What is a cash-up?

At the end of the day someone counts the drawer. The till says there should be £412.50 in cash; the drawer has £402.50. Cashing up is how that £10 gets noticed tonight rather than at the year-end.

How a cash-up works

1. Count the cash in the drawer, leaving the float — the change you start each day with — to one side.
2. Compare the counted cash with the cash sales the till recorded.
3. Check card takings against the card machine's own end-of-day total.
4. Record the difference, and a reason if you know it.

Over and short

Difference = counted − expected

A small difference either way is usually a counting or change-giving mistake. A pattern — always short on the same shift — is worth a closer look.

X and Z reports

On traditional tills you will hear:

• X report — a reading of the day so far, which does not reset anything. Useful at a shift change.
• Z report — the end-of-day report that closes the day's totals and starts a fresh day.

Why it matters

• It catches mistakes while people still remember the day.
• It gives your bookkeeper a clean daily record of cash and card.
• It is part of keeping accurate records for VAT and tax.

Common mistakes

1. Counting the float as takings. Take it out first, every time.
2. Only checking cash. Card differences happen too — a payment taken on the wrong machine, or a refund not put through the till.
3. Writing off differences without a note. The reason is what helps next time.

Tracking it in DUMA

Cash up the till at the end of the day: DUMA works out what should be there and records what you counted. The End of day report shows each day's cash-up — expected against counted, cash and card — and Payment methods shows card, cash and other tenders, net of refunds.