Checklist template

Cash office controls for grocery stores

A ready-to-use checklist with 116 items in 6 sections, covering Access, Counts, Safe, Deposits, Money services, Reports. Use it as-is in Bindy, or adapt it to your own standards in minutes.

  • 6 Sections
  • 116 Items
  • 96 Yes / No checks
  • 6 Scored ratings
  • 126 Points

Use this template How audits work

1. Access 18 items

  1. The cash office door is closed and locked, including while the office is occupied Yes / No 1 pt
  2. The cash office door closes and locks by itself Yes / No 1 pt
  3. A list of people authorized to enter is posted inside the cash office Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Entry is by individual code or card rather than a shared key Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Codes and cards of people who left the store have been canceled Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Date of the last change of cash office door codes Date
  7. Visitors to the cash office sign a log Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Armored car couriers are identified against the carrier's photo list before the door is opened Yes / No 1 pt
  9. The inside of the cash office cannot be seen from the sales floor Yes / No 1 pt
  10. A recording camera covers the cash office door Yes / No 1 pt
  11. A recording camera covers the counting surface Yes / No 1 pt
  12. The hold-up alarm button in the cash office works Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Date of the last hold-up alarm test Date
  14. No personal bags, coats or phones are in the cash office Yes / No 1 pt
  15. The cash office is cleaned only with the bookkeeper present Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Each user of the cash office software has an individual login Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Till and lockbox keys are kept in a key cabinet with a sign-out log Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Access control of the cash office Rating
    • Restricted and logged 5 pts
    • Restricted, with gaps in the logs or the authorized list 3 pts
    • Door open or access shared 1 pt

2. Counts 20 items

  1. Tills are built to the standard float set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Standard float per till (dollars) Number
  3. Cashiers sign for the till they receive Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Till pickups from the lanes are recorded at the register Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Pickups are carried to the cash office in a locked bag or pouch Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Pickups are counted in the cash office by someone other than the cashier Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Tills are counted in the cash office at the end of the shift, not at the lane Yes / No 1 pt
  8. The person counting enters the count before seeing the expected amount Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Each till is balanced separately under the cashier's number Yes / No 1 pt
  10. A variance above the company tolerance is recounted by a second person Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Checks are endorsed for deposit at the register Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Coupons, vouchers and gift certificates are counted as tender for each till Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Self-checkout cash units are emptied and refilled by two people Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Self-checkout cash is balanced by station Yes / No 1 pt
  15. The currency counter is tested daily with a known amount Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Large bills, as defined by company policy, are checked with a counterfeit detector in the cash office Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Spare tills are counted and sealed Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Change given to cashiers during the shift is recorded as an even exchange Yes / No 1 pt
  19. Largest single cashier variance in the last 7 days (dollars) Number
  20. Count discipline observed in the cash office Rating
    • Blind, verified and recorded 5 pts
    • Some steps skipped 3 pts
    • Counts unverified 1 pt

3. Safe 19 items

  1. The safe is locked when not in use, even with the bookkeeper in the office Yes / No 1 pt
  2. The time-delay or dual-control compartment of the safe is in use Yes / No 1 pt
  3. The safe is counted and balanced at every change of custody Yes / No 1 pt
  4. The safe count during the visit matched the safe balance sheet Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Variance between the safe count and the safe balance sheet (dollars) Number
  6. The safe fund matches the amount authorized by head office Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Authorized safe fund (dollars) Number
  8. The safe combination is known only to the people on the authorized list Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Date of the last change of the safe combination Date
  10. The safe combination is not written down anywhere in the cash office Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Rolled coin from the bank is verified by weight or by opening a sample Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Strapped bills are bundled in standard amounts and initialed by the person who counted them Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Smart safe or cash recycler receipts are kept with the daily paperwork Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Postage stamps, transit passes and other items of value in the safe are listed on the safe sheet Yes / No 1 pt
  15. The safe holds no IOUs or personal checks cashed for employees Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Every paid-out is supported by a receipt and a manager's signature Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Change orders are counted on camera by two people when they arrive Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Cash on hand is within the limit set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  19. Accuracy of the safe records for the last 7 days Rating
    • Every sheet complete and balanced 5 pts
    • Arithmetic or signature errors with no cash difference 3 pts
    • Unexplained differences or missing sheets 1 pt

