# StoreConnect Support This article covers everything about using a cash drawer with StoreConnect POS: the hardware you need, how to connect and enable the drawer, choosing which payments open it, adding a button to open it manually, and what to check when the drawer does not open. ## How it works The POS never communicates with the cash drawer directly. The drawer plugs into the **drawer kick port** on the **receipt printer**, and the POS opens the drawer by sending an open command through the printer. This means the receipt printer must be set up and connected before the cash drawer can work — see [Connect POS printers](connect-pos-printers). ## Supported hardware Depending on your setup, the cash drawer and printer might be a combined or separate unit: - **Combined unit** — the StarMicronics mPOP is a cash drawer and receipt printer in one; no drawer cabling is needed. - **Separate drawer** — any standard printer-driven cash drawer that connects to your receipt printer's drawer kick (DK) port with an RJ-11/RJ-12 cable. Check the drawer and cable are made for your printer brand — the electrical wiring differs between brands, and a mismatched cable fails silently. See [Compatible hardware for POS](compatible-hardware-for-pos) for the recommended printers. ## Connect and enable the cash drawer 1. Plug the drawer cable into the **drawer kick port** on the back of the receipt printer (skip this for a combined unit like the mPOP). 2. Connect the receipt printer to the register — see [Connect POS printers](connect-pos-printers). 3. In the POS, go to **Settings**, open the receipt printer, and enable the **Connect cash drawer** toggle. ## Choose which payments open the drawer With **Connect cash drawer** enabled, a **Cash drawer triggers** screen appears in the receipt printer settings. It lists every payment method with a toggle. When a payment completes, the drawer opens only if that payment's method is toggled on. For example, you can have the drawer open for cash but stay closed for card payments. :::note Cash drawer settings are stored on each device, not in Salesforce. If you run several registers, configure the **Connect cash drawer** toggle and its triggers on every device that has a drawer attached. This also means a drawer that "opens for every payment" on one till but not another is a per-device trigger setting, not a system fault. ::: ## Add an 'Open Cash Drawer button' to a menu To let staff open the drawer without a sale (a "No Sale" button), add the built-in `cash_drawer:open` action to any POS menu, such as the sidebar. The action takes no parameters and sends the same open command through the receipt printer as a payment does — which also makes it a handy way to test the drawer. 1. In Salesforce, open the **POS Action Items** object (search for it in the App Launcher). 2. Click **New** and set the following fields: | Field | Value | |-------|-------| | **Name** | Internal name, e.g. `Open Cash Drawer` | | **Display Name** | The button label staff see, e.g. `Open Drawer` | | **Type** | `action` | | **Action** | `cash_drawer:open` | | **Parent POS Action Group** | The menu to place the button in — for example your `main_menu` (sidebar) or `cart_menu` group | | **Position** | Where the button sits in the menu list | 3. Save the record. The button appears on the POS after the register next syncs. If the target menu does not have a `Pos_Action_Group__c` record yet (for example, you have never customized the sidebar), create the group first — see [POS action groups](pos-action-groups) for the system identifiers and setup steps. The full list of available actions is in the [POS actions reference](pos-actions-reference). ## Troubleshooting: the drawer does not open Work through these checks from top to bottom. Most drawer problems are hardware connection issues, not POS configuration issues, so the physical checks come first. For a combined unit such as the mPOP the physical checks do not apply — start from the POS settings. ### Check the physical connection 1. **Find the drawer kick port on the printer.** On the back of the receipt printer, look for a small square socket labeled **DK**, **Drawer**, or similar. It looks like a telephone or network jack (RJ-11/RJ-12). 2. **Plug the drawer cable into that port.** A common mistake is plugging the drawer cable into the printer's LAN port. The cable must run from the cash drawer directly to the printer's drawer kick port. 3. **Check the cable and drawer are compatible with the printer.** Most receipt printers send a 24V pulse to open the drawer. If the drawer or its cable was made for a different printer brand, the wiring (pinout) can differ and the drawer will silently fail to open even though everything is plugged in. Use the cable supplied with the drawer, and check the drawer's specifications match your printer. 