Money Counter Buying Guide
™For cash business owners, affordable automation is now available in the form of automatic bill counters that will make the jjob of counting gy your money y a lot easier, provide additional accuracy, and will save you tons of time better spent with customer service, marketing, or even family.
™When deciding what type, brand, and feature-set feature set to purchase for your money counting automation needs, consider the following gg guidelines: ™First, understand the terminology gy so that you make the correct purchase the first time, avoiding any hassles caused by assumptions ti or marketing k ti hype. h H Here are the most common terms to understand:
(1) Definitions: ™"Portable" = battery powered counting machine usually handheld. machine, handheld ™"Bill Sorter" = also known as a discriminator; a bill sorter is a machine that operates similar to the mixed bill counter, but includes multiple p trays y for separating the bills into stacks of their own denomination.
™"Counter" = a machine that counts and displays the number of bills provided, provided regardless of value of the bills. That is, if 100 q quantity y of $5.00 $ bills are added,, the count will return "100".
™Since standard counters do not evaluate the value, value or denomination, denomination of each bill, bill a typical counter can count the number of bills from multiple p countries,, such as US dollar, Canadian dollar, Mexican peso, or Euro, among others, fitting the size parameters off the machine.
™"Mixed Bill Counter" = a machine that counts and displays the number of bills provided, plus evaluates the value of each bill. That is,, if 100 quantity q y of $5.00 bills are added, the quantity count will return "100" and the value count will be "$500". $ Iff a mix off bills is included, such as 100 x $1 plus 10 x $5 plus 5 x $20 the quantity count will return "115" $20, 115 and the value count will be "$250".
(2) Type: ™As described above, there are four general types of bill counters to choose from... portable, bill counter, mixed bill counter,, and bill sorter.
™A portable bill counter is generally battery powered, powered lightweight and easy to transport, and provides the ability to count a small number of bills (~80-100 ( at a time), and may include features such as counterfeit detection. The expected price off portable bill counters range from USD$170 up to USD$900 Best suited for artisans USD$900. artisans, tradeshows or portable vending booths.
™A bill counter is electric (AC) powered, requires a countertop footprint of about one square foot, and can vary depending on features. ™The expected price of bill counting machines varies depending on quality, speed, and features from USD$100 up to USD$1000 for most small business and commercial settings.
™In addition to the ability to count bills, added features can provide additional convenience or security as needed.
™A mixed bill counter is electric (AC) powered requires a countertop footprint powered, of about one square foot, and can vary depending p g on features. ™A mixed bill counter may have multiple counting g and/or sorting g modes, including g counting and sorting by the value (denomination) of each bill into one or t two separate t trays. t
™Off-sorting is a method used by mixed bill counters to separate a single bill value (e.g. $1) from all other values (e.g. $5,, $10, $ $ , $20, $ , etc)) and requires q multiple p passes to separate and count each denomination.
™Some mixed bill counters include the ability to count all bills (similar to the standard bill counter), count the quantity and value of a mixed stack of bills (providing a quantity count and a dollar value total for each bill / all bills), and the off-sort ff method to separate and count one bill denomination among a mixed stack of bills. bills
™Due to the added software requirements and United States patents held held, the expected price of mixed bill counting machines varies depending p g on q quality, y, speed, and features from USD$1700 up to USD$4000 for most small business and commercial settings.
™A bill sorter counts and sorts by the value (denomination) of each bill into multiple, separate trays. Such bill sorters only y require q one pass p to sort a mixed stack of bills into separate trays. The expected price of mixed bill counting machines varies depending on quality, speed, trays, and features range from USD$1800 up to USD$6000 for most small business and commercial settings.
(3) Features: ™Features to consider include speed, feed systems capacity, systems, capacity durability, durability batching, batching adding, calculation, error detection, counterfeit detection,, and connectivity. y ™Most businesses only have a need for basic batch counting functionality. Vending route owners will want error detection.
