Cash is still a big part of the day in many Gulf restaurants and cafes, and the drawer is where small problems hide. A cashier who can see the expected total can make the count look right. A drawer left open overnight mixes two days together. A shift handed over without a count means nobody knows whose shortfall it was.
On the Wink You POS every drawer is a session with an opening balance, every cash movement in between, a counted close and a Z report. Here is the routine, step by step, and how blind close works for cashiers.
Open the register
At the start of the day the till shows Register Closed at the bottom. Tap it, count the cash in the drawer, and type the Opening Balance, or tap Count notes to enter each note and coin. Tap Open Register. The bottom bar now shows Register Open with the time it opened. A register open for more than 24 hours shows a warning on the POS, so each day starts with its own session.
During the shift
- Pay In: cash added to the drawer, such as extra change.
- Drop To Safe: cash taken out of a full drawer into the branch safe.
- Petty Cash: a small expense paid from the drawer, with a category and a description.
- X report: checks the shift so far, with the cash expected, sales and payments, without closing it.
- Open Drawer: opens the drawer with no sale through the receipt printer. Each one is recorded, and a branch can require a manager PIN for it.
Every movement is listed with who recorded it and counted at close. Limits are set per branch in Business Admin under Cash, Settings: above the Cash movement approval limit a pay in or safe drop needs a manager PIN, and pay outs have their own limits.
Close the register
At the end of the shift tap Register Open, then Close Register. Count the cash and type it in Actual Balance. The POS compares it with what is expected. If the difference is above the branch Drawer variance threshold, the cashier must write a reason. Tap Close, and a manager types their PIN to approve. A Z report is saved, and it prints if a receipt printer is set up. If there are unpaid orders on the till, take payment or cancel them first; offline orders must be sent before the drawer can close.
Handing over to the next cashier
After closing, Handover lets the shift pass to the next cashier for up to 30 minutes. The next cashier counts the cash, reviews the difference, and enters their own PIN to accept. Each handover and its difference appears in the Handovers report.
Blind close for cashiers
With blind close, whoever counts the drawer types what is really there without seeing what the system expects. It is a branch setting only, with no switch on the POS: open Branches, click Configure, and in POS Settings switch on Always blind close for cashiers. Every drawer a cashier opens is then a blind close, and the open screen says so. Drawers a manager opens are not blind.
On a blind drawer the cashier sees dots instead of the current cash, closes without seeing the difference, and cannot open that drawer's reports. The manager sees the expected cash, the count and the variance later in Business Admin.
Where managers check the numbers
- Cash Drawers: cards for open registers, closed sessions, cash in open registers and total variance. Each session has tabs for the overview, orders, pay ins, safe drops, petty cash, denominations counted at open and close, and its Z report to open or print.
- Variance is counted minus expected: below zero the drawer is short, above zero it is over.
- Close a drawer left open overnight from Cash Drawers: type the Counted cash, add closing notes and click Close drawer.
- Cash, Reports: Drawer variances with the reason given, No sales by person and reason, and Handovers.
- The Wink You Business app on iPhone and Android has the same cash screens under Sales, Register, Cash, and can notify you when a drawer closes, with its difference.
Frequently asked questions
What is a blind close?
A close where the cashier counts the drawer without seeing the expected amount, so the count reflects what is really there. In Wink You it is switched on per branch with Always blind close for cashiers.
How do I close the cash register at the end of the day?
Tap Register Open, then Close Register, count the cash into Actual Balance, tap Close and have a manager approve with their PIN. The Z report is saved and printed.
Why can I not close the drawer?
Usually there are unpaid orders on the till, offline orders still waiting to send, or the drawer belongs to another counter. The close screen lists unpaid orders so you can settle them first.
What is the difference between an X report and a Z report?
An X report shows the shift so far and leaves the register open. A Z report is saved when the register closes and is the final record of that session.
Learn more
See winkyou.com/products/point-of-sale for the POS. The video guides are winkyou.com/support/pos/how-to-open-the-cash-register, winkyou.com/support/pos/how-to-close-the-register and winkyou.com/support/finance-and-reports/how-to-check-cash-drawers.
