Open and close the cash register

The cash register in GetFoodTruckPOS is a running record of the cash in your box. You open it with a float, it adds every cash sale, you record any cash you pull out or put in, and at close it tells you what should be there. You count what is actually there, and the difference is your answer.

Before you start

• Your truck and register are set up. See Add your truck and register.
• Your starting float counted and in the box. Pick a fixed amount and use it every day; it makes problems easy to spot.
• Staff who handle cash have their own login or PIN, so the register knows who opened and closed it.
• A data connection on the device.

Steps

Open the register

1. Log in on the window device and tap POS.
2. The Open cash register screen appears. Check the location shows the right truck.
3. Enter the float in Cash in hand, exactly as counted.
4. Tap Open register. You are now on the selling screen.

During service

1. Ring cash sales with Cash. Enter the amount tendered so the change due is shown.
2. If you pay something from the box, such as ice, propane or a parking fee, open the register details from the POS header and add a Cash out with a short reason. Also record it under Expenses if you want it in profit and loss.
3. If you add cash to the box, such as more change, record a Cash in.
4. If signal drops and you take cash on paper, enter those sales as soon as signal returns, before you close. They belong to today’s register.

Close the register

1. From the POS header, tap Close register.
2. You see a summary: opening float, cash sales, card and other methods, cash in, cash out, and expected cash.
3. Count your box by denomination and enter the number of each note and coin in the count fields. The total fills itself.
4. Check the difference between expected and counted. Add a note explaining any gap, for example “two paper sales not entered”.
5. Enter the card total from your processor’s app in Total card slips if your screen shows that field, so you can compare the two.
6. Tap Close register. You can print or share the close-out summary.

Check it worked

• Reports > Register report shows today’s register with opening time, closing time, who closed it, and expected versus counted.
• The difference is zero, or small and explained in the note.
• Tomorrow, opening the POS asks for a new float rather than continuing yesterday’s register.

Common problems

I forgot to close yesterday

The register is still open, and today’s sales would land on yesterday. Close it first with the count you took last night, or your best record of it, then open a fresh one for today.

Expected cash is higher than counted

Common causes: a cash payout not recorded, change given wrong, a card sale rung as cash, or a refund handed back without voiding the sale. Check Sales > List sales filtered by Cash for the odd sale.

Expected cash is lower than counted

Usually sales taken on paper during a signal drop and not entered, or a sale rung as card that was actually paid in cash. Enter the missing sales and the gap closes.

Two staff share one box

Then use one register for that box. If each person has their own drawer or pouch, give each their own register and device so each count stands alone.

The register will not open

Another register on the same device may still be open under a different user. Log in as that user and close it, or ask an admin to close it from Cash registers.

Related

• Read your end-of-day report
• Cash and card
• End-of-day close-out checklist