4. **Check the drawer key.** Cash drawers have a physical lock. Make sure the key is in the unlocked (online) position — in the locked position the drawer stays shut no matter what the printer sends. :::tip A quick way to narrow the problem down: print a receipt. If the receipt does not print, fix the printer connection first — see [Connect POS printers](connect-pos-printers). If the receipt prints fine, the POS can reach the printer, so the drawer problem is either the physical printer-to-drawer link (port, cable, or lock) or the cash drawer settings. Note that printing a receipt does not itself open the drawer — the drawer open is a separate command triggered by the payment, so a receipt printing without the drawer opening is not by itself a fault. ::: ### Check the POS settings 1. Sign in to the register and select **Settings** in the sidebar menu. 2. Make sure the **receipt printer** is connected. The drawer opens through the receipt printer, so a disconnected printer means the drawer cannot open. 3. Enable the **Connect cash drawer** toggle on the receipt printer settings. 4. Open **Cash drawer triggers** and select every payment method that should open the drawer. If a payment method is not selected here, completing a payment with that method will not open the drawer — this is often mistaken for a fault. ### Check the device and browser - On the browser-based POS (desktop/web), printers connect over USB using the WebUSB API. Use a browser that supports it, such as Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge. If the browser does not support USB printing, the POS shows an error and the drawer cannot open. - On Windows devices, the receipt printer must use the WinUSB driver. See the driver installation steps in [Connect POS printers](connect-pos-printers). - Apple iPads do not support POS printer peripherals in the browser, so cash drawers do not work on iPads. See [Compatible hardware for POS](compatible-hardware-for-pos). ### Error messages and what they mean | Message | What it means | What to do | |---------|---------------|------------| | Unable to find receipt printer for opening drawer. | No receipt printer is connected to the register. | Connect the receipt printer in **Settings**. | | Unable to connect to receipt printer to open drawer. | A receipt printer is configured but the POS could not reach it. | Check the USB cable, printer power, and reconnect the printer in **Settings**. | | Failed to open cash drawer. Please check your printer settings. | The POS reached the printer but the open command failed. | Reconnect the printer; on Windows, check the WinUSB driver is installed. | | Please check your drawer connection | A payment that should trigger the drawer completed, but no printer was available or the drawer failed to open. | Work through the physical connection and POS settings checks above. | | Unable to connect to printer. This browser doesn't support USB printing. | The browser has no WebUSB support. | Switch to a supported browser such as Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge. | --- ## Follow StoreConnect - [Email Newsletter](https://getstoreconnect.com/c/lp-newsletter) - [LinkedIn Newsletter](https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7444956928444862464) - [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCngKdP2x8l1wcbAKW3tvU8g) - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/storeconnect) - [X / Twitter](https://x.com/storeconnecthq) ## Popular Links - [Partners](https://getstoreconnect.com/partners) - [News](https://getstoreconnect.com/articles/news) - [Events](https://getstoreconnect.com/articles/events) - [Feature Comparison](https://getstoreconnect.com/how-we-compare) - [Download a free trial](https://appexchange.salesforce.com/appxListingDetail?listingId=a0N3A00000FMkeKUAT) - [Book a Demo](https://getstoreconnect.com/contact) ## Documentation - [Help documentation](https://support.storeconnect.com/help-documentation) - [Videos & tutorials](https://support.storeconnect.com/videos-tutorials) - [Developer reference](https://support.storeconnect.com/developer-reference) - [Release notes](https://support.storeconnect.com/release-notes) - [Troubleshooting](https://support.storeconnect.com/troubleshooting) - [Trust Center](https://trust.getstoreconnect.com/) - [Status Page](https://status.storeconnect.com/) ## Contact - info@getstoreconnect.com - US +1 415 745 3230 - AUS +61 2 8365 2308 100 S Ashley Dr, Suite 600-2461 Tampa FL 33602-600 USA Level 22, Sydney Place 180 George Street Sydney, NSW, 2000, AUS --- StoreConnect Support — https://support.storeconnect.com