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How to select the right bill counter for your home or office

This post is a special first appearance by our in-house money counter expert, Greg Jensen. 

In today's world, the old cliche "Time = Money" couldn't be more valid. For the small business owner, an automatic money counter can be a simple cost-effective way to save time and make the tedious chore of counting your cash a breeze. With so many different bill counter models and brands to choose from, selecting the right money counter for your needs may seem like a daunting task. With basic money counters beginning around a hundred bucks, and advanced models going up into the thousands of dollars, selecting a bill counter may seem like a confusing job, but with a little forethought it doesn't have to be.

The first step in deciding which counter is right for you is to think about you or your business' specific needs. How often will you be using the machine? What volume of bills do you regularly need to count? Do you need counterfeit detection? Is it important for the machine to display the count to you in dollar total instead of a simple count total? What is your budget? Once you've answered those questions you can use the chart below to help match a machine to your requirements.

Photo source: hickoryhollow113

(Click the charts for a full size view) 

MachineRunner Bill Counters Comparison Chart
 

Glossary of Terms

Batching --     Batch Counting allows you to count bills in predetermined set batches. If you want to sort into piles of 100 bills, the machine will count 100 bills, then stop. Once you remove that batch, it will continue counting the next batch of 100 bills, then stop again.

Adding -- Adding allows you to count multiple runs of bills and add them to the previous batch to keep a running cumulative count. For example, you run through a batch of 100 bills, then stop. With adding you can then run another batch and add that total to the first batch.

Hopper -- The part of a money counter that receives the bills to be counted

Stacker -- Where counted bills are deposited by the machine.

Display -- Where the count total is shown on the machine. Contrary to popular belief, 95% of money counters only display the total number of bills counted and not the actual dollar value.

Discrimination -- Refers to a machine's ability to automatically tell the difference between denominations. The majority of bill counters do not have this feature.

UV Detection -- US bills have certain marks and colors that are revealed under UV light. Counters with UV Counterfeit detection utilize an Ultraviolet light source to check the bill for these marks automatically and sound alarms when they are not present.

MG Detection -- US bills are printed with a special magnetic ink. MG detection uses magnets to sense this ink. Counterfeiters will often take a 1$ bill and wash the ink off with chemicals and then reprint the bill as a higher denomination. MG detection will spot these "washed" counterfeit bills whereas other traditional deterrents like counterfeit pens will not.

Size Detection -- Many bill counters can sense the dimensions of the bills adding another level of counterfeit detection.

Error Detection -- Machines with Error Detection can automatically sense common errors such as double notes, chain notes and half notes.  

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Money Counters and Counterfeit Detectors to Consider

You have recognized the need for a money counter or counterfeit detector, maybe both, for your day-to-day business practices.  There are many options to choose from and many of them are in the same price range, so how do you decide?  I'll go through a couple guidelines to follow, as well as highlight some very popular models, below. 

For most small businesses, a simple counterfeit detector with UV and Magnetic capabilities is sufficient. If you're looking to save money, you can find models with just UV or magnetic detection as well.  A dual-check system prevents incorrect positive detection and allows the user or business a level of confidence that a single detection system will not. Detection pens work alright for businesses in areas that don't encounter a high volume of counterfeiting, however, most larger cities have enough counterfeit currency floating around that a more advanced system is worth the money.  In particular, take a look at models like the Ribao LD-3 Currency Detector, or the Accubanker D64 Counterfeit Detector which employs the use of uv, watermark, magnetic ink, and micro printing detection, all for a low price of $52 USD. Also, Accubanker offers a 3 year warranty on 90% of their products. The great part about both of these units is that they are small and can be placed near a register for immediate use as soon as you receive bigger bills.

As for counting currency, a lot depends on the demands of your cash on hand.  Entry level bill counters are capable of counting 1,000 bills per minute, but their motors are not intended for extended and consistent use.  Higher-end counters are capable of counting more bills for longer periods of time, without overheating or constantly jamming.  In particular, Semacon Money Counters are known for their ability to run without stopping for hours on end.  For most small businesses, however, this is not necessary and an entry level counter is often sufficient.  A couple very popular models include the Accubanker AB300 portable banknote counter and the Ribao BC-110 Currency counter.  Both units are highly portable and easy to use and count approximately 1000 bills per minute for a low cost of $150 USD. If you're confident that all your bills are being checked for counterfeit tactics at registers before they need to be counted, a money counter without counterfeit detection is probably not necessary.

However, if you would like to consolidate machines there are Currency counters available with integrated counterfeit detection. These machines are ideal for businesses that accept large bill denominations frequently, in large quantities.  Check out the Docugem CSM-1200CC UV/MG Currency Counter or the Ribao BC-100UV/MG Counterfeit Detector.  Both great options for small businesses with currency counting and detecting needs.  Keep in mind, the downside of using a combo unit is that fake bills will not be detected until you count your cash, which is often after hours and sporadic; unless, of course, you have a counterfeit detector at your registers as well.

If you have any questions about cheap money counters, commercial grade money counters, counterfeit detectors, or any other money handling equipment, please feel free to post them below!