Open, count and close the cash drawer

The Cash drawer page tracks the cash in your till for a shift or a day. You open it with the change you start with (the float), record any cash added or taken out that isn't a sale, and count up at closing. AirQR works out what should be in the drawer and shows whether you are over or short. The cash drawer is included in every plan from Starter up, and in the free trial.

Who can use the cash drawer?

Owners, managers and cashiers can open the drawer, record cash in and out, and close it. Waiters, hosts and kitchen staff don't see Cash drawer in the sidebar.

There is one drawer per outlet: only one drawer can be open at an outlet at a time. If someone tries to open a second one they see "A drawer is already open at this outlet." If you have several outlets, each outlet has its own drawer; switch outlet first to open or close that outlet's drawer.

Cash sales counts every cash payment taken at the outlet since the drawer was opened (including tips paid in cash), whichever till or staff member took it. So keep one drawer session for the physical cash box, and don't take cash into a different box without recording it.

How do I open the drawer at the start of the day?

1. Open Cash drawer in the sidebar (under Service).
2. The card says "No drawer is open at (outlet)". Count the change you're starting with.
3. Enter it under Opening float (for example ₹2,000) and press Open drawer.

The page now shows Drawer open, the time it was opened and who opened it, and four figures:

These figures update by themselves during the day. Open the drawer before the first bill: cash payments taken before opening aren't counted in this session.

How do I record cash in or cash out (petty cash)?

Any cash that goes into or out of the drawer and isn't a sale must be recorded, or the count won't match at closing.

• Cash in: money added that isn't a sale, e.g. extra change from the bank.
• Cash out: money taken out, e.g. petty cash for ice and lemons, paying a supplier, or a drop to the safe.
• On the Cash drawer page, press Cash in or Cash out at the top.
• Enter the Amount.
• Enter a Reason (at least 2 characters), e.g. "Change from bank" or "Ice & lemons (petty cash)".
• Press Save.

Cash refunds

When a manager records a Cash refund on an order (Record refund) while the drawer is open, AirQR adds the cash-out for you, with the reason "Refund #(bill): (reason)". Don't add another Cash out for it. Expected cash goes down by the refund, and the Z report lists it under Refunds (and in Cash out). A cash refund recorded while no drawer is open doesn't touch any drawer — record a Cash out yourself if the money came from the till.

Each movement appears under Cash in & out with the reason, time and who recorded it. Movements can't be edited or deleted, so check the amount before saving. If you make a mistake, record the opposite movement with a reason like "Correction: entered 500 instead of 50".

How do I close the drawer and count the cash?

At the end of the shift or day, after the last bill is settled:

1. Press Close drawer. The window shows Expected in drawer.
2. Count the cash. Choose Enter total to type the total you counted under Counted cash, or Count notes to count note by note (shown for rupee outlets).
3. With Count notes, type how many of each note you have: ₹2000, ₹500, ₹200, ₹100, ₹50, ₹20 and ₹10, and the total value of Coins. AirQR adds it up under Counted.
4. Check the result box: Balanced (exact), Over (more cash than expected, shown in green with +) or Short (less, shown in red with −), with the difference.
5. Add Notes (optional) for the manager, e.g. why it's short.
6. Press Close drawer. You'll see "Drawer closed" and the day-end Z report opens. Print it and keep it with the cash. See X and Z reports.

Once closed, the drawer can't be reopened or edited. To start again (for example for the next shift), open a new drawer with a new float.

What does over or short (variance) mean?

Variance is counted cash minus expected cash:

• Balanced (0): the drawer matches exactly.
• Short (negative): there is less cash than there should be. Common causes: a cash payment recorded that wasn't really taken, change given wrongly, petty cash taken without a Cash out, or a bill recorded as cash that was paid by UPI or card.
• Over (positive): there is more cash than expected. Common causes: a cash payment recorded as UPI or card, cash added without a Cash in, or a tip left in the drawer but not recorded.

Good practice: explain every difference in the closing notes, and have the manager review each over or short the same night. Check the day's orders on the Orders page for payments recorded under the wrong method.

Where can I see past drawer sessions?

The Past sessions table at the bottom of the Cash drawer page lists the last 30 closed sessions with Opened, Closed, By (who opened → who closed), Expected, Counted and Variance (red for short, green for over). Press Report on any row to open its Z report, view it as A4 or thermal, print it, or send it to the bill printer.

Owners and managers can use this table to spot patterns: the same person often short, shortages on busy nights, or large petty cash amounts. The Z report shows the closing notes, so ask staff to explain every difference there when they close.

Troubleshooting the cash drawer

See also Daily opening and closing.