When reconciling the cash drawer at the end of the day, what two primary documents must balance?

• A. The bank deposit slip and the cash on hand.
• B. The petty cash log and the credit card receipts.
• C. The payroll ledger and the cash-on-hand.
• D. The cash on hand and the receipts journal or cash-scan totals; the receipts must match the cash drawer count.

Answer: (D)

When reconciling the cash drawer, the key idea is to ensure the actual money on hand matches what should have been received during that period. The two documents you use are the cash on hand (the physical count of all cash in the drawer) and the receipts documentation (the receipts journal or the cash-scan totals from the POS). The receipts record all money brought in, so those totals should align with what you physically count in the drawer.

If the numbers match, you’ve confirmed there are no unrecorded inflows or losses for that time frame. If they don’t, you’d re-check the counts, compare with POS reports, and investigate any discrepancies. The bank deposit slip isn’t part of this day-to-day balance, and the petty cash log or payroll ledger track different processes, while receipts from sales should be reflected in the receipts record and the cash you count.

So, the best pairing to balance is the cash on hand together with the receipts journal or cash-scan totals, and the receipts must match the cash drawer count.