When you finish, every shift at your counter starts with a known amount of cash and ends with a count that shows whether the drawer is over or short.
Before You Start
- Turn on Cash as a payment method in your POS app first. See Setting Up Payment Methods at the POS.
- You need access to ⚙️ Settings in the Console.
- You don't need a cash drawer machine. The Cash Drawer is a count the POS keeps, so it works with any till or cash box. A drawer machine that opens by itself is optional, see Do you need a cash drawer machine?.
- If you set this up before: the Cash Drawer is now under Shift & cash in the POS app editor, not under Features. The starting cash setting moved here from the payment methods article, and the amount you set before is kept as your market's amount.
Choose your setup
| Level | Fits shops like | What you set up | Read these sections |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy | One shop that only wants the count. Cash sits in any till or cash box that staff open by hand, and staff type the float in each morning | Turn on Enabled only. No drawer machine or printer needed | Where to find it, Setting it up, What staff see on the POS |
| Intermediate | A shop that opens with the same float every day and has a cash drawer machine at the counter | One Default starting cash for your market, and a drawer machine that opens by itself | Everything in Easy, Default starting cash, Adding a cash drawer machine |
| Advanced | Several shops where a busier shop keeps more change, like CleanFast's Jurong shop | A different starting cash for each shop that needs one | Everything in Intermediate, Set different amounts for shops |
With Easy alone, the POS still counts every cash payment and refund and shows the drawer over or short at the end of each shift. You can add a default amount, a drawer machine or shop amounts later without changing anything else. A shop with one float and no machine can use Default starting cash and skip the machine.
Overview
The Cash Drawer keeps a running count of the cash in your till for each shift. Staff start the drawer with the cash already inside it, called the starting cash or float. From then on, the POS adds every cash payment, takes off every cash refund and records any cash staff put in or take out, with a reason. When the shift ends, staff count the real cash and the POS shows the difference as over or short. It is off in a new POS app, and each shop has one drawer, shared by every POS device in that shop.
Where it works
- Console: you turn the Cash Drawer on and set the starting cash in the POS app editor.
- POS: staff start, top up and end the drawer from the Cash Drawer icon. Cash payments at Checkout and on the Orders page are counted in the drawer.
- Close of Day: each drawer's count can show when staff close the day on the Daily Sales page.
- Receipt printer (optional): a cash drawer machine cabled to it opens by itself when staff take or give cash.
Why set it up
- Know what should be in the till. The POS works out the expected cash for you, so nobody adds up receipts by hand at closing time.
- Spot a shortfall the same day. A drawer that is S$0.50 or S$50.00 short shows straight away, while staff still remember what happened.
- See where the cash went. Every cash out needs a reason, such as buying detergent, so money taken from the till is never a mystery.
If you leave the Cash Drawer off, staff can take cash without starting a drawer, and the POS keeps no count of the cash in your till.
Do you need a cash drawer machine?
No. The Cash Drawer in your POS app is a count, not a machine. It works the same whether your cash sits in a cash drawer machine, a simple cash box or a till you open by hand.
- Counting only (no machine): turn on Enabled and you are done. Staff start the drawer, take cash as normal and count the cash at the end of the shift. Nothing needs to be plugged in, and you can ignore the Open Cash Drawer button.
- With a cash drawer machine: the machine plugs into your receipt printer, never into the POS device, and the POS opens it through the printer. You need a receipt printer that is already connected and printing, and a drawer that matches it. See Adding a cash drawer machine.
Where to find it
- Click the ⚙️ Settings icon in the top-right corner.
- Under the Sales channels section, click Point of Sale.
- Under POS Apps, click your app, for example CleanFast POS, then click Edit.
- Under Shift & cash, click Cash Drawer. Its line reads “Count the cash in the drawer for each shift”, with an On or Off tag. Once some shops have their own amount, the line shows how many, for example “1 shop has their own starting cash”.
Setting it up
Follow these steps to set up the Cash Drawer. Each setting is explained in full below the steps.
