Cash Register Reconciliation Calculator

Cash register reconciliation (also called “till counting” or “end-of-day balancing”) is the process of comparing the actual cash in the drawer against what the point-of-sale system says should be there. Discrepancies reveal errors, voids, or theft — and every cent matters in tight-margin retail.

Formula: Expected Cash = Opening Float + Total Cash Sales − Cash Paid Out

Variance: Variance = Actual Cash Count − Expected Cash

• Positive variance (overage) = more cash than expected
• Negative variance (shortage) = less cash than expected

What each variable means:

• Opening Float — the cash you start the shift with (change fund). Typically $100–$300 for small retailers.
• Total Cash Sales — the sum of all transactions where the customer paid with cash (from your POS system report).
• Cash Paid Out — any cash removed from the drawer during the shift (vendor payments, refunds, manager pulls).
• Actual Cash Count — the physical total of all bills and coins in the drawer, counted carefully.

Worked example: Opening float: $200 Cash sales (POS): $1,847.50 Paid outs: $45.00 (vendor delivery payment)

Expected cash = $200 + $1,847.50 − $45.00 = $2,002.50 Actual count: $1,988.75

Variance = $1,988.75 − $2,002.50 = −$13.75 (shortage)

Counting denominations methodically: Always count largest to smallest: $100s → $50s → $20s → $10s → $5s → $1s → quarters → dimes → nickels → pennies.

Acceptable variance thresholds:

• Tight operation: ±$1.00
• Average retail: ±$5.00
• Variances over $20 warrant investigation