Nightly Tip Close-Out Checklist
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A step-by-step checklist for closing a tip pool the same way every shift, from pulling the POS report to filing the record.

[ ] Confirm the pool period being closed (shift, day, or week) matches what the written policy says.
[ ] Pull the POS tip report and separate cash tips from card tips before doing any math.
[ ] Reconcile the card tips on the POS report against the card batch total and note any gap.
[ ] Count declared cash tips with a second person present and write down the total.
[ ] Export hours and roles from the time clock for everyone who worked during the pool period.
[ ] Split hours by role for any employee who worked two roles in the same period.
[ ] Check that no manager, supervisor, or owner appears on the participant list, even if they covered a section.
[ ] Confirm every participant is a role the policy allows in the pool, applying tip credit limits if you take one.
[ ] Remove service charges and mandatory fees from the pool total; they are not tips.
[ ] Apply any card fee deduction only at the actual documented cost and only if your state permits it.
[ ] Apply the distribution formula exactly as written in the policy (hours, points, or hours times points).
[ ] Calculate tip-outs to support roles at the policy rates, weighted by hours when more than one person filled a role.
[ ] Review exceptions: voided checks with tips attached, tips on comped items, walkouts, and cash declared late.
[ ] Write down the reason and the approver for every manual adjustment to a share.
[ ] Check that the individual shares add back to the pool total within rounding.
[ ] Have a second person review and sign off when the pool is large or any adjustment was made.
[ ] Record what each person receives in cash tonight versus through payroll.
[ ] Collect a signature for any cash paid across the bar.
[ ] Send per-employee tip amounts to payroll in the format your provider accepts, with no retyping.
[ ] Publish the per-person breakdown in the usual place at the usual time so staff can check their own share.
[ ] File the POS report, card batch, time clock export, and calculation sheet together for this shift.
[ ] Note anything that should trigger a policy review, such as a new role, a new service model, or a repeated complaint.