Money Counter
The money counter adds up US bills and coins by denomination, takes off the float to give the deposit, and checks the drawer against the register for over or short.
Total
- Bills 2 x $100 = $200.00; 1 x $50 = $50.00; 14 x $20 = $280.00; 9 x $10 = $90.00; 12 x $5 = $60.00; 37 x $1 = $37.00.
- $717.00 in 75 bills
- Coins 40 quarters = $10.00; 50 dimes = $5.00; 40 nickels = $2.00; 100 pennies = $1.00.
- $18.00 in 230 coins
- To deposit $735.00 counted less the $200.00 that stays in the drawer for the next shift.
- $535.00
- Over or short The drawer should hold $200.00 of float plus $531.50 of cash sales, $731.50. It holds $735.00.
- $3.50 over
| Denomination | Count | Value | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|
| $100 bills | 2 | $200.00 | 27.2% |
| $50 bills | 1 | $50.00 | 6.8% |
| $20 bills | 14 | $280.00 | 38.1% |
| $10 bills | 9 | $90.00 | 12.2% |
| $5 bills | 12 | $60.00 | 8.2% |
| $1 bills | 37 | $37.00 | 5% |
| Quarters | 40 | $10.00 | 1.4% |
| Dimes | 50 | $5.00 | 0.7% |
| Nickels | 40 | $2.00 | 0.3% |
| Pennies | 100 | $1.00 | 0.1% |
| Total | 305 | $735.00 | 100% |
How the Money Counter works
A money counter, or money calculator, adds up cash by denomination. It multiplies each count by its face value, adds the results, and shows how the total splits between bills and coins. It works for a cash drawer at the end of a shift, a bank deposit, a fundraiser's takings or a jar of savings.
The example is a drawer after a day of trading. Two $100 bills, one $50, fourteen $20s, nine $10s, twelve $5s and thirty-seven $1s make $717 in bills. Forty quarters, fifty dimes, forty nickels and a hundred pennies make $18 in coins. The total is $735.
Write each denomination's count down before moving to the next, and face the bills the same way as you go, so that a bill hiding behind another of a different value shows up.
Most drawers start a shift with a float: a fixed amount of small bills and coins for making change. That float is not takings, so it comes off the total before the deposit. Pull the deposit from the large bills and leave the float in the small ones and coins.
The register report closes the loop: the drawer should hold the float plus the cash sales the register recorded. A drawer that is over is as much a sign of a mistake as one that is short: it can mean a customer was given too little change. When a count is off, recount the denomination nearest the difference first, since a $5 gap can be one bill in the wrong pile.
The cash counter covers the seven US bills in circulation, from $1 to $100, and the six coins from the penny to the dollar coin, all at face value; old notes, misprints and silver coins from before 1965 can be worth more to a collector. For a jar of coins that you would rather weigh than count, use the coin calculator.
Money Counter FAQ
How do I count money in a cash drawer?
Sort by denomination, count each pile largest first, and multiply each count by its value. Count twice, or have someone else count, before you sign for it.
How do I work out what to deposit?
Take the starting float off the total counted. A $735 drawer with a $200 float leaves $535 to deposit. Leave the float in small bills and coins, which the next shift needs for change.
How do I know if my drawer is over or short?
Add the starting float to the cash sales on the register report and compare that with the count. $200 of float plus $531.50 of sales should be $731.50; a count of $735 is $3.50 over.
Which bills and coins does the money counter include?
The $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 bills, and the penny, nickel, dime, quarter, half dollar and dollar coin.