Guide
Closing the night properly.
The cash up is the last job of the night and the only one that tells you whether the day was honest.
In short
A proper cash up reconciles the till total against cash counted, card settlement, and any driver floats, then explains any variance. Do it the same way every night, record the variance even when it is small, and investigate a pattern rather than an incident.
Updated 28 August 2026
What has to reconcile
Four things, and all four in the same routine every night. Skipping any one is where errors hide for weeks.
- Cash counted against expected cash takings
- Card takings against the payment provider's settlement
- Driver floats returned and reconciled
- Voids, comps and refunds accounted for with reasons
Record the variance, even at zero
A log that only records problems is useless, because you cannot see a trend. Record the variance every night, including the nights it is nothing. A run of small shortfalls on the same shift is a signal that no single night would show, and it is the pattern that matters.
Same routine, same order, every night
Variability in the process produces variability in the result. A written close-down sequence, in a fixed order, done by whoever closes, means the numbers are comparable night to night. It also means a new closer can do it correctly on their second shift.
Card settlement rarely matches exactly
Timing differences, tips handled separately and refunds processed later all cause small mismatches between the till and the bank. That is normal. What matters is that the difference is explainable, not that it is zero.
The honest limitation
A cash up finds discrepancies, it does not prevent them. If you are seeing consistent shortfalls, the fix is process and access control, not a more elaborate count. And a long cash up at midnight gets rushed, which defeats it, so keep it short enough to be done properly.
Questions, answered straight.
Not covered here? Just ask us.
How long should a cash up take?
Minutes, not half an hour. If it takes longer, the process is doing arithmetic a system should do, and it will get rushed or skipped.
What variance is acceptable?
Small and random is normal. Consistent in one direction is a process problem. The pattern is what you are looking for, not the size of any one night.
Should the closer count their own till?
Where staffing allows, a second person verifying is better practice. In a small operation that is not always possible, which makes the nightly log more important.
Do I need to bank daily?
Depends on volume and your insurance terms, which often cap cash held on premises. Check your policy, because exceeding it can void cover.
See it run your restaurant.
Twenty minutes on your menu and your numbers. We'll show you what actually changes in the first month and exactly what it costs. If it's not right for your restaurant, we'll tell you that instead.
- Live in days, not months
- We build your menu and train your staff
- No contract, and thirty days to change your mind
Rather just ring us? +353 87 438 8032
Tell us about your restaurant
We reply the same day, usually inside a couple of hours.