Cash Register

The cash register in HandyCafe tracks the flow of money through each cashier's shift. It ensures accountability by recording every transaction and comparing expected balances against actual cash counted at the end of a shift.

How It Works

The cash register operates around the concept of shifts. Each time a cashier logs in to the HandyCafe server, a new shift session begins. When they log out, the shift closes. Everything that happens financially during that window is recorded against that cashier's shift.

Cashier Logs In  -->  Shift Opens (set opening balance)
       |
       |  ... transactions happen throughout the shift ...
       |      - Session payments
       |      - Order payments
       |      - Other transactions
       |
Cashier Logs Out  -->  Shift Closes (record actual balance)

Opening Balance

When a cashier starts their shift, the opening balance is recorded. This represents the amount of cash already in the register at the start of the shift.

The opening balance serves as the baseline for all calculations during the shift. It is typically:

• The closing balance from the previous shift (if cash was left in the register overnight).
• A fixed float amount that the cafe starts each day with (e.g., $50 or $100 in small bills for making change).

Setting an accurate opening balance is important because the system uses it to calculate the expected closing balance.

Transactions During a Shift

Every financial transaction that occurs during a shift is recorded and linked to the active cashier:

Session Payments

When a PC or console session ends and the customer pays, the payment is recorded as a transaction. The transaction includes the amount, payment method, and the session it relates to.

Order Payments

When an order is closed (food, drinks, accessories), the payment is recorded. Like session payments, it tracks the amount, payment method, and the specific order.

Other Transactions

Any other monetary activity during the shift is also tracked, ensuring a complete record of all money flowing through the register.

Each transaction records:

• Amount: The monetary value of the transaction.
• Payment method: How the customer paid (cash, card, mobile payment, etc.).
• Type: Whether it is a session payment, order payment, or other category.
• Timestamp: Exactly when the transaction occurred.
• Cashier: Which cashier processed the transaction.
• Related entity: The specific session or order the transaction belongs to.

Expected Balance

The system automatically calculates the expected balance throughout the shift:

Expected Balance = Opening Balance + Sum of All Cash Transactions

Only cash transactions contribute to the expected cash balance. Card payments and other non-cash payment methods are tracked separately because they do not affect the physical cash in the register.

The expected balance tells you how much cash should be in the register based on all recorded transactions. It updates in real time as new transactions are processed.

Closing Balance

When a cashier's shift ends (they log out), the actual closing balance is recorded. This is the amount of cash physically counted in the register.

The cashier (or a supervisor) counts the cash in the register and enters the actual amount. The system then compares this to the expected balance.

Difference Tracking

The system calculates the difference between what the register should contain and what it actually contains:

Difference = Actual Balance - Expected Balance

Difference tracking is one of the most important accountability features in HandyCafe. It allows owners to quickly identify discrepancies and investigate their cause.

Cashier Assignment

Every transaction is permanently linked to the cashier who processed it. This means:

• You can see exactly how much revenue each cashier generated during their shift.
• If there is a discrepancy in the closing balance, you know which cashier was responsible for the shift.
• Multiple cashiers can work overlapping shifts and their transactions are tracked independently.
• Shift reports can be generated per cashier for performance reviews or dispute resolution.

Shift Summary

At the end of a shift, a summary is available showing:

• Opening balance: The amount the shift started with.
• Total transactions: The number of transactions processed during the shift.
• Transaction breakdown: Revenue split by payment method (cash, card, etc.).
• Expected closing balance: What the register should contain based on recorded transactions.
• Actual closing balance: The cash counted at the end of the shift.
• Difference: The surplus or shortage amount.

This summary provides a complete financial picture of the shift at a glance.

Integration with Cash Report

The cash register data feeds directly into the Cash Report, which provides a broader view of your cafe's financial performance:

• Individual shift summaries are aggregated in the Cash Report.
• You can filter the Cash Report by cashier to see a specific staff member's shifts.
• Date-range filters let you analyze shift patterns over time.
• The Cash Report shows trends in surpluses and shortages, helping you identify systemic issues.

See Cash Report for detailed information on financial analysis and reporting.

Best Practices

• Always set an accurate opening balance. An incorrect opening balance makes the expected balance unreliable and undermines the entire shift tracking system.
• Count cash carefully at shift end. Take the time to count every bill and coin. Rushed counts lead to false discrepancies.
• Investigate all discrepancies. Even small, repeated shortages can indicate a larger problem. Review the transaction log for the shift to find the source.
• Use consistent float amounts. Starting each shift with the same float (e.g., always $100) makes it easier to verify opening balances and compare shifts.
• Review shift summaries regularly. Do not wait for a large discrepancy to appear. Reviewing daily shift summaries helps catch issues early.