- Turn on Enabled.
- If your shops open with the same float every day, type it in Default starting cash.
- If one shop needs a different float, open Set different amounts for shops and type that shop's amount.
- Click Publish at the top right.
- In Review your changes, check that Feature settings is listed, then click Publish.
The Console shows “Published. Your counters have the changes.” Each POS app has its own Cash Drawer settings, so changing them here changes only the shops that use this app.
Enabled
If you turn this on, a Cash Drawer icon appears at the bottom right of the POS, and staff must start the drawer before they can take a cash payment. If you turn it off, the icon goes away and cash payments are no longer counted in a drawer.
Default starting cash
For Intermediate and Advanced setups:
The starting cash your staff see already filled in when they start the drawer. The table lists each Market, which is the country your shops are in, such as Singapore, with a Starting cash box in that market's currency.
| Starting cash | What staff see |
|---|---|
| Leave empty | The POS fills in the amount the shop's last drawer was expected to hold when it was closed. The very first drawer starts at 0. |
| Type an amount | Every drawer in that market starts with this amount filled in, for example 100. Type 0 if you empty the till every night. |
Staff can always change the amount on the POS before they start the drawer.
Set different amounts for shops
For Advanced setups:
This section stays closed until you click it. It lists your shops, each with its own Starting cash box in the shop's currency. A shop's amount replaces its market's amount. Shops you leave empty use their market's amount.
Example setup
CleanFast Laundry opens both shops with coins and small notes. The owner types 100 for Singapore in Default starting cash. Jurong serves more walk-in customers and needs more change, so she opens Set different amounts for shops and types 150 for Jurong. Tampines stays empty, so it uses the market's S$100.00.
On Saturday at Tampines, Priya taps the Cash Drawer icon, sees S$100.00 already filled in and taps Start Drawer. During her shift:
- Starting Cash: S$100.00
- Cash Payments: + S$245.50, making S$345.50
- Cash Refunds: - S$12.00, making S$333.50
- Cash out for detergent: - S$20.00, making S$313.50
- Expected in Drawer: S$313.50
At 7pm she counts S$313.00 and types it in Actual Cash Count. The Discrepancy shows -S$0.50 short, so the owner knows to check that day's change-giving. Priya taps Close Drawer, and the next morning the drawer starts at S$100.00 again.
What staff see on the POS
Starting the drawer
- Tap the Cash Drawer icon at the bottom right of the POS. A red dot on it means no drawer is started at this shop yet.
- The Starting Cash dial pad shows your default amount. If the real amount is different, type it in: the first key replaces the amount shown.
- Tap Start Drawer.
The icon turns green while the drawer is started. If staff choose Cash at checkout before starting the drawer, the POS shows “Please start the cash drawer before processing cash payments.” and opens the Cash Drawer screen for them.
During the shift
Staff tap the Cash Drawer icon at any time to see:
- Start of Drawer, with the date and time it was started
- Starting Cash
- Cash Payments, from Checkout and the Orders page
- Cash Refunds
- Cash In/Out
- Expected in Drawer: the starting cash plus cash payments, minus cash refunds, plus or minus any cash in or out
Tap Cash Payments, Cash Refunds or Cash In/Out to see each one listed. Open Cash Drawer at the bottom right opens a cash drawer machine, for example to put in more coins. It is only for shops with a machine: with no receipt printer connected, tapping it opens the window to pair a receipt printer instead.
Putting cash in or taking it out
Use this when staff add cash, such as change from the bank, or take cash out, such as paying for detergent.
- Tap Cash in or Cash out.
- Enter the amount on the dial pad, titled + Cash in or - Cash out.
- Type a Reason, for example “Detergent”. The button stays grey until both the amount and the reason are filled in.
- Tap Cash in or Cash out to save it, or Cancel to go back.
The amount goes into Cash In/Out, and Expected in Drawer changes straight away.
Ending the drawer
- Tap End drawer.
