Cash Drawer Open & Count

It covers the start-of-shift process for confirming the drawer assignment, checking seal status, counting the opening bank, recording denomination breakdowns, and handling any variance before the drawer is assigned. It is meant to create a clear chain-of-custody record before cash handling begins. It does not cover end-of-shift reconciliation, bank deposits, or full cash office controls.

A cashier, front-desk associate, shift lead, or other assigned employee can run the count if they are authorized to handle cash and trained on the store’s counting method. A supervisor should review and resolve any variance before the drawer is released for use. If your policy requires it, a competent person or manager should witness the count.

Use it at the start of every shift or every time a drawer changes hands. It is also useful after a drawer reset, a shift handoff, or any event that breaks custody, such as a register swap or unexplained seal issue. The key is to count before transactions begin, not after the drawer has already been used.

The drawer should be held out of service until the variance is documented and reviewed. The employee should not begin sales with an unverified drawer, because that makes later shortages harder to trace. The supervisor should decide whether the issue is a counting error, a stocking error, or a non-conformance that needs escalation.

Yes, it supports cash-handling controls that reduce shrink and improve accountability, which is useful alongside PCI-focused retail procedures and loss-prevention programs. It is not a PCI certification document by itself, but it helps document who had the drawer, when it was counted, and what amount was issued. That record can be important during audits or investigations.

Yes, the template should be customized to match your drawer bank, local currency, and tolerance thresholds. Some businesses need a simple total count, while others require a line-by-line denomination breakdown and witness signature. You can also add fields for till number, register ID, shift, and supervisor approval.

Common mistakes include skipping the seal check, counting after the drawer is already in use, rounding the bank instead of recording exact denominations, and failing to escalate a variance immediately. Another frequent issue is assigning the drawer before the count is complete, which weakens chain-of-custody. This template is designed to prevent those gaps.

An ad-hoc handoff relies on memory and informal trust, which makes shortages harder to investigate and repeat issues harder to spot. This SOP creates a documented sequence with clear roles, verification points, and escalation criteria. That makes the opening count repeatable, auditable, and easier to train.