Cash Drawer Setup
A cash drawer is the lockable home for your cash, and it pops open on cash sales. In HandyBook the drawer is driven through the receipt printer — it has no separate connection — so the printer must be enabled first. Set it up under Point of Sale → Hardware → Cash drawer.
How it works
- The drawer plugs into the receipt printer's kick port (an RJ-12 jack, usually labeled DK or "drawer") with the kicker cable that ships with the drawer
- When a cash sale (or a split that includes cash) completes and the drawer is enabled, HandyBook sends a drawer-kick command through the printer and the drawer pops open
- You make change and close the drawer; a manual key locks it
Enabling the drawer
- First enable and configure the Receipt printer (see Connecting a Receipt Printer) — the drawer rides on it
- In the Cash drawer section, check Enable drawer kick — the badge reads Ready once the printer is also enabled
- Click Kick drawer to test — you should hear the printer click and the drawer open
- Click Save settings
The Kick drawer test button is disabled unless the printer is enabled.
When the drawer opens
The drawer fires automatically when a sale is paid by cash, or a split that includes a cash portion. Card- and check-only sales don't trigger it.
Recommended drawers
Any printer-driven (RJ-12 kick) ESC/POS drawer works — for example the APG VBS320. Power and signal both come from the printer, so there's nothing else to plug in.
Troubleshooting
Drawer won't open
- Is it unlocked? Turn the manual key
- Is the kicker cable firmly seated in the printer's drawer jack?
- Is the printer enabled and working? The drawer can't fire without it
- Run Kick drawer and listen for the printer's click
Drawer never pops on cash sales
- Confirm Enable drawer kick is on and saved (badge reads Ready)
- Confirm the printer is enabled — the kick goes through it
FAQ
Is a cash drawer required? No — it's optional. If you rarely take cash, skip it and use a lockbox.
Can I open the drawer without a sale? Use the Kick drawer button on the Hardware page (or the physical key). There's no separate "open drawer" control on the Register.
Can I use a USB or Bluetooth drawer? Stick with printer-driven RJ-12 drawers — that's what HandyBook fires through the printer.
Do drawer settings sync across devices? No — they're stored locally per device, same as the printer.