Change Amount Calculator

Calculate the change due back from a cash payment, broken down into how many of each bill and coin to hand back — the same math a point-of-sale (POS) system or cash register runs behind the scenes.

Cashiers and cash-handling POS systems don't just compute a single change total — they work out the fewest bills and coins needed to make that total, so a register drawer stays balanced and a cashier can hand back change quickly without over- or under-counting. This calculator does the same denomination breakdown, making it useful for retail, restaurant, or any point-of-sale scenario where you're counting physical cash back to a customer, not just a card transaction. This kind of change breakdown shows up anywhere cash still changes hands at a counter: retail checkout registers, restaurants and bars settling a cash bill, food trucks and farmers-market or flea-market stalls without a card reader, vending machines and self-checkout kiosks dispensing coins, ticket booths and box offices, and bank teller windows handling cash withdrawals. It's equally handy for everyday situations like splitting a cash payment with a friend or working out exact change for a garage sale or bake sale. An optional tip can also be added on top of the amount due — either as a percentage or a fixed dollar amount — before the change is calculated, covering cash transactions like restaurant bills or deliveries where a tip is added at the register.