Plain-English summary#
Cash variance is the gap between what Foodops expected to be in the drawer when the session closes and what the cashier actually counted. It's Counted minus Expected: a negative variance means the drawer is short (less cash than expected); a positive one means it's over (more cash than expected). Screens usually show the amount with a short/over label rather than a plus or minus sign. Variance is the most-watched figure at end of shift — managers check every non-zero variance against the cashier's Comments to decide whether it's explained, needs an operational fix, or needs escalating.
When you'd use this#
- A cashier ends a shift with a non-zero Difference and needs to explain it on the Close Register form.
- A manager reviews the day's sessions and looks for patterns — repeated shorts on one register, or regular overs from one cashier.
- An auditor or accountant reconciles daily cash against bank deposits and needs to understand why a deposit is short.
- Understanding approvals — every close goes to Pending Close and needs sign-off, whatever the variance. There's no setting that only requires approval above a certain amount.
- Training — showing new cashiers why "no variance" should be normal and what usually causes one.
Key concepts#
- Variance / Difference — Counted minus Expected. Negative = short; positive = over.
- Short — the drawer has less than expected. Usually a change error, cash taken out but not recorded, or loss.
- Over — the drawer has more than expected. Usually a customer given too little change, a tip jar not kept separate, or a wrong opening float.
- Close approval — every cashier close goes to Pending Close and needs a supervisor to approve or cancel it, whatever the variance. There's no amount threshold; approval is always required.
- Comments — the cashier's written explanation; the only direct input to the manager's review.
- Looking for patterns — reviewing variance over time and across cashiers and registers to spot ongoing issues, rather than looking at each session on its own.
Common questions#
Q: Will Foodops stop me from closing a register with a large variance? A: No — a variance never blocks the close. But your close goes to Pending Close. If the count differs and you can see the Expected amount, a Balance Difference Warning appears with Close Anyway and Cancel: Close Anyway finishes the close, and Cancel takes the session back to Open so you can recount. If your role can't see the Expected amount, a close with a difference is finished for you automatically. When the count matches, the session stays in Pending Close until someone selects Approve Close.
Q: Should I round my count to make the variance zero? A: No. Enter the count honestly. A small, explained variance is a much better record than a made-up zero. Auditors trust honest reports more than perfect-looking ones.
Q: I'm short MVR 5 — is that worth flagging? A: Yes — flag every variance, even small ones, with a Comments note. "Short MVR 5, suspect coin miscount" is fine and takes ten seconds. Consistent flagging is what the manager's review relies on.
Q: Who sees the variance figure? A: Anyone who can see the session sees the Difference on the Overview tab and on the Z-report. Manager dashboards summarise variance across sessions for outlet-level review.
Q: Can I edit the variance after close? A: Once a close has been approved (the session is fully Closed), the figure is locked — corrections are made in management reports, not by editing the session. While the session is still Pending Close, a supervisor can cancel the close, which puts the session back to Open and clears the closing counts; the drawer can then be recounted and closed again.