How can I check a food truck’s cash and card sales handling?

A truck takes cash and cards in a small space, often with one person at the window. That makes habits important. Ask who closes out each shift, how the till is counted and whether anyone else checks the count. A seller who can show a daily sheet signed by two people is easier to trust than one who does it from memory.

Ask for processor statements and bank records for a full year, and match them against the sales you were told about. Gaps between reported sales and deposits need an explanation. Large cash sales that never reach the bank are a reason to slow down and ask questions, not a reason to guess.

Look at timing too. Sales on busy days should match the staff on the schedule and the food bought. If the numbers do not fit, ask why. Ask your accountant to do the reconciliation with you. They can tell you which records are reliable enough to base an offer on. Also ask about tips, refunds and voided sales. Frequent voids or manual adjustments at the register are worth asking about, since they show where records can drift from what actually happened. Ask what the seller does when the card reader goes offline at a festival, since those are the days cash handling is tested hardest.

Key takeaways

• Reconcile point-of-sale totals, processor statements and bank deposits.
• Ask who counts the till and whether a second person checks.
• Treat unexplained cash that never reaches the bank as a question to resolve.