Cash drawers, cash boxes and safes: how to keep cash secure in your business

Even in an era of contactless payments, cash has not disappeared from checkout counters — and wherever banknotes and coins change hands, they need a safe place to stay. The three pillars of secure cash handling are the cash drawer at the point of sale, the portable cash box for smaller operations and events, and the safe for everything that must survive a break-in or a fire. In this guide we walk through all three, explain the locking mechanisms and European security standards, and help you match the right equipment to your business.

Cash drawer, cash box or safe — which one do you need?

The answer usually is: more than one of them, working together.

• A cash drawer lives at the checkout and opens dozens or hundreds of times a day. Its job is speed and order during trading hours.
• A cash box is portable security — ideal for market stalls, food trucks, clubs, offices and as a removable insert that travels from the counter to the back office.
• A safe protects the day’s takings, documents and valuables after hours, when the shop is closed and nobody is watching.

A typical retail routine combines all three: the drawer handles customers during the day, its removable insert or a cash box carries the takings to the back office, and the safe stores them overnight until the bank run.

Cash drawers: the workhorse of the checkout

No other device at the checkout is used as intensively as the cash drawer, so a few details matter more than they seem:

• Size and compartments. Standard drawers offer around 8 coin and 4–5 banknote compartments. Compact and flip-top models exist for tight checkout zones where a front-opening drawer simply does not fit.
• Removable insert. A lift-out money tray dramatically speeds up cashing-up and shift changes — the whole insert goes straight into the safe at closing time.
• Connection. Most drawers connect to the receipt printer with an RJ11/RJ12 cable: when the receipt prints, the printer sends an electrical impulse that pops the drawer open. USB models for direct connection to the POS computer are also available, and modern models such as the securePRO-303WN even offer WiFi and Bluetooth.
• Security. A key lock with an emergency-open function is standard — it lets you open the drawer during a power cut or lock it permanently for the night.

One accessory worth knowing about is the under-counter mounting bracket: instead of taking up space on the counter top, the drawer slides underneath it. The work surface stays free, the cash stays out of sight, and the ergonomics of frequent opening improve noticeably.

Cash boxes and money trays: portable order

A good cash box is essentially a portable, key-lockable mini-drawer. Steel construction, a carrying handle and a removable organiser insert are the features to look for. Inside, a well-designed money tray gives every denomination its own slot — counting the float in the morning and the takings in the evening takes minutes instead of quarters of an hour.

In our range you will find compact boxes such as the HD-CB20-5, larger models with 8+8 compartments like the securePRO-460, and boxes with an RJ12 interface that work at the checkout exactly like a classic cash drawer — see the full cash boxes and cash drawers category.

Safes: protection after hours

A safe protects not only cash: contracts, spare keys, data carriers and small valuables all belong behind a steel door. When choosing one, three questions matter most.

1. How will you open it?

• Mechanical key lock — simple and reliable, no batteries needed. Perfect for smaller models and a small circle of users; the key itself, of course, needs a secure home.
• Electronic PIN code — convenient when several people need access, and the code can be changed at any time without cutting new keys.
• Key + PIN combined — double security used in larger models; opening requires both the key and the correct code.
• Biometrics — top-end safes add fingerprint readers or app connectivity; combined with multi-layer steel construction they represent the highest level of protection.

2. Where will it stand?

Furniture safes hide discreetly in wardrobes, cabinets and desks; free-standing models are heavier and designed to be anchored to the floor or wall. Wall and floor safes disappear into the building itself — an option best planned during construction or renovation. For retail, deposit safes deserve a mention: staff drop takings through a slot without opening the main door, a standard solution at petrol stations and restaurants.

3. Which certification level?

European standards make safes comparable. EN 14450 covers home and office units (classes S1 and S2 — S1 being the common legal minimum for storing firearms in many EU countries), while EN 1143-1 covers professional burglary-resistant safes (class 0 upwards, through jeweller-grade II–III to bank vault levels). Fire resistance is certified separately: LFS 30P/60P guarantees that paper survives 30 or 60 minutes of fire, and the stricter S60/S120 DIS classes protect sensitive data carriers, which are damaged at far lower temperatures than paper.

SecureBox: safes in the HDWR range

All safes in our Safes category are certified to EN 14450:2017+A1:2023, resistance class S1:

• SecureBox-10 (23 × 17 × 17 cm) — compact steel safe with a traditional key lock, ideal for cash, documents and jewellery in smaller spaces.
• SecureBox-15 (24 × 16 × 18 cm) — key + PIN, with a convenient top deposit slot for dropping in banknotes without opening the door.
• SecureBox-30 (31 × 20 × 20 cm) — 4 mm steel walls, electronic and mechanical lock, sized for discreet mounting in a wardrobe or under a desk.
• SecureBox-40 (43 × 33 × 20 cm) — spacious black cabinet safe with code + key, ready for anchoring to floor or wall.
• SecureBox-50 (38 × 30 × 30 cm) — double lock and a removable internal shelf for flexible organisation of documents.
• SecureBox-60 (35 × 30 × 50 cm) — the largest of the family with 48 litres of capacity, two massive bolts and a soft interior lining.

Summary

Secure cash handling is a chain: an organised drawer at the checkout, a lockable box on the move and a certified safe after hours. When completing your setup, pay attention to the removable insert, the RJ12 connection to your receipt printer, the locking method that matches the number of users — and, for the safe, the EN certification class appropriate to what you store. If you are unsure which combination fits your business, contact us — we will help you choose.