Sort the cash and separate counted piles
Stop using the drawer for transactions before you start counting.
Separate bills and coins by value. Keep $20 bills together, $10 bills together, and give each type of coin its own space.
Leave room beside those piles for the cash you've finished counting. Only move cash into that area after you've recorded its quantity. That way, each completed pile has a matching entry.
Work in the same order each time, such as largest bills to smallest coins.
Record quantities before moving on
Count one denomination, record the quantity, then move the pile aside.
For example, if you have four $20 bills, write 4 on the $20 row before starting the $10 bills. Keep the quantities as well as the subtotals so you can check your entries against the cash.
Record each quantity on paper, in a spreadsheet, or in CashierHelper. The app calculates the total and saves your draft as you work.
For a large pile of coins, record your progress in smaller groups rather than waiting until you've counted the whole pile.
Pick up from your last recorded count
Suppose you're counting quarters in groups of ten.
After the first group, record 10 and move those quarters into the counted area. After the second group, update the quantity to 20 and place the second group beside the first.
Then the phone rings.
When you return, your entry says 20, and you have two separate groups of ten to match it. Leave those groups where they are and count the remaining coins.
If there are eight quarters left, update the quantity from 20 to 28. The subtotal is now $7.00.
Enter the total number counted so far. Entering 8 would replace the earlier quantity and leave the first 20 quarters out of the calculation.
If you were interrupted halfway through a group and hadn't recorded it, recount that unfinished group before updating the quantity.
A saved draft preserves the numbers you've entered. It can't recover a count you were still keeping in your head.
Check your quantities, then the total
Here's a fictional drawer that includes those 28 quarters:
| Denomination | Quantity | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|
| $20 bill | 4 | $80.00 |
| $10 bill | 3 | $30.00 |
| $5 bill | 6 | $30.00 |
| $1 bill | 12 | $12.00 |
| Quarter | 28 | $7.00 |
| Dime | 15 | $1.50 |
| Nickel | 10 | $0.50 |
| Penny | 30 | $0.30 |
| Total | $161.30 | |
Before putting the cash away, check that every counted pile has an entry on the correct row. Recheck any quantity you were unsure about, especially if you were interrupted.
If you're calculating manually, multiply each quantity by its value, then add the subtotals. If you're using an app, check the quantities you entered against the physical piles.
The total represents the cash in the drawer. It may include cash placed there at the start of the shift, so it isn't necessarily the day's cash sales.
Save the count before putting the cash away
Keep the date, the quantities, and the final total together. If you count more than one drawer, identify which drawer the record belongs to.
In CashierHelper, you can save the completed count as a dated report and share the breakdown as a PDF. For this example, the report should show 28 quarters, a $7.00 quarter subtotal, and a $161.30 total.
Check the saved report before combining or putting away the piles. You'll still have the cash beside you if an entry needs checking.