> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ofatoura.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Opening, Closing, and Reviewing Shifts

> Learn how to open a shift with starting cash, monitor transactions throughout the day, close a shift with denomination counts, and review the full shift history in the oFatoura web admin.

Shifts let you track sales, cash, and expenses within a defined working period. You open a shift at the start of service, record any cash movements during the day, and close it at the end — completing a denomination count and resolving any cash variance before the period is locked.

<Note>
  This page covers shift management in the **web admin** (browser). To open or close a shift from the waiter app on a phone or tablet, see [Opening and Closing Shifts on the ePOS App](/epos-app/shifts-and-cash).
</Note>

## Permissions

You need the following to work with shifts:

* **View Shifts** — browse shift history and open shift detail pages
* **Open Shift** — start a new shift and record cash-in/cash-out transactions on an open shift
* **Close Shift** — run the Close Shift Wizard to end a shift
* **Manager Override** — required conditionally when cash variance exceeds the allowed threshold

***

## Shift history

Go to **Shift Management** in the sidebar to see a paginated list of all shifts for your branch.

Each row shows the opening time, closing time, who opened the shift, starting cash, total sales, and current status (open or closed).

### Filtering shifts

Use the filters at the top of the list to narrow down the results:

| Filter     | Options                                                  |
| ---------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| Status     | All, Open, Closed                                        |
| Start date | Pick a date to show shifts opened on or after that date  |
| End date   | Pick a date to show shifts opened on or before that date |

### Opening a new shift

<Steps>
  <Step title="Click 'Open Shift'">
    The button appears at the top of the Shift Management page when no shift is currently open for the branch.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter your starting cash">
    Type the amount of cash in the drawer at the start of the shift. This value must be 0 or greater.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm">
    Click to confirm. The shift appears at the top of the list with status **Open**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Closing a shift from the history list

You can close an open shift directly from the Shift Management page by clicking **Close** next to it. This launches the [Close Shift Wizard](#close-shift-wizard), described below.

***

## Shift detail

Click **View Summary** on any shift row to open the full detail page for that shift.

The detail page shows:

* **Starting cash** — the amount entered when the shift was opened
* **Ending cash** — the amount entered when the shift was closed
* **Expected cash** — calculated from starting cash plus cash sales and cash-in transactions, minus cash-out transactions
* **Cash difference** — the gap between expected and ending cash
* **Closing notes** — any notes entered when the shift was closed
* A full breakdown of **sales by payment method**, **expenses**, and **individual cash transactions**

### Recording cash in and cash out

While a shift is open, you can record cash movements from the shift detail page.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the shift detail page">
    Click **View Summary** on the open shift row.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose Cash In or Cash Out">
    Use the corresponding button on the detail page.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter the amount and reason">
    * **Amount**: must be at least 0.01
    * **Reason**: brief description (up to 255 characters)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    The transaction is recorded immediately and the shift totals refresh.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Use the **Refresh** button on the detail page at any time to recalculate totals — useful if orders are being taken on other devices simultaneously.
</Tip>

### Printing the shift closing report

From the shift detail page you can print a summary of the shift:

* **Queue for printing** — sends the report as a cloud print job to your configured receipt printer.
* **Browser print** — opens a formatted printable view in the browser, useful if the thermal printer is unavailable.

***

## Close Shift Wizard

The Close Shift Wizard is a three-step process that guides you through counting the cash drawer and reconciling any variance before the shift is locked.

<Warning>
  Cash denominations must be configured before you can complete the wizard. If you see a "No Denominations Configured" error, ask an administrator to set up denominations under **Cash Register > Denominations**. See [Cash Register Sessions and Denominations](/operations/cash-register-sessions).
</Warning>

### Step 1 — Count denominations

Enter how many of each bill and coin denomination are in the drawer. The wizard supports the following values:

**500 · 200 · 100 · 50 · 20 · 10 · 5 · 1 · 0.50 · 0.25 · 0.10 · 0.05**

Only denominations that have been activated for your restaurant appear here. As you enter counts, the **Counted Cash** total updates automatically.

### Step 2 — Review variance

The wizard shows a side-by-side comparison:

| Field         | What it means                                                                |
| ------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Expected cash | What the system calculated based on starting cash, sales, and cash movements |
| Counted cash  | The total from your denomination counts in Step 1                            |
| Variance      | Counted minus expected (positive = overage, negative = shortage)             |

Review the numbers and go back to Step 1 if you need to recount.

### Step 3 — Variance reason and manager override

<Steps>
  <Step title="Enter a variance reason (if required)">
    If the absolute variance is greater than **1.00**, you must type an explanation before you can proceed. This is recorded in the audit log.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Request manager override (if required)">
    If the variance exceeds your branch's override threshold, the wizard prompts for a manager override. A manager must enter their PIN or provide an override token to authorise the closing.

    See [Manager Override PINs for Sensitive Actions](/staff/manager-override-pins) for how override tokens work.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add closing notes (optional)">
    You can add free-text notes that will appear on the shift detail page.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Submit">
    Click **Close Shift** to finalise. The shift status changes to **Closed** and the denomination breakdown is saved to the audit log.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  If the variance is 1.00 or less, you can close the shift without a reason or manager approval — the wizard completes in one click after Step 2.
</Note>

***

## Related

* [Opening and Closing Shifts on the ePOS App](/epos-app/shifts-and-cash) — shift workflow on the waiter app
* [Cash Register Sessions and Denominations](/operations/cash-register-sessions) — managing cash register sessions and setting up denominations
* [Cash Approvals, Dashboard, and Register Reports](/operations/cash-approvals-and-reports) — approving closed sessions and running X/Z reports
* [Manager Override PINs for Sensitive Actions](/staff/manager-override-pins) — how manager overrides work
* [Daily Closing Report](/reports/daily-closing) — end-of-day sales summary