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Cash Drawer Issues

Manager Admin

Use this page when the cash drawer won't open, opens when it shouldn't, or the register won't let you open or close a drawer.

Quick fixes​

  • Drawer won't open — Check the receipt printer is on and prints a test receipt. The drawer is opened by the printer, so if the printer doesn't work, neither does the drawer. Then re-seat the phone-style cable between the printer and the drawer.
  • The $ button is missing from the top bar — Your role needs the Open Cash Drawer permission, the register needs a receipt printer, and Show cash drawer button in header must be on in this device's printer settings.
  • You need the cash right now — Use the key on the front of the drawer. Every drawer has one.
  • The register shows Select Register or Open Cash Drawer instead of the sale screen — No drawer is open on this register. Count the cash and open one. Clerks can do this by default.
  • The End Shift button is greyed out — Bank left in drawer is more than the cash you counted. Lower the bank amount.
  • A cash sale from an earlier shift can't be voided — That shift's drawer is already closed. Do a return instead; the refund comes out of today's drawer.
More detail: how the drawer is opened

How Cash Drawers Work​

Before troubleshooting, it helps to understand the mechanism:

  1. Brother POS sends a print command (such as printing a receipt or an explicit "open drawer" command) to the receipt printer.
  2. The receipt printer sends an electrical signal through its DK port (also called the cash drawer kick port) via an RJ11 or RJ12 cable.
  3. The cash drawer's solenoid receives the signal and releases the latch, popping the drawer open.

This means the cash drawer is not connected to your computer or the POS software directly — it is connected to the receipt printer. If the printer is not working, the drawer will not open either.

Brother POS  -->  Network  -->  Receipt Printer  -->  DK Port (RJ11/RJ12)  -->  Cash Drawer
More detail: drawer will not open

Drawer Will Not Open​

Problem​

You tap the $ button in the POS header bar or complete a cash sale, but the cash drawer does not pop open.

The $ button is missing?

It only shows when your role has the Open Cash Drawer permission, the register has a receipt printer set up, and Show cash drawer button in header is on in this device's printer settings.

Step-by-Step Diagnosis​

  1. Check the physical cable. Verify the RJ11/RJ12 cable is firmly connected at both ends:

    • One end goes into the DK port on the back or bottom of the receipt printer.
    • The other end goes into the cash drawer (usually on the back or underside).
    • Try unplugging and re-seating both ends.

  2. Check the receipt printer. Is the printer powered on and connected to the network?

    • If the printer is off or disconnected, it cannot send the drawer kick signal.
    • Try printing a test receipt. If the receipt does not print, fix the printer first. See Printer Issues.

  3. Try the printer's self-test. Many receipt printers can trigger the cash drawer from their own built-in self-test function (usually accessible by holding the feed button during power-on). If the drawer opens during the self-test, the cable and drawer hardware are fine — the issue is with the network or software side.

  4. Check the DK port selection. Some receipt printers have two DK ports (DK1 and DK2). Make sure the cable is plugged into the drawer port, and if the printer has two, try the other one.

  5. Try a different cable. RJ11/RJ12 cables can go bad. Try swapping with a known working cable.

  6. Test with a different drawer. If you have a spare cash drawer, connect it to rule out a faulty drawer solenoid.

"Open Drawer to Count" Does Not Work at the Start of a Shift​

The Open Drawer to Count button on the opening screen kicks the drawer through the register's receipt printer or the receipt printer paired to this device.

  • The button is missing: neither the register nor this device has a receipt printer set up. Add one, or use the key.
  • The button is there but nothing happens: make sure the printer is switched on, and for a Bluetooth printer, that it is paired and in range. The POS reconnects to the saved printer before trying, so a printer that just needed waking should work. If a test print from the POS printer settings also fails, fix the printer first.

If the printer prints fine but the drawer still won't open from this screen, contact support — the POS keeps a note of what it tried that support can use.

Use the key as a fallback

All cash drawers have a manual key lock on the front. If the electronic open fails and you need to access the cash immediately, use the key. Keep the key in a secure but accessible location.

