Shifts and the cash drawer

A shift is one person's session on the cash drawer, from the opening float to the day-end cash count. MediPOS works out how much cash should be in the drawer, you count what is really there, and any difference is recorded as short or over. It is the simplest way to keep cash control at a pharmacy counter, especially when more than one person handles the drawer.

If Shifts is not in your Money menu, your plan does not include Cash-drawer shifts; the owner can see what each plan includes under Plan & billing. Without it the POS never asks for a shift.

How to open a shift

1. Count the float already in the drawer, for example Rs. 3,000 in small notes for change.
2. Go to Money → Shifts. Under Start your shift, type the amount in Opening cash (Rs.).
3. Click Open shift.

You can also open it from the POS, which shows an Opening cash box and Open shift button while you have no shift. Once it is open, the POS shows Shift since with the time. Each person can have one open shift per branch. Opening and closing your own shift needs the Open / close own shift permission, which the Cashier role has by default.

Making shifts compulsory

In Settings → POS & receipts, tick Cashiers must open a shift (count the opening cash) before billing and save. From then on the POS shows "Open your shift to start billing." and refuses bills until the cashier opens one. Without this setting, cashiers can bill without a shift and the POS only reminds them: "No shift open — open one to track your drawer cash." Bills made without a shift are not counted in any drawer.

What counts towards the expected cash

On Money → Shifts, click Your shift is open to see your shift page. Its Drawer cash panel starts with Opening cash and lists every movement, with the Expected in drawer total at the bottom.

Only what you record while your shift is open is counted in it. Money taken by card, bank transfer, EasyPaisa or JazzCash never enters the drawer; it is listed separately under Collected by card, bank & wallet, so you can check it against the bank and wallet statements.

How to put cash in or take it out

Use Put in / take out cash on your shift page.

1. Choose What: Take cash out or Put cash in.
2. Enter the Amount (Rs.).
3. Choose To / from: Cash in safe, Bank account, EasyPaisa, JazzCash, Owner's capital, Owner's drawings, or another bank or wallet account you have added.
4. Give a Reason, for example "Handed to owner", and click Record.

If the owner takes Rs. 20,000 home at 6 pm, record Take cash out to Owner's drawings. If you move it to the safe before the night shift, choose Cash in safe. You cannot take out more than the drawer should hold; MediPOS answers "The drawer should only have Rs. …". For a cost paid from the drawer, such as petrol for the generator during load-shedding, record an expense instead, so it also shows in your profit and loss.

How to close a shift with a note count

1. On your shift page, go to Count & close.
2. Count each note and coin and enter how many: Rs. 5,000, 1,000, 500, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1. Counted adds them up as you type. If you prefer, leave the grid empty and type the total in Counted cash (Rs.).
3. Add Notes if something needs explaining, click Close shift and confirm.

Say the expected cash is Rs. 48,750 and you count 4 × 5,000, 15 × 1,000, 20 × 500, 30 × 100, 10 × 50, 5 × 20 and 10 × 10. That is Rs. 48,700, so the shift closes Short Rs. 50. The shift page then shows Counted, Short, Over or Exact, and keeps the note count in the Count panel. The difference is posted to the Cash short / over account, which appears under expenses in the profit and loss.

Closing someone else's shift

Staff with Close other cashiers' shifts (the Manager role by default) see every shift at the branch, with a Cashier column. They can click any cashier's open shift, count that drawer and close it, or record cash in and out on it. The closed shift shows who closed it. Everyone else sees only their own shifts.

Checking shifts later

The Shifts list shows Opened, Closed, Opening, Expected, Counted and Short / over for every shift, open ones first. Each shift page shows the number of Bills and the amount sold. The dashboard warns when shifts are still open.

Offline edition: a backup at every shift close

On the Offline edition, closing a shift also starts a backup on the main PC, in addition to the nightly one, so the day's bills are safe before the PC is switched off or the power goes. If several counters close within a few minutes, MediPOS makes one backup for all of them.

Rules and tips

• A closed shift cannot be reopened or changed.
• Close your shift every day. An open shift carries on into the next day and mixes two days' cash.
• A void, refund or expense counts in the shift of the person who records it. If a manager voids a cashier's bill and the cashier hands the money back from the drawer, the cashier's count will come out short by that amount.

Common questions

The drawer is short. What should I check first?

Open the shift and read the Drawer cash lines. The usual causes are cash paid out without an expense or cash-out entry, wrong change, or a refund or void recorded by someone else.

I billed a few customers before opening my shift. What happens?

Those bills belong to no shift, so their cash is not in your expected amount and your count will come out over. Make shifts compulsory in Settings to prevent this.

Can I keep billing after closing my shift?

If shifts are compulsory, you must open a new shift first. Otherwise billing continues, but those bills are not counted in any drawer.

Where do short and over amounts go?

To the Cash short / over account. They show in the Short / over column of the shifts list and under expenses in the profit and loss.

Related guides

• Billing at the counter (POS)
• Recording expenses
• Cash book and day book
• Backups and updates