A retailer protecting the cash is vital to your business operations. An efficient and secure cash management system helps you stay organised and minimise loss due to mishandling or theft. It is excellent in the shop, but now and then, you will need a cash box to store money outside the shop.

Security

These are in demand, commonly for retailers who operate at markets, fairs, or pop-up events.

Pros and Cons of Cash Boxes

Before we discuss features, consider the advantages and disadvantages of using a cash box in your retail operation.

Pros:

• Durable and sturdy construction
• Easy organisation of cash and coins
• Portable and compact for mobile businesses
• More affordable than high-security safes
• Versatile use for cash, receipts, or small valuables

Cons:

• Limited security— they are not hard for a determined person to break into.
• Not hard to steal if left unsecured
• Some models have quality issues
• Limited capacity—not suitable for large amounts of cash

Let's evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of different cash box systems.

Key Features to Look For

When selecting a cash box, consider these essential features:

Sturdy

The reality is that most of these cash boxes will not last five minutes against a determined person, but they still try to make it easy for them. That is why I prefer metal cash boxes. Unfortunately, they sometimes make the cash box too heavy, so be aware.

Security

It is a pain to use a key to open and close them. We suggest having a latch and a lock. In my experience, many need more substantial locks. Make sure you get a decent lock.

Sized for Your Needs

Please consider the volume of cash you need to handle. A small box might suffice for low-volume businesses, but you'll need more if you deal with many notes and coins.

The compartments should be roomy enough to accommodate multiple stacks of bills and rolls of coins without overflowing.

Make sure that the cash box can handle Australian notes. Chinese and US cash boxes often can't handle our Australian notes. I wonder why people sell them to Australian retailers, but they do.

• Removable trays
• Enough compartments for different denominations
• Tiered cantilever designs for easy access
• Ensure you have enough room in the cash box to handle change.

Portability and Protection

Since you'll move the box around to collect cash deposits, find one lightweight yet sturdy. Look at fireproof and waterproof options, which offer extra security to shield your money.

Can it be secured to a table? One client drilled a hole into the cash box and used a bike lock to secure it to the stand.

Maintenance

To keep your cash box in top shape:

• Regularly clean with a damp cloth
• Avoid harsh cleaners that might damage the finish
• Periodically check the lock mechanism to ensure smooth operation

As a rule, the more complex the features are, the greater the risk of malfunction.

Consider a cash box as an investment in your business's security and efficiency.

MANY CUSTOMERS WILL NOT WAIT.
What they do is they walk out and abandon their purchases.

Have you ever seen this? Your store is bustling when you spot a potential customer walking away, discouraged by the long wait. Does this strike a chord? It's a common challenge. Statistics show that 70% of shoppers will walk out if faced with a long queue. This is a severe issue in retail that needs urgent thought the waiting time in queues. I once witnessed a boutique lose a $500 sale because a customer in the queue put the dress down and walked out, as she probably couldn't endure the wait in line. This is the problem with a long line.

Here's the good news: Our POS system makes opening new registers straightforward without breaking the bank.  

Multiple Tills on One Computer: Streamlining Retail Operations

Our advanced point-of-sale system for small businesses allows you to set up numerous tills on a single computer. This means:

1. No need for expensive new hardware: Use your existing system more efficiently with the new technology.
2. More cashiers: You can have more registers with more cashiers on the counter.
3. Quick setup: Open a new till in minutes, not days.
4. Flexible configuration: Adapt to busy periods by opening extra tills as needed to improve customer service.

The Benefits of Multiple Tills: Enhancing Customer Queue Management

One of our users told me, "It's like we've expanded our shop without actually expanding!"

How to Get Started with Your New POS System

Contact us and we can start immediately.

Elevating Customer Experience and Streamlining Sales

Throughout my extensive career working with point-of-sale systems for small enterprises, I've observed how minor adjustments can significantly impact retail operations. This multi-till approach stands out as a true innovator. It offers an intelligent, economical method to enhance customer service, drive revenue growth, and simplify your team's daily tasks.

Say you have a spare spot (See the orange button above) and you want to set up a register shortcut key for a department so you can press a button to quickly process a department sale. It is even faster with touch but that is another point.

Well, it is easy and quick to do.  

1.       From the Main Menu, go to Cash Register and then Register Setup.

2.       Click on the Quick Links tab.

3.       On the layout on the left, click where you want the shortcut to go. You should see the green plus symbol on that square now.

4.       In the department list on the right, click the department you wish to add to that location.

5.       Click on the Insert at Location button.

6.       Click the Save button.

Now the changes should be there.

This is our cash register. If you look at the screen, not the girl, it is from a publicity shot that we did what you will see is buttons all over the screen. Also, every one of them is user-definable. What this means is that you can change them, or move them to match exactly what you want it to look like.

The best and most important area in the shop to install security cameras is at the point of sale as that is where the cash is located, so that is where most fraud takes place.

Integrating your video surveillance with the POS system makes a lot of sense. This example shows a skimmer being installed by some shop thieves. Your staff may not be involved in the fraud at the point of sale. This fraud took three (3) seconds. Nothing would show here on the computer if the cameras had never been installed on the tills, it would never have been found.

This is a bit exceptional; as most of the fraud involves actual transactions. Typically a brother of a staff member buys a $30 book, and it gets rung up as a $5 remainder book. 

With a camera, you have a video record of each transaction, the customer and the operator. So you can provide evidence that can be used to confirm the point of sale software. This is always a problem if the matter requires verification. For this, you need video e.g. you often hear this remark in court "The computer said that I did it, but many could have done it.." or "I gave you a $50 and you gave me a $20, okay the computer said $20, but I gave you a $50."   

The computer can and does give you alerts e.g. high dollar amount and other dubious transactions which can alert you to possible fraud. At the very least, it can enable you to identify common mistakes or misunderstandings that can be corrected with additional training.

Also just the fact it is there has been shown to reduce theft.

If your system is not integrated then the archived video needs to be searched by date and time, which is slower and a pain.

PS if you want to extend what the cameras can do e.g. facial recognition analytics to identify known individuals; counting analytics to ensure that occupancy limitations are not exceeded or demographic analysis we could do that too.

PosBrowser has launched a new facility for you and your clients. We now offer a Zip Pay payment type directly built into the PosBrowser register.  This week we were joined by Andreas Collier from Zip pay to discuss and demonstrate how easy it is to setup and use as well as answering a bunch of question you may be interested in hearing. 
Watch the video and see what you think. 
Also as a special offer to PosBrowser user, Andreas will personally handle the process of getting your ZIP PAY account activated and the details you will need for integrating ZIP with PosBrowser.   Just contact him via email [email protected] 

If you find this video helpful or you have any question please reply in the comments. Also check out our blog often to see what the next webinar is going to cover in our weekly sessions or make a suggestion for a topic you'd like to hear more about.