More detail: drawer opens at the wrong times

Drawer Opens at Wrong Times​

Problem​

The cash drawer pops open unexpectedly — for example, when printing a label or at random intervals.

Solutions​

  1. Check the drawer kick configuration. Brother POS sends the drawer kick command at specific points:

    • When someone taps the $ button in the header bar
    • When someone taps Open Drawer to Count on the opening screen
    • When a cash sale, or a split payment that includes cash, is completed on a register whose receipt printer is on and set to auto-print receipts (or to open the drawer without printing)
    • When a cash sale is completed after a manager approves it with their PIN (for example, a purchase-limit override) — this one opens the drawer whatever the register's print settings

    If the drawer opens at other times, the printer may be receiving kick commands from another source.

  2. Check for other software. If the same printer is shared with other applications, those applications may be sending drawer kick commands.

  3. Check the printer's settings. Some printers have a setting to kick the drawer whenever any print job is received. Disable this in the printer's configuration (accessible via the printer's web interface or control panel).

  4. Verify the correct printer is configured. If you have multiple printers, ensure the receipt printer (which has the drawer connected) is the one configured in Brother POS for receipt printing, not the label printer.

More detail: opening, closing and drawer session problems

Drawer Session Issues​

Problem: The POS Won't Let You Start Selling​

Instead of the register screen, the POS shows Select Register or Open Cash Drawer, because no cash drawer session is open on the register.

Solutions​

  1. Open a drawer session. Opening a drawer needs the Manage Cash Sessions permission. This is not a managers-only job — clerks have it by default, so in most stores the person at the counter can just open the drawer themselves. If it won't let you, check the permission under Admin > Users > Role Permissions. See Opening & Closing Cash Drawers.

  2. Check if the session was closed. If the register asks you to count the drawer and open it, the previous session was closed and a new one must be opened.

  3. Check you picked the right register. Cash drawer sessions are tied to a specific register, and you choose the register on the Select Register screen after signing in. If your register isn't listed, make sure it exists and is marked active under Cash Drawers > Manage Registers in the admin panel.

Problem: Cannot Close the Drawer Session​

The close drawer / cash count screen does not appear or does not submit.

Solutions​

  1. Use the Count / Close Drawer button. It is the calculator button in the header bar (on a phone, Settings > Quick Actions > Count / Close Drawer). Tapping Sign Out while the drawer is open also brings up the count screen.

  2. Check the permission. Closing a drawer needs the same Manage Cash Sessions permission as opening one, which clerks have by default. If the Count / Close Drawer button is missing, that permission is off for your role — not something about being a cashier.

  3. Enter the total you counted. The count screen asks for one total, not a count per denomination. Close is refused until a total is entered.

  4. Check the bank figure. On an End Shift close, the End Shift button stays greyed out while Bank left in drawer is more than the cash you counted. Lower the bank, or type the deposit and let the bank follow.

  5. Check for network issues. Closing a drawer session requires a connection to the server to save the count and generate the Z-Report. A close can't be completed while the register is offline. Restore your network connection and try again.

Problem: The Count Screen Says "Loading cash drawer session..."​

When the count screen opens, it pauses briefly to include any cash drops or pay-ins still saved on this device, so the expected cash figure doesn't change while you are reading it. This should take no more than a few seconds — after that the screen opens with what it has. If it stays on loading, check the device's connection, close the screen and try again.

Problem: Drops or Pay-Ins Show as "Not Yet Synced"​

A cash drop, payout or pay-in recorded while the register was offline is saved on the device and sent once the connection returns. Until then it appears on the count screen as not yet synced, and it is still counted in the expected cash. If you close the drawer while online, the POS sends them first so the close includes them.

Problem: "This drawer was just closed" When Ringing a Sale​

If someone closes the drawer while a sale is being completed on the same register, the sale is refused rather than landing on a shift that has already been counted — you see "Sale failed ... This drawer was just closed. Open the drawer again to ring this sale." The cart stays as it was. Open a new drawer session (count the cash and open it), then complete the sale again.

