Building Your Business Business Tools The 8 Best Money Counters The must-own item if you're running a small retail business or restaurant By LaToya Irby LaToya Irby LaToya Irby is a credit expert who has been covering credit and debt management for The Balance for more than a dozen years. She's been quoted in USA Today, The Chicago Tribune, and the Associated Press, and her work has been cited in several books. learn about our editorial policies Updated on September 13, 2022 Fact checked by Yasmin Ghahremani We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Anyone who frequently deals with large amounts of cash or coins must have the best money counting machine to count or sort bills or coins quickly and accurately. When you’re looking for the best money counters, consider whether you need a machine for counting cash or coins. Then, narrow down your options based on your budget and the machine’s capacity, speed, and ability to detect counterfeit bills. Our list below includes the top options, including machines that count banknotes and machines that count and sort coins. Keep reading for the best money counters you can buy today. Best Overall: GStar Technology Money Counter Amazon Buy on Amazon Buy on Walmart The GStar Technology Money Counter can work up to two continuous hours, counting 1,000 or more bills per minute. It uses ultraviolet, magnetic, and infrared sensors to detect counterfeit bills, and produces less than 60 decibels of noise. The money counter has a counterfeit bill detection rate of 1/100,000, which gives you greater accuracy and a reliable final count. The easy-to-read LED display allows you to quickly read the total number of bills in the stack. Note the machine doesn’t calculate the monetary total of the bills you’ve loaded. Counting speed: 1,000 bills per minute | Stacking capacity: Not listed | Weight: 10 pounds | Dimensions: 13 x 11.3 x 7.75 inches Runner-Up, Best Overall: Kolibri Money Counter Amazon Buy on Amazon The Kolibri Money Counter efficiently counts 1,500 bills per minute using ultraviolet, magnetic, and infrared detection to detect half, chain, and double, and counterfeit bills. The straight bill path means you’ll have fewer jams as long as you’ve loaded the bills correctly, saving you time and effort. The machine features automatic start, stop and error clearing functions. You can use batch mode to count bills in units of 10, 20, 25, 50, or 100 bills. Keep in mind, the Kolibri Money Counter counts the quantity not the monetary value of bills. The money counter comes with a one-year warranty, which will be useful in the event you have problems with your machine within the first 12 months of purchase. The warranty gives you a little peace of mind knowing your machine can be repaired or replaced if something goes wrong soon after you’ve purchased. Counting speed: 1,500 bills per minute | Stacker capacity: 200 bills | Weight: 9.9 pounds | Dimensions: 11.4W x 6.9H x 9.8D inches Best Budget: Domens Portable Money Counter Amazon Buy on Amazon Simple and affordable, the Domens Portable Money Counter does exactly what it promises with no added flash: It can count up to 600 bills a minute. The device is easy to use and, at 0.86 pounds, is compact and portable. This makes it ideal for small businesses or individuals who are looking for a convenient, less-time-consuming option for poker night. An "add" function allows you to add to the count if necessary, and the machine works with the majority of the world’s paper currencies. This counter can be plugged into an electrical source or powered by four AA batteries if you’re on the go. Like many competitors, this money counter can only count the number of bills that are inserted and is unable to detect value or different types of bills. Counting speed: 600 bills per minute | Stacker capacity: Not listed | Weight: 0.86 pounds | Dimensions: 2.755W x 3.74H x 7.48D inches Related: The Best Coin Sorters Best Value: HFS Bill Money Counter Amazon Buy on Amazon The HFS Bill Money Counter can count most types of currencies up to 900 bills per minute and the LED display shows the count of the bills. It features ultraviolet and magnetic detection of counterfeit money, alerting you when a fake bill is detected. The machine includes automatic start, stop, and clearing functions along with add, batch, and self-examination functions. The HFS Bill Money Counter is intended to count the number of bills sorted through the machine. It doesn’t add bills or detect the denomination of bills that have been added to the machine. Counting speed: 900 bills per minute | Stacker capacity: 200 bills | Weight: 12 pounds | Dimensions: 12 x 10 x 7 inches Best for High Volume: Carnation Mixed Denomination Counter/Sorter Amazon Buy on Amazon Buy on Walmart The CR1500 can sort banknotes by denomination and orientation, and includes a reject pocket for suspected counterfeit bills. The reject pocket allows the machine to continue counting money even when a counterfeit bill has been detected—many other machines stop counting upon detection of a counterfeit bill. It easily fits on a counter, desk, or table for easy access and use. Out of the box, the CR1500 can count banknotes in four different currencies: U.S. dollar, Canadian dollar, Euro, and British Pound. The CR1500 can even capture the serial number of each banknote it counts. The information can be stored and printed out. It includes add, batch, reporting, and printing functions. You can even update the software via an SD card or USB slot when updates are available. Counting speed: up to 1,100 bills per minute | Stacker capacity: 200 bills | Weight: 18.75 pounds | Dimensions: 9.9L x 10.4H x 10.7W inches Best for Small Businesses: Cassida 6600 Bill Counter Amazon Buy on Amazon Buy on Staples The top-loading Cassida 6600 Business Grade Currency Counter counts up to 1,400 bills per minute. The machine can hold up to 400 bills, can count bills in batch mode, and includes and an add mode for a cumulative total, which is displayed on a dual screen display. Ultraviolet and magnetic sensors are used to authenticate bills, ensuring no counterfeit bills are included in the total. If a