The Federal Trade Commission and 20 states sued Dollar General on Monday. They accuse the bargain chain of long-running deceptive pricing. The Associated Press and The Guardian reported the complaint. Prosecutors say customers often paid more at the register than the prices shown on shelves and in ads. The chain has more than 20,000 stores.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Nashville. The Guardian said the case cites a 2025 investigation. That probe found a pattern of inaccurate pricing affecting millions of purchases. State attorneys general joined the FTC. They seek orders to stop the practice and return money to shoppers.

Dollar General had not posted a detailed public response in the Monday pages. The company has argued in past disputes that pricing errors are rare. It has said mistakes get fixed when found. Regulators say the gaps were systematic, not one-off mistakes at a few stores.

Shoppers at dollar stores often rely on shelf tags for tight budgets. Consumer groups say small overcharges add up for low-income households. The suit asks the court to force clearer price displays and audits. No trial date was set in the first-day reports.

What we know: The FTC and 20 states allege Dollar General overcharged customers relative to posted prices.
What we don't: Dollar General's full legal defense, and how large any refunds might be.