Dollar General may, in its sole discretion, deduct DG Cash from your account.

Dollar General’s terms limit Cash Back earned on DG Delivery orders to in-store purchases.

The terms bar stacking a Cash Back Offer, a digital coupon and a manufacturer coupon on a single item in the same transaction.

7. Keeping Your Receipt

Dollar General’s returns FAQ sets a 90-day window for refunds on merchandise in the original packaging, with a receipt.

It says to bring your items and receipt to the store where you made the purchase.

Without a receipt, the FAQ says, Dollar General exchanges returned merchandise for other merchandise or a gift card of equal value.

Holding on to the paper copy until you’re sure you’re keeping the item is the simplest way to stay inside that window.

For DG Pickup, Dollar General’s pickup service, the FAQ says your DG Pickup Complete email and the order details in the DG app can serve as your receipt.

8. Opening Your DG Delivery Bags

Go through your DG Delivery bags item by item, since Dollar General’s terms cap self-service refunds on that service at 2 items or $5.

A self-service refund covers an item that is broken or expired, the terms say.

For refunds on more than two items or more than $5 on one order, the terms say to contact Customer Care.