Cash Management

Effective cash management is essential for a POS operation. The Cash app for Otter POS helps manage tills by tracking the lifecycle of cash drawers— including start/end times, pay-ins, pay-outs, and reconciliation. 

This allows you to get an accurate picture of your daily transactions. Within the Cash app on Otter POS, you can:

• Start and end a cash till
• Transfer cash till between devices
• Close/reconcile a cash till
• Track cash drawer users and cash balances
• View pay-ins/payouts
• Review historical closed drawer data

Cash Drawer Connection to Otter POS
Follow the steps in this Cash Drawer Setup Guide to help you through the process.

Cash App Tabs

There are two different tabs within the Cash app: 

• Active: Drawers that are currently in use or ended.
• History: Drawers that are closed and no longer in use.

Check out more information about each tab below.

• Active tab features:

  • Start new drawers
  • End or close drawers that are no longer in use
  • See the current drawer assignment
  • Review the drawer details and pay-ins/outs
  • Edit drawer details for active drawers
  • Add pay-ins/outs to the drawer log

  

• History tab features:
  • See recently ended and closed drawers
  • View the drawer details— like started & ended information, starting balance, and pay-ins/outs
  • Edit drawer details for closed drawers
  • Print till close report

Cash App Access Permissions
Only Manager and Supervisor users have the permissions to access the Cash app

Enabling Cash Management

Default ON
By default, the Cash App will be toggled ON for all new Otter POS customers.

The Cash app can be disabled/enabled by toggling the Cash Management setting in the POS Settings within the Otter Dashboard.

• Step 1
  
  On the Otter Dashboard homepage, click on [Apps] and select [POS] from the dropdown.
   
  

• Step 2
  
  In the left side navigation menu, select the correct settings tab based on Brand, Location, or organization.

  • Brands: settings specific to individual brands
  • Locations: settings specific to individual locations
  • Settings: settings specific to an entire organization (all brands & locations)
     

  

• Step 3
  
  In the left side navigation menu, select the [Cash drawers] tab.
  
  
• Step 4
  
  Toggle ON the [Cash management] setting. This setting will enable the use of the Drawers app on your device.
  
  

Cash App Permissions

When creating a custom user role within the Otter Dashboard, you’ll be able to add or subtract permissions of that existing role to fit your business’ needs. 

Check out the different permissions available to adjust for the Cash App.

• Permission	Description
  Create Server Bank	User can start a new server-bank cash session — a per-user, software-tracked cash pool (e.g., a server's float) that isn't tied to a physical drawer.
  End Drawer	User can correct pay-in/pay-out/starting-balance amounts on a drawer after it has been closed.
  Open Drawer	User can physically open the till from the POS cart screen (the "Open drawer" button during checkout).    Drawer Access Doesn't grant access to anyone else's drawer.
  Manage Drawer	Manager-level override— User can start, finish, pay-in/pay-out, or otherwise operate any other user's device drawer (not just their own).  Can control whether the Cash applet is visible at all.
  Remote Finish Drawer	User can manager force-close a drawer session that's still open on a different device  Example: a cashier left for the day without closing out on their tablet.
  Pay in/Payout	User can move cash into or out of a physical device till; this physically opens the drawer.
  Pay in/Payout (Bank)	User can move cash into or out of a server bank (the per-user software cash pool from "Create Server Bank"); does not open a physical drawer.
  Edit Drawer	User can correct pay-in/pay-out or starting-balance amounts on a drawer that is still open.  Routine correction, distinct from "End Drawer" (post-close).
  View Only	Shows sensitive financial details on cash drawer sessions — expected vs. actual balance, pay-in/out history.    Redacted View Without Permission Without this permission, the user sees a redacted view.

Assigning a Cash Drawer User

Assigning a Cash Drawer is an optional feature that assigns a cash drawer to a specific POS user (like a Cashier or a Supervisor). The action of assigning a cash drawer is performed at the very start of a shift, at the time the cash drawer is opened.

Once a cash drawer has been assigned, only that specific user's PIN (or a Supervisor's PIN to override) can complete cash transactions on that open drawer.

Cash Drawer Defaults to Full Access
If a user is not assigned or All authorized staff is selected for the cash drawer when opening, all users will be able to process cash transactions on the cash drawer.

Check out some basics of cash drawer assignment below:

• Assigning a Cash Drawer
  
  Assign the specific user under the Checkout access field when starting a new cash drawer.
  
• Approval Needed Alert
  
  Approval needed error will appear if the user checking out is not assigned to the drawer.
  
• Viewing Drawer Assignment
  
  Verify who is assigned to a drawer from the Drawer details tab— listed under Checkout access.
  

Learn more about assigning drawers to specific POS users here: Assigning a Cash Drawer to a User.

Editing Cash Drawers

You have the ability to edit cash drawer events— such as pay-ins/outs and starting drawer balances— within the Cash app on the Otter POS terminal. 

Edited values will be highlighted with a pencil icon. The name of the user who edited the values is shown in parentheses to the right of the pay-in/payout reason.

• Step	Process	Image
  1	Pin into the Otter POS terminal as a Supervisor user.
  2	From the Otter Home Screen, tap the Cash app.
  3	Select the drawer you would like to edit from the list of available drawers.
  4	Select [Edit].
  5	Update the Starting balance amount.  Click [Save].

• Step	Process	Image
  1	Pin into the Otter POS terminal as a Supervisor user.
  2	From Otter Home Screen, tap the Cash app.
  3	Select the drawer you would like to edit from the list of available drawers.
  4	Select [Pay in or out].
  5	Under the History section, select the pay in/out event you want to edit.
  6	Update the Amount.   Click [Save] > [Confirm Save].
  7	Edited paid in/out values will be indicated with a pencil icon.  The name of the user who edited the values is shown in parentheses to the right of the pay-in/payout reason.

• Step	Process	Image
  1	Pin into the Otter POS terminal as a Supervisor user.
  2	From Otter Home Screen, tap the Cash app.
  3	Click on the History tab.  Select the drawer you'd like to edit.
  4	Select [Edit].
  5	Update the closing balance amount for Actual balance.  Click [Save].

Cash Management Reporting

To help you quickly and accurately reconcile your cash drawers, the Cash Management Report is available to view within your Otter dashboard. Lean more on Cash Management Reporting here

Troubleshooting

• If there is a red warning on the POS payment screen for Cash option, this means there is no active cash drawer in place— so cash payment will not be able to be processed.

  Tapping the warning will allow the cashier to open a new cash drawer without losing their current transaction.

  

FAQs

• Cash drawer edits can be viewed in the Pay-in or out tab for a listed drawer.
  
  Edited values will be indicated by a pencil icon. Details on which user edited the values are shown in parentheses to the right of the listed event.

  

• No— The default permissions set only allow Manager & Supervisor user roles to access the Drawers app.
  
  If you want to make adjustments to which users have access, please reach out to Support for assistance.

• The default permissions set only allow Manager & Supervisor user roles to access the Cash app.
  
  If you want to make adjustments to which users have access, please reach out to Support for assistance.

• Reporting on cash transactions can be found in the POS Transactions report within the Otter Dashboard.

  Step	Process	Image
  1	Log in to the Otter Dashboard.
  2	Click [Apps] and select [Financials] from the dropdown menu.
  3	Select the [POS Transactions] tab in the left-side navigation menu.
  4	Utilize the [Payment Method] filter to populate cash transaction data.

Updated July 14, 2026 18:00