Cashier and POS Fundamentals Course 2026

This course is for new and current cashiers in Canadian stores, restaurants and other businesses that take payments. It covers opening and closing a till, cash and change, card and tap payments, sales tax and price problems, refunds and voids, and age-restricted sales and escalation. Study each lesson, try its topic quiz, then take the timed final assessment. Score 80% or more to earn a certificate of completion.

Course
Canada
98 questions
Checked October 13, 2026
Fact-checked October 13, 2026

Quick answer

This free course has about 150 minutes of lessons, 6 untimed topic quizzes (98 questions in all) and a timed final assessment of 35 questions drawn at random. Score 80% or more on the final assessment to download a certificate of completion (private, not accredited). Checked against official sources on October 13, 2026.

Start with the lessonsCashier and POS Fundamentals: Lessons: about 150 minutes of reading. Every test question is covered in the lessons.

What you will learn

Count a float, keep a drawer secure and close a till as over, short or balanced
Take cash, round cash totals to the nearest 5 cents and count change back
Check polymer bank notes with the feel, look, tilt and flip method
Take debit, credit and tap payments and handle declines and terminal errors
Read a receipt, work out GST/HST examples and fix price discrepancies
Process voids, refunds and exchanges following store policy
Check ID for age-restricted products and escalate problems safely

Score 80% or more to download your certificate.

Your study plan

Read each lesson, take its topic quiz (untimed, with explanations), then the timed final assessment. A new mix of questions is drawn every time. Your progress is saved in this browser.

Topic quiz 1: Opening and closing a till

Question 1 of 16
What is a till float?
- The cash moved to the safe during a shift
- The amount a till is short at the end of a shift
- The fixed starting cash used to make change
- The total of all cash sales for the day
Show answer
Answer: C. The fixed starting cash used to make change
The float is the fixed starting cash in the drawer. It is counted at the start and taken back out at closing for the next shift.
Question 2 of 16
Why should you sign in to the POS with your own login?
- It makes the cash drawer open faster during busy times
- Each sale, void and refund is logged under that ID
- The POS prints your full name on every customer receipt
- Your login lets you skip manager approvals
Show answer
Answer: B. Each sale, void and refund is logged under that ID
The POS logs each action to the person signed in. If someone else uses your login, their mistakes look like yours.
Question 3 of 16
When should you count the float in your till?
- Before you take your first sale
- After your first hour of sales
- Only at the end of your shift
- Only if the cash bag looks opened
Show answer
Answer: A. Before you take your first sale
Count the float before you start. Once you begin selling, any difference becomes hard to explain.
Question 4 of 16
Your float bag says $200.00, but you count $190.00 before your shift starts. What should you do?
- Start selling and mention it at closing
- Take $10 from your first cash sale to fix it
- Write $200.00 on the count sheet anyway
- Tell a supervisor before you start selling
Show answer
Answer: D. Tell a supervisor before you start selling
Report a float that does not match before you take any sales. Covering a gap with sales money or a false entry hides the problem.
Question 5 of 16
How should the notes in your cash drawer be arranged?
- Each value in its own slot, all facing one way
- All notes together in one slot so they are quick to grab
- Sorted by how worn each note looks
- Largest notes on top so you can see them
Show answer
Answer: A. Each value in its own slot, all facing one way
Keeping each denomination in its own slot and facing the same way makes it easy to give the right note and to spot a mistake.
Question 6 of 16
A roll of quarters is labelled $10.00. How many coins should it hold?
- 50
- 25
- 100
- 40
Show answer
Answer: D. 40
A quarter is worth $0.25, so $10.00 ÷ $0.25 = 40 coins. 100 would be the count for a $10.00 roll of dimes.
Question 7 of 16
Your till float should be $250.00. Here is your count. What is the total, and is the float right?
Denomination Count
$20 4
$10 5
$5 10
$2 15
$1 20
25¢ 40
10¢ 50
5¢ 40
- $250.00, so it is exactly right
- $245.00, so it is $5.00 short
- $253.00, so it is $3.00 over
- $247.00, so it is $3.00 short
Show answer
Answer: D. $247.00, so it is $3.00 short
Multiply each count by its value and add: $80 + $50 + $50 + $30 + $20 + $10 + $5 + $2 = $247.00. That is $3.00 less than the $250.00 float.
Question 8 of 16
Why do stores have cashiers make cash drops to the safe during a shift?
- To keep less cash in the till
- To avoid recording cash sales in the POS
- To give the next cashier a bigger float
- To make the closing count take longer
Show answer
Answer: A. To keep less cash in the till
Moving extra cash to a locked drop safe keeps till cash to a minimum, which CCOHS lists as a way to lower the risk of violence for staff who handle money.
Question 9 of 16
You need to step away from your till for a few minutes. What should you do?
- Take the large notes with you in your pocket
- Lock the drawer and sign out of the POS
- Leave it open so a co-worker can help customers
- Ask a regular customer to watch it
Show answer
Answer: B. Lock the drawer and sign out of the POS
Never leave a till open or signed in. Lock the drawer and sign out so no one can use it under your ID.
Question 10 of 16
A co-worker asks to use your till and login to ring up one customer while you are on break. What should you do?
- Say no; they should use their own login and till
- Let them, since it is only one quick sale for a customer
- Give them your password and change it later
- Stay signed in and watch from the break room
Show answer
Answer: A. Say no; they should use their own login and till
Each cashier is responsible for their own drawer and login. Anything done under your ID is recorded as yours.
Question 11 of 16
What is a "blind count" when closing a till?
- Counting the till before seeing the expected total
- Counting the till with your eyes closed to practise
- Skipping the coin count to save time at the end of a shift
- A count done by a customer instead of staff
Show answer
Answer: A. Counting the till before seeing the expected total
In a blind count, you record what you counted before seeing the expected amount. This keeps the count honest.
Question 12 of 16
At closing, why do you count out the float separately from the rest of the cash?
- So the float can be added to the bank deposit
- So the POS does not record the float
- So the next shift starts with the same amount
- Because the float is not counted at closing
Show answer
Answer: C. So the next shift starts with the same amount
The float stays with the till for the next shift. Everything above it is the deposit.
Question 13 of 16
A till started with a $200.00 float. The POS shows $845.35 in cash sales, $32.50 in cash refunds and a $15.00 paid-out. How much cash should the till hold, if no drops were made?
- $1,062.85
- $997.85
- $1,030.35
- $797.85
Show answer
Answer: B. $997.85
Expected cash = float + cash sales − cash refunds − paid-outs: $200.00 + $845.35 − $32.50 − $15.00 = $997.85.
Question 14 of 16
The POS says your till should hold $1,184.25. You count $679.10 in the drawer, and you made $500.00 in cash drops during the shift. What is the result?
- $5.15 short
- $505.15 short
- Exactly balanced
- $5.15 over
Show answer
Answer: A. $5.15 short
Add the drops to the drawer count: $679.10 + $500.00 = $1,179.10. That is $5.15 less than $1,184.25, so the till is short.
Question 15 of 16
At closing, your till is $20.00 over. What is true?
- Only a shortage needs to be reported to the supervisor
- It should be added to tomorrow's float so the till balances
- The cashier may keep an overage as a tip for the extra work
- It must be reported, since a customer may have been short-changed
Show answer
Answer: D. It must be reported, since a customer may have been short-changed
Over and short are both errors. Record and report the amount honestly, following your store's policy.
Question 16 of 16
Your till float is $200.00. Here is your closing count. How much cash goes in the deposit?
Denomination Count
$50 2
$20 11
$10 7
$5 9
$2 14
$1 17
25¢ 28
10¢ 31
5¢ 16
- $690.90
- $290.90
- $490.90
- $289.90
Show answer
Answer: B. $290.90
The counted total is $490.90. Take out the $200.00 float for the next shift: $490.90 − $200.00 = $290.90.

