How to count a cash drawer, step by step
To count a cash drawer, pull out checks and slips, count bills from largest to smallest and coins by roll and loose, write each line on a count sheet, then take the starting float back out and compare what is left with the register's cash sales. A second count, by the same person or a second one, comes before anyone signs.
What you need
- A printed count sheet (template below) or the cash drawer count calculator
- A closed door or back office, away from the sales floor
- A calculator, a pen, coin wrappers and a deposit bag
- The fixed float amount from your cash policy (see how much cash to keep in a register)
The ten steps
- Stop sales on the register and sign the cashier out, so no transaction lands mid-count.
- Take the whole drawer to the office. Do not count on the sales floor.
- Pull out non-cash items: checks, paid-out slips, gift certificates, coupons. List each with its amount on the back of the count sheet. They are not cash and do not go in the cash total.
- Count bills from largest to smallest. Face up, all turned the same way, so a $20 hidden in a stack of $1s shows. Write the number of notes, not the dollar value, on the sheet first.
- Count rolled coin by roll. A roll holds 50 pennies, 40 nickels, 50 dimes or 40 quarters (US Mint glossary). Multiply rolls by the roll value.
- Count loose coin. Stack quarters in fours ($1.00), dimes in tens ($1.00), nickels in twenties ($1.00) and pennies in tens ($0.10).
- Total the sheet. Quantity × face value for each line, then the sum.
- Pull the float back out in the denominations tomorrow's opener needs, and recount it on its own.
- Compare with expected cash. Counted total − (float + cash sales − paid-outs) = over/short. The method and causes are in cash drawer over/short.
- Recount, seal and sign. If the second count differs from the first, count a third time before writing a result. Both counters initial the sheet; the deposit goes in the bag with the sheet copy.
Count sheet template with an example
| Denomination | Quantity | Value |
|---|---|---|
| $100 | 0 | $0.00 |
| $50 | 1 | $50.00 |
| $20 | 12 | $240.00 |
| $10 | 9 | $90.00 |
| $5 | 14 | $70.00 |
| $1 | 38 | $38.00 |
| Quarter rolls ($10.00) | 1 | $10.00 |
| Loose quarters | 22 | $5.50 |
| Dime rolls ($5.00) | 1 | $5.00 |
| Loose dimes | 17 | $1.70 |
| Nickel rolls ($2.00) | 1 | $2.00 |
| Loose nickels | 9 | $0.45 |
| Penny rolls ($0.50) | 1 | $0.50 |
| Loose pennies | 31 | $0.31 |
| Total counted | $513.46 |
Example: bills total 50 + 240 + 90 + 70 + 38 = $488.00. Coins total 10.00 + 5.50 + 5.00 + 1.70 + 2.00 + 0.45 + 0.50 + 0.31 = $25.46. Counted cash = $513.46. Take out the $150.00 float and the deposit is 513.46 − 150.00 = $363.46. If the register shows $365.00 in cash sales and no paid-outs, expected cash is $515.00 and the drawer is 513.46 − 515.00 = $1.54 short.
Coin roll values
| Coin | Coins per roll | Roll value |
|---|---|---|
| Penny | 50 | $0.50 |
| Nickel | 40 | $2.00 |
| Dime | 50 | $5.00 |
| Quarter | 40 | $10.00 |
| Half dollar | 20 | $10.00 |
| Dollar coin | 20 | $20.00 |
Coin counts per roll are from the US Mint glossary; roll values are count × face value.
Counting errors to check for
- A bill of a different denomination inside a stack: turning every note face up in one direction exposes it.
- The float subtracted twice, or not at all: write "float removed: $____" as its own line.
- A paid-out slip counted as cash: slips go on the back of the sheet, never in the total.
- An opened roll counted as full: a roll with a torn end gets counted as loose coin.
- Checks left in the drawer: a $40 check missing from the deposit shows as a $40 short.
Who should count
The strongest setup is a blind count: the counter does not see the register's expected cash until the count is written down. A one-person close can still use it if the manager runs the comparison the next morning.
The IRS lists cash register tapes and deposit information among the records that support gross receipts, so keep the signed count sheet with the tape. Assistlify records each location's cash-drawer counts, if you would rather not keep the sheets on paper.
Questions
How many quarters are in a roll?
A standard roll holds 40 quarters, worth $10.00, according to the US Mint glossary.
Do you count the float when counting a cash drawer?
Count everything in the drawer, then take the fixed float back out. Deposit = counted cash − float; with $513.46 counted and a $150 float, the deposit is $363.46.
Should the cashier count their own drawer?
They can, but a blind count is stronger: the counter writes the total before seeing the register's expected cash, and a manager compares the two.
What if two counts don't match?
Count a third time before writing a result. Record only a total that two counts agree on.
Sources
- US Mint Kids: Coin Glossary (entry: roll) (checked 2026-11-12)
- IRS: What kind of records should I keep (checked 2026-11-12)