Cash Drawers and Inserts

Cash Drawers and Inserts

Anyone starting any kind of business that involves the exchange of payments, cash registers equipped with cash drawers and inserts are a necessity. Whether it be a restaurant, a retail store, a kiosk, or a small storefront, the ability to receive payments and make change successfully is essential to the success of the business. There are a wide variety of register types with many options for cash drawers and inserts as well. Each business owner will have to choose which cash register set-up best suits the individual needs of their store.

Cash Drawers

Generally speaking, cash drawers are located underneath the register and they store cash from transactions. A removable insert (or till) has several compartments for sorting denominations and coins. Additionally, the portability of the till allows for counting cash in a safer location than on the sales floor.

Cash and coins are arranged in the drawer from left to right, with the largest denomination on the left and decreasing to the right. For example, $20 bills will be in the drawer that’s on the far left, while $1 bills will be in the drawer that’s on the far right. $50 and $100 dollar bills are usually placed underneath the cash drawer tray either by lifting the tray out or through media slots for added security. Cash drawers are arranged as such to reduce the possibility of giving the wrong change to customers and to increase the likelihood of having a balanced cash drawer at the end of each business day.

How to Open Cash Drawers

Cash drawers are made of strong material to safely house the money within. When a sales transaction is completed, the cash drawer springs open from its lockable box. The cash register signals the drawer by the use of an electromagnetic spring called a solenoid, which messages the drawer to release its catch.

Some machines also have a manual switch in the case of a power outage, although more secure cash drawers have cylinder locks with keys as a manual backup option for opening register drawers. The cylinder lock has several options: locked, unlocked, online, and release, with the latter being an intermittent option that pushes the spring to the unlocked position. The locked position will not allow the drawer to be opened, even when receiving a signal from the solenoid, while the online position is used for regular operation.

Cash Drawer Construction

When choosing a cash drawer, business owners should consider how strongly the drawer needs to be constructed. For those conducting business in more dangerous areas, for example, a heavier duty drawer may be necessary. The type of business that the store conducts will also help determine if a heavy duty or standard duty drawer is a better fit. For stores such as grocery stores and fast food establishments, a heavier duty drawer that is more resistant to dings and dents would be ideal as the drawer will be opened frequently. Standard duty drawers are more suited to less-frequent transactions and offer less resistance against tampering. Heavy duty drawers are more expensive, they may be worth the cost in exchange for the security and durability they offer.

Norwood Heavy Duty Cash Drawers

Cash Drawer Interface

Cash drawer purchasers must determine which type of interface is compatible with their point of sale (POS) system. With this in mind, there are three options to consider: printer driven, serial driven, and manually driven.

Printer Driven

This is the most popular type of cash drawer and it plugs directly into the receipt printer. The receipt printer then signals the cash drawer to open.

USB Driven

With USB driven cash drawers, a USB cable connects the cash drawer to a POS computer.

Manually Driven

In manually driven cash drawers, there is no connection from the cash drawer to the POS system. The drawer must be manually opened by the operator.

Media Slots

Cash drawers usually have between one and three media slots. These allow the user to place items such as checks, manual credit card receipts, and any other paperwork in the cash drawer without opening the till. This is an added security and convenience measure. Media slots are especially useful with POS systems that only signal the cash drawer to open for cash transactions.

Appearance

While aesthetics should not be a primary concern in selecting a cash drawer, it can certainly be one type of consideration. Cash drawers are available in a number of styles, sizes, and colors, and all of these specifics are worth considering to make sure that they fit in their environment as well as in the available space.

Cash Drawer Inserts

Another consideration when purchasing cash drawers is space. Removable inserts (or tills) allow for organization of currency and coins. Some inserts have adjustable compartments so that operators can set them based on their individualized use. Removable coin trays are also an option that can help with end of day counting. Depending on the size of the cash drawer, extra storage space underneath the removable tray may be available for extra coin rolls as well as for other transaction-related paperwork such as coupons and manual credit-card slips.
Cash trays are constructed from various durable plastics. The number of currency and coin compartments may vary, as can the dimensions of these compartments. Some trays also have flip-up tabs that keep the bills in place to reduce shuffling. Some cash drawer inserts may also come with removable lids to make transport easier and more secure.

Conclusion

Buying cash drawers and inserts doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task. With some understanding of point of sale systems and with a bit of research into possible options, retail business owners can shop with confidence and outfit their cash registers with the best matches for their businesses.