Day-end cash close: how to count your drawer and catch mistakes early

At the end of the month, many owners find the cash does not add up, and by then there is no way to know which day went wrong. A day-end cash close fixes that. It takes five minutes at closing time and shows any difference the same night.

The simple formula

The cash in your drawer at closing should be:

Opening cash + cash sales + pay in − pay out = expected cash

• Opening cash: the change you keep in the drawer at the start of the day
• Cash sales: bills paid in cash (not UPI or card)
• Pay in: cash added during the day, for example more change from the owner
• Pay out: cash taken out, for example for vegetables, milk, gas or a staff advance

Then you count the drawer. Counted minus expected is the difference.

A five-minute routine

• Morning: count and enter the opening cash.
• During the day: every time cash leaves or enters the drawer for anything other than a bill, record it as pay in or pay out with a reason.
• Closing: count the notes and coins, enter the total, and compare with expected.
• If there is a difference: check today's cash bills, pay outs and cancelled bills while everyone still remembers.

Common reasons for a difference

• A UPI or card payment marked as cash (or the other way round)
• A pay out that was not recorded, such as vegetables bought with drawer cash
• Wrong change given in a rush
• A bill cancelled after the cash was taken
• Opening cash entered wrong

Small differences happen. What matters is seeing them every day, so a pattern stands out quickly.

Who should close the day?

The manager or owner, not the same cashier who handled the drawer all day. And the count should be written down, not just looked at.

How DeviPOS helps

• Opening cash, pay in and pay out (with reasons like vegetables, milk, gas, staff advance) on the Cash screen
• Expected cash is worked out for you from cash bills, pay in and pay out
• Day-end close: enter the counted cash, see the difference, and print a summary on the bill printer
• With two devices, each drawer is counted separately, and the owner sees the whole restaurant
• Cancelled bills, discounts and removed items are in the activity log

Read more about all features, or book a free demo.