Counting cash by hand is easy to get wrong when you’re tired at closing time or tallying a big jar of coins. This money counter turns the job into a simple count sheet: enter how many of each bill and coin you have, and it totals them, shows the value of each denomination, and tells you whether the drawer is over or short.
How to use the money counter
- Sort the cash by denomination.
- Count the pieces of each bill — $100, $50, $20, $10, $5, $2 and $1 — and enter the counts.
- Do the same for coins: dollar coins, half dollars, quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies. Leave a box empty if you have none.
- Optionally enter the expected amount (from your register report or deposit slip) to see if you are over or short, and the starting float to see how much to deposit.
- Read the total on the tape. The count table can be copied or printed as a record.
Cash count formula
Worked example
A cash drawer holds the following at the end of a shift:
| Denomination | Count | Value |
|---|---|---|
| $50 bills | 2 | $100.00 |
| $20 bills | 15 | $300.00 |
| $10 bills | 8 | $80.00 |
| $5 bills | 12 | $60.00 |
| $1 bills | 34 | $34.00 |
| Quarters | 40 | $10.00 |
| Dimes | 25 | $2.50 |
| Nickels | 18 | $0.90 |
| Pennies | 57 | $0.57 |
Bills = 100 + 300 + 80 + 60 + 34 = $574.00
Coins = 10.00 + 2.50 + 0.90 + 0.57 = $13.97
Total = $587.97 in 211 pieces. If the register report says $590.00, the drawer is $2.03 short. With a $150 float, the deposit is $437.97.
Counting tips
Count twice, two ways
Count each denomination twice, ideally once by a second person. Businesses often use a “blind count”, where the person counting doesn’t see the expected total, so they can’t unconsciously make the numbers fit.
Face bills the same way
Turning all bills face up and the same direction makes it easier to spot a $20 mixed in with $1s, and it is how banks prefer to receive deposits.
Use rolls and straps for large amounts
For big coin jars, fill standard wrappers first: 40 quarters to a $10 roll, 50 dimes to a $5 roll, 40 nickels to a $2 roll and 50 pennies to a $0.50 roll. Then count rolls instead of loose coins.
Keep a consistent float
Start every shift with the same float — for example $150 in a mix of small bills and coins — so the deposit is always the counted total minus a known amount.
To work out the change to give a customer, use the change calculator. For adding up a stack of checks or receipts alongside the cash, the adding machine keeps a running tape.
The money counter is a counting aid. For deposits, your bank's count is the official record.
Frequently asked questions
How do I count a cash drawer?
Sort the cash by denomination, count the pieces of each, and multiply by the face value. Add the totals, then compare with the expected amount from the register report. Remove the starting float, and the rest is the deposit.
What does over or short mean?
Over means the drawer holds more cash than the register says it should; short means it holds less. Small differences usually come from giving the wrong change. Many businesses set a tolerance, such as a few dollars, before a discrepancy is investigated.
How many coins are in a standard roll?
A standard US bank roll holds 50 pennies ($0.50), 40 nickels ($2.00), 50 dimes ($5.00), 40 quarters ($10.00), 20 half dollars ($10.00) or 25 dollar coins ($25.00). Multiply the number of rolls by the pieces per roll before entering the counts.
How many bills are in a strap?
A standard strap holds 100 notes of one denomination: $100 in ones, $500 in fives, $1,000 in tens, $2,000 in twenties, $5,000 in fifties and $10,000 in hundreds.