In this guide 6 sections
Cinema takings disagree because each count starts from a different source. Tickets come from the booking system, popcorn from stock issued, cash from the drawer. Comps, vouchers, refunds and void transactions sit between them. Record every exception per screen and shift, and the variance shrinks to a handful of lines.
Why the three totals start from different places
The box office total comes from the ticketing terminal. The concession total comes from the till at the counter. The cash figure comes from a person counting notes at the end of a shift. Three sources, three clocks.
A show that starts at 9:40 pm and ends after midnight lands on two business dates in some systems. Online bookings are paid when booked but collected when the guest scans in. Nothing lines up unless you pick one rule and apply it every day.
Write the rule down. For example, revenue belongs to the show date, not the sale date, and a shift closes when the last counter till is cashed out.
The gaps between tickets sold and tickets scanned
Start with the admit report for each screen. Compare sold seats against scanned seats for every show. A difference means a no-show, a refund after the interval, or a ticket scanned at the wrong door.
Comps cause the next gap. Press passes, staff passes, distributor guests and loyalty rewards fill seats but bring no cash. If they are keyed as free tickets with a reason, the report explains itself. If the cashier discounts a normal ticket to zero, it looks like a loss.
Voids are the third gap. A void after printing is fine if the manager signs it. A void with no name beside it is the line an accountant will chase for an hour.
- Seats sold, scanned and refunded per show
- Comp tickets by reason code and approver
- Voids and reprints with the staff name
- Online bookings paid but not yet collected
- Shows crossing midnight and their business date
Where the concession counter loses track
Concessions fail differently. The till says 140 combos sold, yet the popcorn machine used far more kernel and oil than 140 combos would need. Stock is the missing check.
Count the openers: popcorn tubs, cup sleeves, syrup bags for the fountain, nacho cheese pouches. Issue them from the store room per shift on a sheet or a stock screen. At close, count what is left and work out what the till should have rung up.
Wastage is real. Stale popcorn is binned, drinks are spilt, a tray of hot dogs is dropped. Log it with a reason, or it hides inside the variance.
Cash counted against cash expected
Expected cash is cash sales, plus the float, minus paid-outs and refunds given in cash. Card, wallet and gift card sales never touch the drawer. Many mismatches are plain mixing of tender types.
Count each drawer in front of a second person. Record notes and coins by denomination on a drop slip, then seal the bag. The slip number goes into the day book, which lets the bank deposit be matched to a shift.
Keep an over and short line per cashier. One short night means little. Four short nights in a row for the same till means someone should look at that till.
- Opening float by till and denomination
- Cash sales, card sales and gift card redemptions
- Paid-outs for change, petty items and refunds
- Drop slip number and counter signature
- Over and short line per cashier and per day
Close the day with one variance sheet
Build one sheet per screen group and shift. Top block: tickets sold, comps, voids, net cash due. Middle block: concession sales by category against stock used. Bottom block: cash counted and the final difference.
Anything over a small limit you set gets a one line note before anyone goes home. Memory fades by morning. A note like “screen 3 refund, projector fault, manager Ravi” saves a week of guessing.
Try it for one weekend. Run the sheet by hand for every show, compare it with what your system reports, and mark each line where the two disagree.
Cinema day close variance sheet
One sheet carries the whole close. Its top part lists each show by screen with seats sold, scanned, comped and voided plus net ticket cash. The middle part sets concession lines against stock issued, stock left and wastage. The bottom part records cash by denomination, card and wallet totals, drop slip number, difference and a signed note.
Open a blank worksheet to printQuestions owners ask
Why do ticket totals differ from the number of people who came?
Comps, staff passes, refunds after sale and no-shows all separate seats sold from guests admitted. Compare the sold report with the scan report per show and label each difference with a reason.
How do I catch popcorn or drink theft at the counter?
Compare sales rung up with stock used for each shift. A gap in cups, tubs or syrup that the till cannot explain points to unrecorded sales, unlogged wastage or free servings.
What should happen to shows that end after midnight?
Pick a rule and write it down. Most cinemas assign the sale to the show date, so the late night session stays with the evening it was scheduled for.
Who should recount the cash drawer?
A second person, not the cashier. They count in front of each other, sign the drop slip, and seal the bag before it goes to the safe.