Free Petty Cash Log Template (Fillable PDF, Word, Excel)

What is on the petty cash log

Fund, custodian, float

Which cash box this is, who is responsible for it, and the fixed amount it is topped up to. One person, one box, one float.

Voucher number

Every payment out gets a numbered voucher with the receipt stapled to it. The number on the log matches the voucher in the box.

Paid to, description, category

Who got the cash, what it bought, and the expense account it belongs to, so the bookkeeper can post the replenishment in one journal entry.

Cash in, cash out, balance

Replenishments in, payments out, and the balance after each line. In the Excel version the balance is a formula; on paper, write it every line.

Cash count by denomination

On the reconciliation sheet: notes and coins counted, multiplied out and totalled. Cash plus vouchers should equal the float.

Over / (short)

The difference between what should be in the box and what is. Small coin differences are normal; anything else needs an explanation and a second signature.

Replenishment requested

The float minus the cash on hand, which is the check you ask accounts to cash to bring the box back to the float.

How the imprest system works

Almost every petty cash fund runs on the imprest method. The fund has a fixed float, say $300. Every payment out is recorded on a voucher with its receipt. At any moment, cash in the box plus vouchers in the box should equal $300. When the cash runs low, the custodian totals the vouchers, hands them to accounts, and gets a check for exactly that amount which brings the box back to $300. The vouchers are posted to their expense accounts in one entry. The log records every movement; the reconciliation proves the box balances; the voucher is the evidence for each line.

Auditors like petty cash because it's where small frauds live. A clean log, numbered vouchers and a monthly count signed by two people are what they look for, and they take fifteen minutes a month.

Which sheet to use

• Log: lives in or near the box. One line per movement, balance after each. Landscape, 16 lines per page; start a new page each month.
• Voucher: one per payment, numbered, receipt stapled behind. Two per page; cut and keep a pad in the box.
• Reconciliation: month end or whenever you replenish. Count, compare, explain, sign, request the top-up.

How to run it

1. Set the float and write it on the log and the reconciliation sheet. Keep it small enough to count quickly, large enough to last a few weeks.
2. For every payment: fill a voucher, get it signed by the person receiving the cash and by an approver, staple the receipt, write the line on the log, update the balance.
3. Never pay out without a voucher, and never let IOUs sit in the box.
4. At month end or when the cash gets low: count the cash by denomination on the reconciliation sheet, add up the vouchers, compare with the float.
5. Explain any difference, have a second person verify the count, and submit the vouchers for a replenishment check.
6. File the month's log, vouchers and reconciliation together.

Mistakes that let money leak

• Unnumbered vouchers, so a missing one goes unnoticed.
• No receipt and no explanation. The voucher has a tick for "no receipt" because it happens; it should be rare and explained.
• Replenishing from sales cash instead of a check from accounts which breaks the audit trail.
• One person who counts, approves and replenishes. The reconciliation sheet has a second signature for a reason.
• Paying wages, advances or personal loans from petty cash.

Petty cash vs expense reimbursement

Petty cash is for small immediate purchases paid from a box. If staff pay with their own money and claim later, that's an expense reimbursement, usually paid by bank transfer, not from the box. Many small offices use both: the box for stamps and milk, reimbursement for travel. Either way the business expense tracker is where the posted totals end up by category.

Editing the Word and Excel versions

The Excel log keeps a running balance from the opening balance and totals cash in and out; the reconciliation multiplies each denomination count by its value, totals the cash, adds vouchers and shows the over/short and the replenishment amount. Change the denominations on the count sheet to your currency. The voucher is a plain two-per-page form in all formats; print it on card if you want a pad.

Questions

How much should the petty cash float be?

Enough to cover two to four weeks of small purchases, typically $100 to $500 for a small office. If you replenish every few days the float is too small; if the cash sits untouched for months it's too large.

Do I need a receipt for every petty cash payment?

Yes, as far as possible. Where there's none (a parking meter, a tip), the voucher explains the purchase and is signed by the receiver and an approver.

Who should count the petty cash?

The custodian counts; someone else verifies. Two signatures on the reconciliation is the control that matters.

How do I record the replenishment?

On the log as cash in, with the check number. In the books, the check is posted to the expense accounts on the vouchers, not to "petty cash", so the fund account stays at the float.

Does the PDF calculate the balance?

No. The fillable PDF is for recording and printing. The Excel log calculates the running balance and the reconciliation sheet calculates the count and the difference.