Cash Handling and Banking Log

Who this is for

A day a line, from the till to the bank. Write the till reading, the cash actually counted, the float left behind and the amount banked, and the difference between the count and the till is worked out in the column beside it.

Shops, pubs, cafes, clubs, market traders, charity collections and any small business where more than one person handles cash and somebody has to answer for it later.

What this helps you track

• The till or reading figure and the counted figure side by side
• The variance between them, worked out per day and totalled
• The float retained and the amount actually banked
• The paying-in slip or reference number for each banking
• Two names against every count — who counted and who checked

How to use it

1. Write the business, the till or safe the sheet covers and the period at the top.
2. Take the till reading first and write it down before the cash is counted, not afterwards.
3. Count the cash, take out the float you are leaving and write both figures in their columns.
4. Write what was banked and the paying-in slip number as soon as the deposit is made.
5. The variance column fills in on screen and in the workbook; on paper, subtract the till reading from the counted figure.
6. Have a second person check and sign, and explain anything in the variance column in the notes the same day.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

How is this different from the till count sheet?

The till count sheet breaks one count down into notes and coin. This is the running log across days and weeks: counted, floated, banked and checked, with the variances adding up so a pattern is visible.

What variance is acceptable?

That is set by your own procedure — no figure is given here. Record every difference honestly, whichever way it goes, and let the total at the foot of the page tell you whether something needs looking at.

Why two names?

Because a single signature on a cash record protects nobody, including the person who signed it. A counter and a checker is the usual arrangement; use whatever your own procedure says.

Can I log card takings on it too?

Keep this sheet to cash — the variance only makes sense for money you can count. Card and other takings belong on the daily takings and reconciliation sheet.