Shifts and cash

Cash Register Opening, Closing, and Variance Form

Complete this form at the opening and closing of every business day. Do not carry a variance into the next day. If there is a lunch close, use a separate sheet for that shift. Card revenue does not go on this form; this sheet is for the cash drawer.

If small variances are not recorded, they can become routine. Complete the line even when the variance is zero. Zero is still a result and confirms that the count took place. When repeated small shortages are explained in the notes, a pattern can become visible at month end, such as insufficient change, incorrect change given to guests, or an unrecorded cash expense.

A shortage in coins is not the same as a shortage in banknotes. Record the distinction in the notes. If you transferred cash to the safe during the day, show the amount both on screen and on this form. Without that entry, the closing calculation assumes the cash is still in the drawer. A venue that performs two counts on a weekend should use a separate sheet for each count. The total variance is the sum of both sheets.

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How to use this form

  1. Record the opening balance. It should match the amount left in the cash drawer rather than transferred to the safe at the previous close.
  2. At closing, complete the cash sales, cash expenses, and counted amount on the same sheet. If an expense receipt is missing, do not invent the amount. Find the receipt or explain the reason in the notes.
  3. Calculate the difference between the expected and counted amounts. Do not leave the line blank when the variance is not zero. Record the reason.
  4. Compare the cash figure on the Z report with the Ritapos balance. All three figures should agree. If one differs, first check the time and end-of-day setting, then look for a missing receipt.
  5. Have two people perform the count. A count made by one person provides a weaker record when a variance is disputed.
  6. Sign the form and keep it on file for at least one month. Do not record a shift cash expense and a month-end expense such as rent on the same line.

How this maps to Ritapos

The cash drawer on the Ritapos home screen represents the cash currently at the counter. Use the cash transfer function to move accumulated cash to the safe during the day. This form links that movement to a paper record. Do not record an in-shift cash expense in the same place as a month-end expense such as rent; they are different records.

If the cash drawer balance is correct on screen but the paper form is blank, nobody will remember the count the next day. Conversely, if the paper is complete but the cash transfer was not made on screen, the report will still show the money at the counter. Closing both records on the same evening makes the cash report clear when it is opened the next morning.

This form is an educational checklist. It does not change your local authority, food registration, or occupational health and safety obligations. Confirm local requirements in writing.