- Count the cash in the till and type the total in Actual Cash Count. Until staff type, the box shows the expected amount in grey.
- Check Discrepancy: it shows, for example, +S$1.00 over in green, -S$0.50 short in red, or S$0.00 when the count matches.
- Tap Close Drawer.
After closing, the screen goes back to Starting Cash, ready for the next shift. A shop has one drawer at a time, so staff end one drawer before the next shift starts its own.
Adding a cash drawer machine
For Intermediate and Advanced setups, and only if you use a cash drawer machine. You add it on the POS device at the counter, not in the Console.
- Connect your receipt printer to the POS and check it prints. See Connecting Your Printers to the POS.
- Plug the drawer's cable into the drawer socket on the back of the receipt printer. See Connecting Your Cash Drawer to the POS for where it goes.
- On the POS, tap the Settings icon in the bottom bar.
- Under the Printer section, below Receipt Printer, turn on Cash drawer connected.
If you turn this on, the drawer opens by itself after every cash payment, cash refund and cash in or out. It does not open for card, PayNow or other payment methods. The switch shows only once a receipt printer is paired, and it is saved for that receipt printer at that counter, so turn it on at each counter with a drawer. If you turn it off, staff open the drawer with Open Cash Drawer or its key.
Check it works
- Tap the Cash Drawer icon and start the drawer, then tap Open Cash Drawer. The drawer should spring open.
- Take a small cash payment at Checkout. The drawer should open by itself when the payment is done.
If it stays shut, follow the checks in Connecting Your Cash Drawer to the POS.
How it works with other features
Taking cash payments
Once the Cash Drawer is on, Cash at Checkout and on the Orders page needs a started drawer. This keeps every cash payment inside a drawer's count, so nothing is missed at the end of the shift.
Closing the day
The drawer counts carry over to the end of the day. When you add the Cash Drawer step to your Close of Day, staff see each drawer closed that day, with its Opening Float, Cash Payments, Cash Refunds, Cash In/Out, Expected in Drawer, Actual in Drawer and Discrepancy. If a drawer is still started, the step shows it so staff can end it there.
If staff close the day while a drawer is still started, the POS warns “Cash drawer is still open. Close it before running Close of Day for accurate reporting.” The warning does not stop them, so end the drawer first. You set up Close of Day in Closing the Day at the POS (Daily Sales).
FAQs
Do I need to buy a cash drawer machine?
No. Turning on Enabled is enough to count the cash in any till or cash box. A machine only adds a drawer that opens by itself, and it needs a receipt printer it matches.
Can my staff change the default starting cash?
Yes. The amount is a suggestion. Staff can type a different amount on the dial pad before they tap Start Drawer.
How does the Cash Drawer know how much cash was taken in?
Every payment staff take as Cash, at Checkout or on the Orders page, is added to the drawer by itself. Card, PayNow and other payment methods are not counted, because that money never goes into the till.
Can I run more than one drawer in a day, for example for each shift?
Yes, one after another. Staff end the current drawer before the next one can start, and each drawer keeps its own count and discrepancy.
What if the cash count doesn't match the expected total?
The Discrepancy shows how much the drawer is over or short, and it is saved with that drawer. Small differences from giving change are normal. A regular shortfall is worth checking with the staff on that shift.
Does the drawer open by itself?
Only a cash drawer machine cabled to the receipt printer, with Cash drawer connected on in the POS Settings. Then it opens after every cash payment, cash refund and cash in or out.
Can each shop start with a different float?
Yes. Open Set different amounts for shops and type an amount for each shop that needs one. The other shops use their market's Default starting cash.
We have two POS devices in one shop. Does each have its own drawer?
No. Each shop has one drawer, shared by every POS device signed in to that shop. Cash taken on either device is counted in the same drawer, so staff start and end it once.
What's Next
Your staff now start each shift with a known float and end it with a count that shows whether the drawer is over or short. Next, check the day's sales and close the day, with your drawer counts in the report, in Closing the Day at the POS (Daily Sales).