Cash
in Food and Drink Service
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These pages explain:

  • What cash is

  • How best to handle cash

  • Security and Cash

  • Hygiene

    For most of us cash is used less often as more and more transactions are carried out using cards and other technological solutions.

    Set against a background of working in the Hospitality industry, these pages aim to help you understand what cash is and how to handle it safely and securely.

    Whilst different organisations have different policies and procedures, general rules are still useful to learn and apply.

 

 

What is Cash?

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Cash is defined as:

Coins or paper money - ready money as opposed to cheques, credit or debit cards.

Each country has its own currency in Europe many now have two. Cash is identified as being issued by the national bank of the country in which it has been issued. It is not personalised: that means it does not have the name of the bearer on it.

 

 

How best to handle cash.

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If you take payment in cash and place it in the till it is difficult, if not impossible to identify who the money came from. So prevent errors and dispute you could:

- Check the amount when handed to you with the customer.

- Identify any large denomination notes to the customer and if possible colleagues.

- Always ring in the same amount of cash as you place in the till.

- Where possible place the money on the till while counting out the change

- Most tills automatically show you the amount of change you need to give

- Where possible count back the change to the customer - working up from the cost of the order to the value of the money given. For Example if an order cost 18.50 and 20.00 was given in payment:

Change given back

 

.50

1.00

Count out

"18.50"

"19.00"

"20.00"

  

Security and cash

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  • Keep the cash drawer shut when not in use and after each transaction.
  • Do not leave the till unattended when there is money in it.
  • The contents of tills should be placed in a safe after each session
  • All safes are to be kept locked.
  • Keys are to be kept in a secure location and issued and returned with signature.
  • Tills should be checked against readings at least once a day, and when the operator changes.
  • IOU's to customers or other members of staff are forbidden.
  • Do not put any tips or other cash in the till unless it is rung in.

 

Hygiene

Remember that cash is unhygienic, it could have been in contact with harmful and dangerous bacteria. So Remember

  • Do not handle food as well as cash
  • Wash your hands after handling cash

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