You closed the register, the POS said one number, the drawer had another. Do not guess and do not adjust the count to make it fit. A variance is information: it tells you something happened today that the POS did not see.
Signs you are in this situation
- The Caja closed — reconciliation summary shows a Variance that is not zero.
- In Reports → Session View, Expected in drawer and Closing count differ.
- The same terminal is short (or over) several days in a row.
What to do right now
- Recount the drawer once more, with a second person if possible. Separate bills, coins and any vouchers or IOUs.
- Open Reports → Session View and pick the session under Select session. Read the Cash Reconciliation block: Opening cash, Cash collected, + Income entries, - Expense entries, Expected in drawer, Closing count, Variance.
- Check Expenses & Income. Every cash that left the drawer (supplier paid in cash, ice, change run) should be there as an Expense. Anything missing explains a shortage.
- Check Reports → Payment Methods for the day. A card sale recorded as Cash (or the reverse) moves money between columns without moving it in the drawer.
- Look at Payments → Refunds for the day. A cash refund handed out without going through Refund in the POS is a shortage.
- If the caja is still open, record what you found with Register Expense / Income on the Staff page, with a clear Concept. If it is already closed, write it in your own log with the session date and who counted.
Decide
| If… | Then… |
|---|---|
| A cash expense was paid from the drawer and never registered | Register it next time before the money leaves. The difference is explained; no further action. |
| A sale was charged with the wrong payment method | Ask the cashier which one. Card totals from the terminal should match Card in Payment Methods. |
| Change was given wrong during a rush | Small, random, both directions. Coach on counting change out loud and using Amount tendered so Change due does the math. |
| The shortage repeats on one shift or one person | Treat it as a pattern, not an accident. Go to Suspicious activity. |
| The drawer is over | Usually an unregistered income or a change error. Do not pocket it and do not leave it: it belongs to the next reconciliation. |
Afterwards, and how to prevent it
- Count the opening float together with the cashier and enter it exactly when you Open Caja. A wrong float shows up as a variance at close.
- Rule: no cash leaves the drawer without a Register Expense / Income entry first.
- Open a caja per terminal and per day. Long sessions mix several shifts and make the variance impossible to attribute.
- Watch the Variance line in Session View every day for a week after a change of staff or a new terminal.