Covering the Cash Register - Faces, Hands and the Till
Last verified: October 2026
How to place and set one register camera so it shows the face, the hands, and the drawer together — and holds up in a refund or theft dispute. In plain English, no jargon. Rather have a hand? My number is (330) 200-8042.
Covering the Register, at a Glance
The register is where disputes and losses cluster, so one camera here earns its keep fastest — but only if it shows the customer's face, the clerk's hands, and the cash drawer in one frame. This guide walks through the angle (slightly in front and above, never straight down), the light (keep it behind the camera), tight framing, and the clock — the small choices that decide whether footage settles an argument. There's a printable 29-page version up top.
Common Questions
1 Where should a cash-register camera go?
Slightly in front of the customer and a bit above head height, looking back toward the clerk, so it catches the face, the hands, and the cash drawer in one frame. Stand where the camera will go and check you can see all three before you mount it.
2 Why not mount the camera straight above the register?
A pure overhead view hides faces under hats and caps and flattens the hands. You get a clean shot of the drawer and nobody you can identify. Angle from the front and above instead — you keep the drawer and still get faces.
3 Everyone looks dark at my counter. What's wrong?
The camera is shooting into the light from a window or doorway behind your customers, so it exposes for the bright background and the faces go dark. Move it so the light is behind the camera, add a little light on the customer side, and use a WDR camera if needed.
4 Does the time stamp really matter?
Yes — a great clip with the wrong time on it is far easier to argue against. Set the clock correctly when the system goes in, make sure it keeps itself right through time changes and reboots, and glance at it now and then.
5 Do I need one camera at the register or two?
One tight transaction camera covers a simple counter. A busy or multi-register counter wants a second, wider overview for context — the tight one catches the detail, the wide one tells the story around it.
6 Is it fair to point a camera at my own staff?
Yes, if you're open about it. Tell staff the money point is on camera and why — it protects honest clerks as much as the till. Keep it on the transaction, off break rooms and private areas, and be careful about recording audio.
Would You Rather I Just Help?
The register camera is the one I most often get called to fix after the fact — and the easiest to get right up front. I'll help you place it so the face, hands, and drawer share one frame, sort the light, set the clock, and show you how to pull a clip, with nothing to sell you. $99 flat for a visit, 30-day come-back-free.
Would you rather I just do this for you?
No shame in it — plenty of folks would rather hand it off, and that's what I'm here for. I'll come to your home, set it up right, and make sure it's working before I leave. Flat $99 per visit — no jargon, no upsell, and every visit is 30-day come-back-free.
Not a hardware job? I can often fix it remotely for $49 — a secure screen-share, up to 2 hours, that you watch the whole time and can end whenever (included free for $39/mo Support Plan members, and it counts toward the $99 if it turns out I need to come out).