A cash deposit bag and the bank credit show different amounts

Gather the cash count sheet, deposit slip, bag identifier, seal record, collection acknowledgment and bank credit. Add the store or location, business date and employees responsible for each handoff. Keep the original evidence intact while the discrepancy is reviewed. A revised count sheet that overwrites the first count makes the sequence harder to establish.

Separate counted cash from the amount entered in the accounting system. A transposed digit can create an apparent shortage even when the bank received the correct money. Check whether the deposit combined several tills or days and whether checks were included with cash. The bank's credit may have more than one component. Keep undeposited cash at the location visible so it cannot be mistaken for part of the disputed bag.

Compare denomination totals with the expected deposit after authorized cash uses. Trace the sealed bag from preparation through collection to bank receipt. If a carrier handled it, obtain the relevant collection and delivery references. Identify any point where the bag identifier or recorded amount changed, and ask the responsible party for the supporting explanation.

For a hypothetical deposit counted at $8,650 but credited at $8,450, the $200 difference is initially an exception. It might reflect a counting error, an incorrect slip, a separate credit or a genuine shortage. The accounting entry should follow the investigation rather than assume that a particular employee or the bank caused the difference.

Restrict the incident record to people who need it. Investigate evidence fairly and follow the company's employment and security procedures if misconduct is suspected. The reconciliation work should establish facts without turning an unexplained variance into an unsupported accusation.

Ask the bank to identify the deposit and explain the adjusted credit. Provide the receipt and bag reference through its approved channel. The OCC advises contacting the bank with deposit details and notes that a receipt may not conclusively establish the amount where the slip or actual deposit differs. Ask what evidence its investigation can provide.

Keep the bank's case number and expected response date in the exception log. If the carrier and bank each say the other must investigate, record the precise custody question that remains unanswered and escalate through the contracted contacts. Avoid repeatedly resubmitting the same incomplete request without identifying the missing evidence.

Review the carrier and bank agreements for the applicable notification process and deadlines, with legal advice where necessary. Do not assume a general consumer complaint timeline governs the business's deposit service. Notify the relevant parties promptly while the records remain available.

Have the accountant review how to record the variance while the claim is open and after resolution. Distinguish a bookkeeping correction, recoverable amount, fee and confirmed loss. Match any later credit to the original exception so it does not become unexplained revenue in another month.

If the cause was preparation, revise the count or handoff procedure: independent recounts where practical, unique bag references, clear business dates and retained acknowledgments. If the issue was a bank allocation, update the reconciliation instructions. Review similar exceptions by location and deposit channel, and close the case with the evidence that supports the final amount rather than merely a note that the difference was written off.