A cash drawer is where your business stores cash on hand, including the initial float and any cash collected during sales. In this guide, you’ll learn how to connect a cash drawer to Lightspeed Restaurant, troubleshoot common issues, and you'll find answers to commonly asked questions.
What's in this guide?
What you'll need
Setting up your cash drawer
Troubleshooting
Frequently asked questions
What you'll need
| Cash Drawer | Receipt printer | RJ12 cable |
Setting up your cash drawer
This section will walk you through connecting the cash drawer to your Lightspeed Restaurant and configuring the necessary settings in your POS.
Connecting your cash drawer to the printer
To activate your cash drawer, it must be physically connected to your receipt printer using an RJ12 cable. This connection allows the cash drawer to open automatically when triggered by a transaction.
To connect the cash drawer to the printer:
- Plug the cash drawer cable from the cash drawer into the receipt printer.
- Turn the key to the unlock position.
Enabling the cash drawer to open on sales
To automatically trigger the cash drawer during a cash sale or manual payment, you'll need to enable the Open Drawer setting in the POS.
The cash drawer won't open unless it's connected to a powered and correctly-configured printer.
To enable the cash drawer settings in the POS:
- In the POS, tap the Menu (☰) icon.
- Select Printing.
- Enable the Open Drawer switch for the printer connected to the cash drawer. This setting is specific to each POS register.
- Click Test to confirm that the cash drawer opens.
- Click Save and Close.
Troubleshooting
If your cash drawer isn't opening as expected, there are a few common issues to check for. These quick checks can help you identify and resolve the problem.
- Check the cable connection: Ensure the cash drawer cable is plugged into the correct port on your printer.
- Check if the cash drawer is locked: If locked, you may still hear a sound when triggered, but the cash drawer won't open. Use the key that came with the cash drawer to unlock it.
- Confirm that the printer is working: The cash drawer is triggered through the printer. If the printer isn't working, the cash drawer won't open either. Try printing a test docketto confirm printer connection. If you encounter any printing issues, refer to our troubleshooting printing guide for further assistance.
Frequently asked questions
To know which printer is connected to the cash drawer, use the printer’s status sheet to check its IP address, then compare it with the one listed in the POS Printing settings.
Follow the steps below to print a status sheet depending on your printer model.
- Turn off the printer.
- Hold down the Feed button
- While holding the Feed button, turn the printer back on.
- Release the Feed button once the printer starts printing.
For newer models (e.g., TM M30 series)
- Ensure the printer is powered on.
- Open the top cover by pushing the lever on the right side away from you, then lift the cover.
- Hold down the Feed button for at least 3 seconds.
- Close the cover. A status sheet will then automatically print containing the network configuration details.
For older models (with a reset pin near the Ethernet or cash drawer port)
Using a pen or paper clip, press and hold the reset pin for 3-4 seconds, then release it. A status sheet will be printed.
Holding the reset pin for more than five seconds may trigger a factory reset and erase all printer settings. Release it as soon as the status sheet starts printing.
The POS printing settings are specific to the register profile you're logged into on the device. You can only enable the cash drawer for one printer profile per register.
No, the cash drawer won’t open if the connected printer isn’t working. You’ll need to use the key to open it manually. For further assistance on troubleshooting your printer, refer to our printer troubleshooting guide.
Yes. Only admin users or those with the Open Cash Drawer permission can perform this action.
No, manual payment types always automatically trigger the cash drawer to open.
What's next?
Troubleshoot printing issues and keep your printers running without interruptions.
Configure production printing so items are routed to the right prep stations.