Till Operation¶

Till operation refers to the accurate use of a point-of-sale (POS) system to enter orders, process payments, and issue receipts. It is a practical administrative skill every barista must develop during their first weeks on the floor.

Why It Matters¶

The till is the financial and operational hub of every transaction. Errors at the till — wrong items entered, incorrect change given, missed modifiers — create downstream problems for the bar, the kitchen, and the customer. Accurate, confident till operation keeps service flowing and the café's accounts reconciled.

Core Tasks¶

Entering orders correctly — selecting the right menu items, sizes, and modifiers (e.g. oat milk, extra shot, decaf) with precision
Processing payments — handling cash, card (EFTPOS/tap), and digital wallets; confirming the correct amount tendered and change returned
Issuing receipts — printed or digital, as the customer prefers
Applying discounts or loyalty rewards — following the café's specific procedures for promotions, staff discounts, or loyalty programmes
Voids and corrections — knowing the correct process for removing an incorrectly entered item; this typically requires supervisor approval at Level 1

Cash Handling¶

Cash handling requires particular care. When receiving a cash payment: 1. State the amount received aloud ("That's from twenty dollars") 2. Calculate the change before opening the drawer 3. Count the change back to the customer 4. Leave the tendered note on the till ledge until change is given, then place it in the drawer

This sequence prevents disputes over the denomination tendered.

End-of-Shift Responsibilities¶

At Level 1, a barista typically does not independently perform till reconciliation (the process of counting cash against the system total), but should understand it exists and be able to describe the basic concept. Full reconciliation responsibility develops at Level 2–3.

POS System Familiarity¶

Most cafés use cloud-based POS systems such as Square, Lightspeed, or Kounta. While the specific interface varies, the underlying logic is consistent: items → modifiers → payment → receipt. A new barista should spend time in a quiet period exploring the menu structure in the system so navigation is fluid under pressure.

At Level 1¶

The goal is accuracy over speed. Slow, correct entries are far better than fast, incorrect ones. Speed and fluency develop within the first few weeks of regular use.

This article is part of All-About-Coffee.com - The comprehensive coffee knowledgebase.