Denomination	Count
$20	4
$10	5
$5	10
$2	15
$1	20
25¢	40
10¢	50
5¢	40

Denomination	Count
$50	2
$20	11
$10	7
$5	9
$2	14
$1	17
25¢	28
10¢	31
5¢	16

What to know before the test

Cash totals are rounded to the nearest 5 cents, only on the final amount after taxes. Debit, credit card and cheque payments are not rounded.
As of April 1, 2025, the CRA lists 5% GST in Alberta, 13% HST in Ontario, 14% HST in Nova Scotia and 15% HST in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island.
The Bank of Canada says to check all bank notes, large and small, and that whoever accepts a counterfeit takes the loss.
A business may not charge more than the lowest of two or more prices clearly shown on a product or an in-store display (Competition Act, section 54).
Under the Scanner Price Accuracy Voluntary Code, an untagged item that scans above its displayed price is free if worth less than $10, or $10 off if worth more.
Merchants may add a credit card surcharge of up to 2.4%, except in Quebec, and must disclose it before the payment and on every receipt.
The Office of Consumer Affairs says businesses are not required to accept returns unless the item is defective.
Health Canada lists the minimum age to buy cannabis as 18 in Alberta, 21 in Quebec and 19 in the other provinces and territories.

Frequently asked questions

What certificate do I get, and what is it not?

If you score 80% or more on the final assessment, you can download a certificate of completion for this course. It shows you finished a general skills course. It is not an accredited qualification, and it is not a certification from any POS vendor, employer or government.

Does this course teach a specific POS system?

No. Screens and buttons differ from store to store. The course teaches the steps and checks that apply to most POS systems. Your employer will show you their own system.

Why do the examples use different tax rates?

Sales tax differs by province and territory. The examples use GST and HST rates listed by the CRA as of April 1, 2025. Rates can change, so always check the CRA and trust your store's POS.

Are the age limits the same everywhere in Canada?

No. Federal law bans giving tobacco and vaping products to anyone under 18 in a store or other public place, and provinces and territories can add their own rules. Alcohol, cannabis and lottery ages vary, so learn the rules where you work.

How does the final assessment work?

It has 35 questions picked at random from the course's question bank, and you have 35 minutes. You get a new mix of questions each time. You need 80% to pass.

Does this course cover payment fraud and fake bills in depth?

It covers the basic bank note checks and safe habits at the till. Counterfeit handling, gift card scams and quick change scams are covered in more depth in a separate cashier fraud prevention course.

Is the certificate accredited or officially recognised?

No. It is a private certificate of completion for knowledge only. It is not recognised, accredited or approved by any government, licensing body, regulator or educational institution, and it does not replace any licence, certification or training required by law.