Cash Handling & Reconciliation: the full procedure
Control cash from float to deposit with counts, over/short tracking, and separation of duties.
- Applies to: Baristas + manager.
- Frequency: Every shift.
- Scope: Covers cash handling and reconciliation.
What you need
- Counted float
- Count sheet
- Safe / deposit bag
The procedure, step by step
- Start with a counted float — Begin the drawer with a known counted float, recorded and signed.
- Control cash during the shift — Keep the drawer attended and closed, drop excess to the safe over a threshold, and log pay-ins/pay-outs.
- Count against POS at close — Count the drawer and compare to POS sales; use a per-denomination count sheet (and a mid-shift count on long shifts).
- Record over/short — Log over/short on a signed sheet and investigate variances beyond your threshold.
- Deposit with separation of duties — Prep and secure the deposit; the person counting shouldn’t be the only one reconciling/depositing. Use dual control for deposits where policy requires.
Quality check before you finish
- Float counted + signed.
- Drawer attended; excess to safe; pay-in/out logged.
- Counted vs POS at close.
- Over/short recorded + investigated.
- Deposit secured; duties separated.
This is a free, source-anchored standard operating procedure (SOP) you can print and hand to staff. It documents the work sequence for a Coffee Shop business — not safety or regulatory rulings, which defer to the cited authorities, the applicable code, and your own health-and-safety plan. Open the tool above to print it, toggle ink-saver, or (with a free ToolFluency Business account) edit it to match your own workflow.
Sources
- Square — Start & End a Cash Drawer Session (squareup.com)
- Integrated Cash Logistics — Cash-Handling Best Practices (integratedcashlogistics.com)
- Solink — Cash Handling Procedures (solink.com)
About Free Cafe Cash Handling SOP
Free printable cafe cash-handling SOP: float, drawer counts, over/short, deposit, and separation of duties — so cash is controlled and discrepancies caught daily.
How to use
- Read the full procedure top to bottom before the work — the SOP runs in order and each step builds on the last.
- Toggle Ink-saver (black & white) for a cheaper mono print for the binder; leave it off for the full-color version.
- Click Print SOP to print or save as PDF. Print one per crew, laminate it for the binder, or attach it to the job in your scheduling system.
- Train new hires on it and have staff sign off. Found something out of date? Use the feedback link — flagged SOPs are re-researched against the source list.
Frequently asked questions
How should a coffee shop handle cash?
Start with a counted float, drop excess to the safe over a threshold, count the drawer against POS sales at close, record over/short, and deposit promptly with separation of duties (the counter isn’t the only reconciler). The SOP makes daily reconciliation routine.
What is over/short?
The difference between what the drawer should hold (per POS) and what it actually holds. Tracking it every shift catches errors and theft early; the SOP sets the count and investigate-threshold process.
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