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End-of-Day Till Close Checklist

A step-by-step checklist for the closing cashier and manager that runs from the last sale through the blind count, POS reconciliation, variance log, deposit prep, and safe drop, so every drawer closes the same way every night.

Download the checklist (.txt)

Reviewed for 2026, updated September 8, 2026.

The end-of-day close is the part of the shift most likely to be done from memory, by a tired person, with a customer still at the door. That is exactly when steps get skipped: a drop slip never makes it to the log, the expected total is glanced at before the count is finished, tomorrow's bank is pulled from whatever bills are on top. None of those feel like mistakes in the moment, and every one of them shows up later as a variance nobody can explain. This checklist puts the whole close in a fixed order so the person doing it does not have to remember anything. Each line is something you can confirm by looking at the drawer, the register, or a slip, not by trusting that it probably happened.

Print one copy per drawer per night, or build the lines into whatever count sheet or app your team already uses, and keep the completed sheet with the day's count packet. The lines follow the sequence described in our article on reconciling the till at end of day, and the counting steps match the method in our guided drawer count article. If your close consistently takes longer than it should, time it for a week and put the numbers into the Till Close Labor Cost Calculator in our Tools section; the checklist tends to remove the recounts and hunting that eat most of that time. The full cash cycle, from the morning bank to the bank deposit, is laid out in the guide on this site.

  • The drawer is closed out on the register or POS before anyone touches the cash, and the expected cash figure is not shown to the person who will count.
  • The starting bank for this drawer is confirmed from the morning sign-off sheet or the opening count record, not from memory.
  • Every mid-shift drop for this drawer is listed with an amount and a time, and each one matches a drop slip already in the safe.
  • Cash refunds, paid-outs, and voids each have a receipt or a manager approval attached, and the register shows the same tender type for each one.
  • Checks, gift certificates, coupons, and any other non-cash paper are pulled out of the drawer and totaled on their own line before the cash count starts.
  • The count is done by one person, on a cleared surface, with no customers waiting and no second drawer open in front of them.
  • The count moves one denomination at a time from the largest bill to the smallest coin, recording a quantity for each, never a running dollar total kept in your head.
  • Rolled coin is counted as full rolls and loose coin separately; a partial roll is broken down into loose coin before it is entered.
  • Torn bills, foreign currency, and anything that looks suspicious are set aside, written in the notes, and left out of the count total.
  • The counted total is written or entered and signed before the expected total is revealed, so the count is blind.
  • Expected cash is built from the starting bank plus cash sales, minus cash refunds, paid-outs, and drops, and every one of those numbers comes from the register or a slip rather than a guess.
  • The over or short amount is calculated and written on the log with the direction clearly marked, even when it is zero.
  • If the variance is beyond the threshold your store has set, the same person recounts once, and then the manager reviews before anything is signed.
  • The usual causes are checked before a variance is called unexplained: wrong starting bank, a drop not written down, a refund keyed to the wrong tender, a tip-out pulled without a slip, a change order not logged.
  • Both the cashier and the closing manager sign the count slip and the over/short log with a full name, not initials only, if the log is shared across locations.
  • Tomorrow's standard starting bank is pulled from the counted cash first, in the right mix of bills and coin, and set aside in its own tray or bag.
  • The remaining cash is the deposit; it is counted a second time, bundled by denomination, and the deposit slip total matches the count slip.
  • The deposit bag is sealed, and the bag serial number, the amount, and the name of the person sealing it are written on the deposit log.
  • The sealed deposit and tomorrow's bank are placed in the safe, and the safe log records the time and who made the drop.
  • Any change needed for tomorrow, such as more ones or a roll of quarters, is written on the change request so the opener is not caught short mid-rush.
  • The count slip, drop slips, paid-out receipts, refund approvals, and the register close report are filed together as one packet for the day.
  • Anything unusual, such as a recount, a manager override, a missing slip, or a suspicious bill, is written in the notes so the packet explains itself when it is reviewed later.
  • Once a week, the over/short log is read by drawer and by cashier for patterns, and the review is dated and initialed by whoever did it.
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