counterfeit bill is detected, the machine will stop counting, sound a beep, and display an error on the screen. Once you remove the counterfeit bill and start the machine again, the machine automatically removes the counterfeit bill from the overall total, ensuring you have an accurate bill count. Select the single denomination of the bills you’ve loaded, and the ValuCount feature will calculate the total dollar value of the bills that have been sorted. Just make sure you’ve loaded only one denomination of bill to ensure the accuracy of your total—the machine won’t detect mixed denominations. The Cassida 6600 has a compact size and retractable handle that makes it easy to transport. This is a great feature for small business owners with money counting needs at multiple locations. Counting speed: 1,400 bills per minute | Stacker capacity: 250 bills | Weight: 10.8 pounds | Dimensions: 11W x 10.2D x 8.1H inches Runner-Up, Best for Small Businesses: Cassida 5520UV Bill Counter Amazon Buy on Amazon Buy on Staples The Cassida 5520UV Bill Counter speeds through 1,300 bills per minute, reducing the amount of time you’ll have to spend counting up your cash. The machine uses ultraviolet technology to search for security marks inside each bill to detect any counterfeit bills on your stack. Thanks to the ValuCount feature, the high-resolution LCD display shows both the total dollar value and the number of bills. You’ll have to select the single denomination of the bills you’ve loaded and be sure you haven’t mixed in any other denominations for an accurate count. Counting speed: 1,300 bills per minute | Stacker capacity: 250 | Weight: 11.9 pounds | Dimensions: 9.7W x 11.5L x 7.5H inches Best Counterfeit Detection Rate: Teraputics Money Counter Elite eBay Buy on Amazon The Teraputics Money Counter Elite can work for up to six continuous hours while counting 1,200 U.S. bills per minute. The machine has a counterfeit detection rate of 1/800,000. Note, while the machine detects counterfeit bills, it won’t alert you if you have another denomination of currency in your stack. The LCD displays the number of bills that have been counted. Unfortunately, it doesn’t tell you the monetary value of the bills. Switching the machine to energy-saving mode will allow you to save on electricity. Enjoy a 45-day money-back guarantee—you can return the machine anytime within 45 days regardless of the reason. Counting speed: 1,200 bills per minute | Stacker capacity: Not listed | Weight: 12.87 pounds | Dimensions: 14.3 x 12.3 x 10.1 inches Related: The Best Counterfeit Money Detectors Final Verdict Our top pick is the GStar Technology Money Counter (view at Amazon) since it can work for two continuous hours, is easy-to-read, and operates very quietly. It also has a high counting speed (1,000 bills per minute) and a super-accurate counterfeit bill detection rate. What to Look for in a Money Counter Counting Speed The counting speed of a money counter is measured in bills per minute. In general, the counting speed is usually between 1,000 and 1,400 bills per minute. However, there are lower and higher options available like 600 or 1,900 bills per minute. If you handle large amounts of cash at a time, you're going to want a money counter with a higher speed rate. This will help you save time, allowing your business to become more efficient. Stacker Capacity The stacker is the part of the money counter that holds the bills after they've been counted. Stackers usually have a capacity of 200 or 250 bills, but there are counters with larger capacities available. The amount it can hold will fluctuate depending on how flat your bills lay once they come through the counter. Generally, older bills will not lay as flat as newer, crisp bills. The faster this section fills up, the more time you'll have to spend switching it out. If you handle a lot of cash, opt for one with a higher capacity. Counterfeit Detection There are a few different types of counterfeit detection built-in to money counters. These are ultraviolet, magnetic, and infrared. Ultraviolet is the most common type, and it will detect a fluorescent strip that has been printed on the bill but is invisible to the naked eye. Magnetic is similar to UV since some currency is printed with magnetic ink. However, it can be less accurate since the magnetic properties in the ink can wear down over time. Infrared is the least common type but will identify whether or not the ink used on the bill can absorb infrared light. Bill Denomination Detection Money counters can count bills by their total number, value, and denomination. In general, money counters that count the total number of bills and their value can only handle one denomination at a time. But some more advanced models will count the number, value up your total, and sort the bills by their denomination. There are also other features like batch and add. The batch function will allow you to input how many bills you'd like it to count a time to make batches. The add function allows you to continuously add another stack of bills to the hopper without stopping the total count. Whichever type you need will largely depend on how much cash you handle. However, finding a machine that can do all of these things can help save time and make your business run more efficiently. Meet the Expert LaToya Irby has over a decade of experience as a financial reporter. She has been recognized and quoted as an expert in many publications like USA Today, U.S. News and World Report, Yahoo! Finance, and more. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Amazon. "GStar Money Counter." Kolibri. "Kolibri Automatic Bill Counter." Amazon. "Portable Bill Money Counter Mini Bill Cash Counting Machine DOMENS Suitable for Multi-Currency Handy Banknote Counter." Hardware Factory Store Inc. "Bill Money Counter Multi Currency Cash Counting Machine." Amazon. "HFS Bill Money Counter." Carnation. "CR1500 Mixed Bill Value Counter & Sorter 2 Year Warranty." Amazon. "Cassida 6600 UV." Cassida. "6600 Series. Business-Grade Bill Counter With ValuCount." Cassida. "5520 Series. Bill Counter With ValuCount." Amazon. "Money Counter Elite w/Fast Count."