How to count back change: the cashier count-up method
Short answer: do not subtract. Start at the price and count up to the amount the customer paid, adding the smallest coins first, then bigger coins, then bills. What you counted out is the change.
The three steps
- Say the price out loud.
- Add the smallest coins until you reach a round number.
- Keep adding bigger coins and bills until you reach what the customer paid.
An example: $7.35 paid with $20
- $7.35 + a nickel = $7.40
- + a dime = $7.50
- + two quarters = $8.00
- + two $1 bills = $10.00
- + a $10 bill = $20.00
The change is $12.65: one $10, two $1, two quarters, a dime and a nickel. Count it into the customer's hand the same way: "seven forty, seven fifty, eight, nine, ten, and ten makes twenty."
Common mistakes
- Starting with the bills, which makes the coin part harder to count.
- Jumping to a round number with the wrong coin, like a quarter from $7.35 to $7.60.
- Counting silently, so nobody notices the slip.
Practicing it in Changora
- Open Give change on the Practice tab.
- Tap Show hint: count up to see every step for that price.
- Answer a few rounds a day; the Progress tab shows your accuracy and time going down.
FAQ
Why count up instead of subtracting?
Counting up turns a subtraction into small additions you can do out loud, and it lets the customer follow along, so mistakes get caught at the counter.
Do I start with coins or bills?
Start with the smallest coins until you reach a round number, then use bigger coins, then bills.
What if the register already shows the change?
Still count it back. It confirms the amount you are handing over and catches a wrong key press on the register.