A scandal erupted at the Kaufland hypermarket in Gorna Oryahovitsa today, January 2, just a day after the official introduction of the euro in Bulgaria. A customer, posing as a member of the organization “29 People's Control”, blocked one of the cash registers, refusing to accept his change in the new national currency.
"In Bulgaria, change is returned in leva by the end of January by law", the man claims in a video shared on social networks. However, the fact-checking shows that his claims are in complete contradiction with the current legislation.
According to the Law on the Introduction of the Euro in the Republic of Bulgaria, during the dual circulation period (January 1 - 31, 2026), consumers can pay in both currencies, but merchants are obliged to return change only in euros. The purpose of this provision is to withdraw the Bulgarian lev from circulation as quickly as possible. Returning levs is permissible only as an exception if the merchant does not have sufficient euros available.
The video shows the customer demanding an official document with which the chain can motivate its refusal to return levs to him. He defines the behavior of “Kaufland Bulgaria“ as “arrogant” and accuses them of manipulation.
“I want change in leva, that's what I want. "And they will return it to me legally," the man says, threatening to involve the police and lawyers. For their part, the store staff tries to explain the rules, but the customer refuses to leave the store until he receives the leva.
The Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (BTA) reported that the chain's financial director, Tsvetomir Uzunov, confirmed the widespread practice in the first days of January: customers pay mainly in leva, and merchants return change in euros in accordance with the new requirements.
The incident caused a wave of comments on social networks, with most users condemning the man's behavior and describing it as an unnecessary provocation at a delicate moment for the country.