Shifts & end-of-day reconciliation
Clock staff in and out, then close the day by counting the drawer against what the system expected and explaining every variance.
Clock in and out
Dashboard → Shifts
At the start of a run, open Dashboard → Shifts and click Clock in.
The badge switches to On shift and a live timer starts, so anyone can see who is on and for how long.
Work the till as normal.
Sales taken during the shift are what the reconciliation will be measured against.
At the end of the run, click Clock out.
Takings are grouped by shift. Saving the reconciliation also closes the shift if it was still open.
Read this diagram as text
- Clock in → Take sales at the till
- Take sales at the till → Clock out at the end of the run
- Clock out at the end of the run → Open Reconciliation and select the shift
- Open Reconciliation and select the shift → Expected tenders computed from that shift's payments
- Expected tenders computed from that shift's payments → Count the drawer first
- Count the drawer first → Variance = counted − expected
- Variance = counted − expected → Write a note explaining it (not zero)
- Write a note explaining it → Save the reconciliation
- Variance = counted − expected → Save the reconciliation (balanced)
Rules
- One open shift per person per branch. Trying to clock in twice is refused — clock out first.
- You cannot clock out without an open shift.
- The shift list shows the member, clock-in, clock-out and duration for the most recent shifts.
No shift means no reconciliation
Takings are grouped by shift. If cashiers do not clock in, there is nothing to count the drawer against, and a shortfall becomes impossible to attribute.
Reconcile the drawer
Dashboard → Reconciliation
Open Dashboard → Reconciliation.
Select the shift you are closing.
The expected tenders and totals for that shift are worked out fresh from its orders.
Count the drawer and record each figure.
Counted cash, counted card, counted M-Pesa and counted other. Count first, then look at the expected column — not the other way round.
Read the variance.
Counted minus expected. Positive is an overage, negative is a shortfall.
Write a note explaining anything that does not balance.
A float that was not banked, a refund paid in cash, a tip pooled separately — say so now while you still remember.
Save the reconciliation.
If the shift was still open it is closed at the same moment, and the whole reconciliation is written to the audit log.
Where the expected figures come from
| Bucket | What lands in it |
|---|---|
| Expected cash | Cash payments recorded during the shift |
| Expected card | Card, Visa and debit card payments |
| Expected M-Pesa | M-Pesa payments that actually settled |
| Expected other | Credit notes and custom tenders mapped to other |
| Sales total | Paid orders, excluding cancelled and refunded |
| Refund total | Orders refunded during the shift |
| Discount total | Discounts given on paid orders |
The figures are recomputed, never trusted from the browser
Expected tenders are calculated on the server from the shift's own payments each time you open the screen. Custom tenders count toward whichever bucket you mapped them to in branch settings — which is the reason to map them thoughtfully.
Reading a variance
| What you see | Usual cause |
|---|---|
| Small cash shortfall | Change given wrong, or the opening float was not counted in |
| Large cash shortfall | A sale taken outside the system, or money removed — investigate the same day |
| Cash overage | A sale rung up on the wrong tender, or a refund not recorded |
| M-Pesa short | A push that was never confirmed but the goods went out |
| Card short | A terminal sale booked against cash by mistake |
Forcing the counted figures to match the expected ones removes the only signal that something is wrong. Record it and investigate.
Read this diagram as text
- Drawer does not balance → Recount the cash
- Recount the cash → Which bucket is out? (still out)
- Which bucket is out? → Cash (cash)
- Which bucket is out? → Card or M-Pesa (electronic)
- Cash → Was a sale rung up on the wrong tender?
- Card or M-Pesa → Was a sale rung up on the wrong tender?
- Was a sale rung up on the wrong tender? → Check the audit log for refunds and voids in that shift
- Check the audit log for refunds and voids in that shift → Record the variance with an honest note
When it does not balance
Recount before you record anything. Most variances are counting errors.
Compare the shift's orders by payment method against your terminal and M-Pesa statements.
Look for refunds and voids taken during the shift in the audit log.
Record the variance with an honest note.
Forcing the counted figures to match the expected ones destroys the only signal you have that something is wrong.
Who can reconcile
Reconciliation needs the Reconcile permission — cashiers, accountants, branch managers, admins and owners hold it by default. Every completed reconciliation is written to the audit log with the member who ran it and the variance recorded, so a pattern of shortfalls under one person is visible rather than anecdotal.