™Convenience stores and other businesses that experience higher higher-than-average than average fraud will want basic counterfeit bill detection. ™Nightclubs and similar businesses that deal with high g volumes of cash should consider both a mixed bill counter for separating the denominations followed by a hi high h speed d bill counter t to t batch b t h countt the bills.
Speed: ™A range of 600 to 1500 bills counted per minute is normal, normal with 1000 as an average across most bill counters on the market. Consider capacity p y before selecting a counter that counts 1400 bills per minute over a counter that counts 900 bills per minute. ™The higher speed sounds impressive, but if the th hopper h capacity it only l allows ll 100 100200 bills at a time, you won't gain the advantage and may even introduce errors due to running too fast.
™If you count more than 2000 bills at a time look for a bill counter with a hopper time, capacity of 400 bills or greater. ™Minor speed adjustments can be made in many machines, and the added feature of selectable speed (e.g. 600/900/1200/1500) may provide more or less speed as needed.
™TIP: For instance, if you want a mixed bill counter to sort out the occasional $5 bill from a stack of $1 bills but can't afford the hefty y price p tag, g, consider a bill counter that runs as slow as 600 bills per minute and may allow you to visually see the $5 $ bill as it passes through - giving you the chance to pause the count while you pluck it from the stack. stack
Feed System: ™In the small business and commercial markets roller friction feeding is the markets, standard. Heavy commercial and industrial models that use suction are also available. y ™The noticeable difference in feed systems is not the technology used to grab (feed) the bill, but the position and direction of th h the hopper - where h the th bills bill are loaded. l d d
™The front- and back- loading concept refers to the position of the feeding system used to feed and process the bills. ™Both systems have a hopper located on the top, near the back For instance, a reference to a front-loading system means a stack of bills is positioned vertically
Quality ™There is a close correlation between price and quality. quality How durable the internal components are, short-circuit protection, motor overload p protection,, automatic emergency stop, and warranty support are key to assessing a machine's quality. ™Certain brands produce high quality products and provide domestic warranty service. i Th There are brands b d that th t produce d quality bill counters but fail to produce quality coin sorters. sorters
™Checking the feedback of sellers for other bill counters they have sold, sold including any reviews left by previous buyers, will help p in filtering g out the p problematic brands. At a minimum, look for the 30 day return policy and the 1 year warranty. Iff the cost off the bill counter is substantial to you, consider purchasing an additional one year warranty to ensure your investment is protected.
Error Detection: Half-note detection alerts on torn or folded bills. bills Double-note detection alerts when two bills have been fed simultaneously, simultaneously causing a potential miscount. Chain-note Chain note detection alerts when a leading bill has pulled in a trailing bill prematurely, causing a potential miscount.
™Note size- detection alerts when a bill appears to be too large or small for the expected parameters. ™Note: Added detection features can also affect overall speed slightly.
(4) Maintenance: ™All bill counters collect dust over time from counting a wide range of bill quality that may include cotton fibers from the bill itself,, to dirt or grease g attached to the bill. ™Schedule reminders to clean the machine's visible gears and sensors with compressed air and a soft brush.
A good rule of thumb may be to clean your machines the same time you replace HVAC filters. For light users users, that frequency may be every quarter. For heavy users, perhaps at least weekly is necessary. It only takes a minute and keeps the machine running smoothly for years to come.
(5) Canadian Buyers: ™A common misconception about buying from a U.S. U S -based based supplier is that the machine is produced in the United States and therefore q qualifies for limited- to noduty charges at time of import under the NAFTA rules.
™Most machines are manufactured in China and exported to marketers within the United States, therefore customs duties and local and p provincial taxes still apply. p ™Some sellers offer an 'all inclusive' price which cover all costs associated with importing to Canada, thereby making your total t t l costt more predictable. di t bl
Summary ™If you run a cash business, such as a vending route route, convenience store, store gas station, night club, or other heavy cash business,, and you y know the timeconsuming hassle that comes with counting your money at the end of a busy day or week.
™What used to be a wonderful feeling to count piles of money has now become a distraction. ™ Automate the distraction, get back to sales and marketing, and spend more time appreciating the family that has supported your growing business all this time.