How to use it
Choose your currency
JMD, TTD, GYD or USD. Each shows the notes and coins in circulation for that currency.
Count by denomination
Type how many of each note and coin you have. The subtotal for each shows under its box, and the total at the bottom updates as you go.
Enter the float and expected cash sales
The float is what you put in the drawer at the start of the day. Expected cash sales come from your sales record, counting cash payments only, not card or bank transfers.
Read the result
Counted total minus (float plus cash sales) is your over or short figure.
The currency presets are a convenience. Amounts show with a plain $ whatever the currency, and nothing is converted.
The formula and a worked example
A shop in Jamaica closes for the day and counts the drawer: 2 × $5,000, 4 × $1,000, 6 × $500 and 10 × $100 notes, plus 12 × $20, 8 × $10, 10 × $5 and 10 × $1 coins.
| Item | Count | Value |
|---|---|---|
| $5,000 notes | 2 | $10,000 |
| $1,000 notes | 4 | $4,000 |
| $500 notes | 6 | $3,000 |
| $100 notes | 10 | $1,000 |
| $20 coins | 12 | $240 |
| $10 coins | 8 | $80 |
| $5 coins | 10 | $50 |
| $1 coins | 10 | $10 |
| Counted total | $18,380 |
The drawer started with a $5,000 float and the sales record shows $13,500 in cash sales. Expected: $5,000 + $13,500 = $18,500. Counted: $18,380. The drawer is $120 short.
What to do when the drawer is off
Do not panic over small gaps, and do not ignore them either. Work through the likely causes in order.
- Count again, slowly, with a different person if you can. Most small gaps are counting slips.
- Check the float. Was it really the amount you think it was this morning?
- Check payment types. A card or bank transfer sale entered as cash makes the drawer look short. The reverse makes it look over.
- Look for change errors. A $1,000 note given as change for a $500 sale is a classic cause, as is a miscounted handful of coins.
- Check refunds and pay-outs. Cash taken out for a delivery, a refund or a supplier needs a note, or it shows up as short.
One short day is not a pattern. Write the difference down every day. A drawer that is $100 short, then $80 over, then $50 short, is probably counting and change slips. One that is always short by a similar amount is worth a closer look. Our guide to cashing up at the end of the day has the full routine, and reducing stock loss covers the other side.
A float and a drop routine
- Start every day with the same float in the same notes and coins, so the opening figure never has to be guessed.
- Keep enough small notes and coins to give change. Running out of coins is the usual reason a till slows down.
- Take large notes out of the drawer during the day and put them in a safe place. This also limits what can go missing.
- Count the drawer at every handover, not just at close.
- Take your float out before banking, or count the bank deposit separately. Do not mix them.
Denominations in the calculator
The lists follow the currency issued by each country's central bank, checked on 6 October 2026. Collector coins and notes and coins that are no longer issued are left out.
| Currency | Notes | Coins |
|---|---|---|
| JMD | $50, $100, $500, $1,000, $2,000, $5,000 | $1, $5, $10, $20 |
| TTD | $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100 | 5c, 10c, 25c, 50c |
| GYD | $20, $50, $100, $500, $1,000, $2,000, $5,000 | $1, $5, $10, $100 |
| USD | $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100 | 1c, 5c, 10c, 25c, 50c, $1 |
Central banks can retire old series, and the Bank of Jamaica has demonetized its older cotton banknotes. Reject any note you are not sure about and check the central bank's site for what is current.
Sources
- Jamaica: Bank of Jamaica, banknotes and coins.
- Trinidad and Tobago: Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago, bank notes and coins.
- Guyana: Bank of Guyana, notes and coins.
- United States: uscurrency.gov, the seven denominations and US Mint, circulating coins.
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