4. Deposits 20 items

  1. A deposit is prepared for every business day Yes / No 1 pt
  2. The deposit is prepared by one person and verified by a second person who signs Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Deposits are prepared in view of the camera Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Deposits are sealed in tamper-evident bags Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Bag serial numbers are recorded on the deposit log Yes / No 1 pt
  6. The deposit total matches the day's balancing report Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Checks are scanned for remote deposit daily where the store uses it Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Scanned checks are stored locked and shredded after the period set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Sealed deposits wait for pickup in the locked deposit compartment of the safe Yes / No 1 pt
  10. The courier signs the deposit log for each bag by number Yes / No 1 pt
  11. The armored car receipt is kept for each pickup Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Missed armored car pickups are reported to head office the same day Yes / No 1 pt
  13. No deposit is held longer than the time allowed by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  14. The bank's credited amount is compared with the deposit slip Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Bank adjustments are investigated and documented Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Foreign currency taken from customers is deposited separately, where the store accepts it Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Unused deposit bags are locked up and counted Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Deposits on hand awaiting pickup at the time of the visit Number
  19. Bank adjustments in the last period Number
  20. Timeliness and verification of deposits Rating
    • Daily and dual verified 5 pts
    • Occasional delay or single count 3 pts
    • Deposits held or unverified 1 pt

5. Money services 21 items

  1. Blank money orders are locked in the safe Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Blank money orders are inventoried by serial number Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Money order sales are reconciled daily with the stock used Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Voided money orders are marked void and kept Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Money orders are sold only for the tender types allowed by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Employees who send wire transfers hold the current training required by the provider Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Identification is recorded for money transfers as required by local regulation and the provider Yes / No 1 pt
  8. A fraud warning for customers is posted at the money transfer and gift card points Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Employees asked can describe how they would handle a customer who appears to be a scam victim Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Suspicious transactions are reported through the company compliance program Yes / No 1 pt
  11. The money transfer settlement is balanced daily Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Checks cashed above the limit set by company policy carry a manager's approval Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Returned checks are logged and followed up Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Scratch ticket books are inventoried by book number Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Lottery sales and payouts are balanced daily to the terminal report Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Unactivated lottery ticket stock is locked up Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Gift card activations above the company limit need manager approval Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Bill payment receipts are balanced to the provider's daily report Yes / No 1 pt
  19. The service desk till is picked up when it exceeds its cash limit Yes / No 1 pt
  20. Value of returned checks outstanding (dollars) Number
  21. Compliance of money services at the service desk Rating
    • Balanced, trained and documented 5 pts
    • Balanced, with gaps in training or documentation 3 pts
    • Unbalanced or untrained 1 pt

6. Reports 18 items

  1. The daily balancing report is completed and signed by the bookkeeper Yes / No 1 pt
  2. The balancing report is reviewed and signed by a manager who did not prepare it Yes / No 1 pt
  3. The cashier over and short trend report is reviewed weekly Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Cashiers with repeated shortages have documented counseling Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Unresolved variances are reported to loss prevention within the company deadline Yes / No 1 pt
  6. The paid-out report is reviewed by the store manager each week Yes / No 1 pt
  7. A manager makes a surprise safe count at least monthly Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Date of the last surprise safe count Date
  9. Card batch totals are reconciled daily with card sales on the register report Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Sales audit queries from head office are answered within the deadline Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Cash office records are filed by day Yes / No 1 pt
  12. The bookkeeper does not run a register on a day they balance the tills Yes / No 1 pt
  13. A trained backup bookkeeper is named Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Corrective actions from the previous cash office audit have been completed Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Store over and short total for the last period (dollars) Number
  16. Name of the bookkeeper on duty Short text
  17. Overall cash office integrity Rating
    • Access, counts, safe and deposits all controlled 5 pts
    • Gaps in one or two of these areas 3 pts
    • Gaps in most areas or unexplained variances 1 pt
  18. Corrective actions required Comments

About this template

This checklist is part of the Bindy template library. Yes / No checks score 1 point when met; ratings score the points shown for each option. The overall score is the percentage of points earned, with N/A answers excluded. In Bindy you can add photos, assign corrective actions, require sign-off and compare results across sites.

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