Problem: A Clerk Is Asked for a Manager PIN to Reverse a Drop or Fix the Float​

That is expected. Reversing a cash drop or payout, and changing the opening float mid-shift, both change what the drawer should hold, so they need the Reverse Cash Drops / Adjust Opening Float permission. Managers have it by default; clerks don't. A manager enters their PIN in the same window to approve. To let a role do it without a manager, an admin can tick the permission for that role under Role Permissions. See Cash Drops & Payouts.

Problem: A Cash Sale From an Earlier Shift Can't Be Voided​

Once a sale's drawer has been counted and closed, voiding a cash sale is refused with "This sale's drawer has been closed. Use a return to refund it from today's drawer." Process a return instead — the refund comes out of the drawer that is open now, and the closed shift stays exactly as it was counted.

Problem: The Next Shift Opens Short by About a Day's Takings​

The balance handed from shift to shift has grown past what is really in the drawer — typically because each close left the whole count in the drawer instead of recording the takings as a deposit. At the next open, count the real cash, and when the POS says the count doesn't match the last shift, choose "The $X was deposited after close." That records the difference as a deposit and resets the carried balance. See Deposits After Close.

More detail: which cash drawers work

Hardware Compatibility​

Supported Cash Drawers​

Brother POS supports any cash drawer that uses a standard printer-triggered mechanism via RJ11 or RJ12 cable. This includes the vast majority of POS cash drawers on the market.

FeatureRequirement
Connection typeRJ11 or RJ12 to receipt printer DK port
TriggerPrinter-triggered (not USB or serial)
Voltage12V or 24V (must match printer DK port output)
Voltage mismatch

Some cash drawers require 24V and some require 12V. Your receipt printer's DK port outputs a specific voltage. If the drawer requires 24V but the printer outputs 12V (or vice versa), the drawer will not open reliably or may not open at all. Check your printer and drawer specifications.

USB Cash Drawers​

Brother POS does not support USB-connected cash drawers directly. USB drawers require special drivers and software that web-based applications cannot access. Use a printer-triggered drawer instead.

Printer Bridge and USB Printers​

If your receipt printer is connected via USB (not network), you are using the Printer Bridge utility. The Printer Bridge translates network commands to USB, and the drawer kick command passes through the bridge just like print commands.

If the drawer does not open with a USB printer through the Printer Bridge:

  1. Verify the Printer Bridge is running. Check that the Printer Bridge is active on the computer the printer is plugged into.

  2. Check the bridge log. The Printer Bridge keeps a log. Look for errors that might show the drawer command is not reaching the printer.

  3. Test printing first. If receipts are not printing through the bridge, the drawer kick will also not work. Fix the printing issue first. See Printer Bridge.

More detail: common scenarios, and when to contact support

Common Scenarios​

Drawer Worked Yesterday But Not Today​

  1. Check for power outages. A power outage may have reset the printer or changed its IP address. Power cycle the printer and check the connection.
  2. Check the network. If the printer's IP address changed after a router restart, update it in the register's receipt printer settings (Cash Drawers > Manage Registers, then Edit the register).
  3. Check the cable. Cables can work loose overnight, especially if the drawer is opened and closed frequently.

Drawer Opens But Does Not Latch Closed​

This is a mechanical issue with the cash drawer, not a software problem. The drawer's latch mechanism may be worn, dirty, or misaligned.

  1. Clean the drawer rails. Dust and debris can prevent the drawer from sliding smoothly into the latched position.
  2. Check for obstructions. Bills or coins caught in the mechanism can prevent latching.
  3. Check the lock position. If the key lock is in the "open" position, the latch is disabled and the drawer will not stay closed.

Multiple Drawers on One Printer​

Some receipt printers have two DK ports (DK1 and DK2), allowing two cash drawers to be connected. Brother POS has no setting to choose which of the two drawers opens. If you want to run two drawers from one printer, contact Brother POS support first.

When to Contact Support​

Contact your admin or Brother POS support if:

  • The drawer hardware and cables are confirmed working (passes printer self-test) but the POS still cannot trigger it
  • You want to run a second cash drawer from the same printer
  • The drawer session system is behaving unexpectedly (sessions appearing as open when they should be closed, or vice versa)