What’s the Best Depository Safe for Businesses?

Protecting your business’s cash and valuable items starts with choosing the right safe. The best safe for you depends on how much cash you handle daily and who needs access to it.

Since 1988, we’ve been helping customers protect their valuables and assets, such as cash. We’ve seen firsthand the benefits of buying the right safe to fit your needs and the pitfalls of relying on an inadequate storage solution.

While we’re obviously in the business of selling safes, our ultimate goal is to help you find the safe that will best serve you. If you’ve landed here, you’re likely a business owner or organization manager looking for a secure depository safe. To help you find the right safe, this post will cover:

Defining Your Needs for a Depository Safe?

These have proven to be the most critical questions when determining which depository safe (aka cash management safe) to choose:

• How much cash do you store each day? How many bills do you store?

• How many people need access to the safe?

• Do we need separate compartments for different users?

Best Depository Safes for Restaurants & Bars

For example, if you own or operate a restaurant or bar, multiple people might need access to the safe, with differing levels of clearance. This might include:

• Business Owner (full access)

• Financial Manager (full access)

• 1-2 Managers (access to petty cash and change banks in order to run day-to-day operations)

• Multiple Employees (access to petty cash and change banks to run day-to-day operations)

A double door (aka two-door drop safe) would make sense for this type of business. End-of-shift drops would be deposited into a compartment that only the owner and financial manager would have access to. The other compartment would hold tills, petty cash, and change for employees and managers to access for start-of-shift duties.

This type of drop safe comes in many different sizes and configurations.

Top Two-Door Depository Safes

AMSEC BWB Series

• Multiple sizes and lock options

• Ideal for storing tills

• Great for multi-user access

AMSEC MM282020-ESL

• Compact, fits under counters

• Features an audit lock that tracks access and has a time delay

AMSEC DSF Series

• Slim design for tight spaces

• Best for businesses without tills

• Available in both single and double-door models

Top Small Depository Safes for Coffee Shops & Small Retail Shops

Single-door drop safes are ideal for small spaces like coffee shops, coffee stands, and small retail shops. Typically, only one or two people will need access to the compartments. Any other users would simply be dropping cash and checks inside.

Some of these single-door drop safes can have an inside locker as well. This allows the safe to collect the dropped cash while also storing other important items such as paperwork or keys.

Smart Safes for High-Volume Businesses

Quick-serve industries that do a high volume of business during the day benefit from a smart safe, like the AMSEC Cash Wizard. These businesses may include:

• Coffee Bars

• Coffee Stands

• Fast Food Restaurants

• Dispensaries (aka Pot Shops)

• Convenience Stores

• Casual Dining Establishments

• Retail Mall Shops

Why AMSEC Cash Wizard Revolutionized Cash Management Safes:

• AMSEC Cash Wizards track who opens the safe and when

• AMSEC Cash Wizards can send daily reports and store info in the cloud

• AMSEC Cash Wizards alerts couriers when full

• AMSEC Cash Wizards can hold up to 4,400 bills

• AMSEC Cash Wizards help detect theft or errors by comparing safe reports with POS records

Cash Wizards come in eight sizes and feature a dead latch locking mechanism with anti-pry locking bars. Plus, they can be connected to a variety of tools, such as:

• Point-of-Sale Software

• An Online Tracking System

• A Back-Office System

• A Smartphone App

Where to Install a Depository Safe

When it comes to installing a money safe, the saying “Out of Sight — Out of Mind” is a smart guideline. Whether you're using a high-tech Cashwizard smart safe or a traditional depository safe, it should be placed somewhere discreet. However, the best location also depends on a few key factors, including:

• How Often the Safe is Being Used

• The Size of the Safe

• The Business’ Configuration (how the store is laid out)

• Where the Safe Can Be Bolted Down

No matter where it goes, always make sure the safe is firmly anchored to a solid surface like the floor or a wall.

Warning: Drop Safes Aren’t For Long-Term Storage

A common mistake we’ve seen businesses make over the years is leaving large volumes of cash inside drop safes overnight or for extended periods. That is not what these safes are designed to do. Drop safes are not high-security or fire-rated safes.

Drop safes are mainly designed to keep honest people honest and allow for smooth day-to-day business operations.

There is one depository safe, however, that is the highest security cash drop safe in the industry. Built by American Security, the ACF is the only TL-rated drop safe on the market. This safe can be used for higher value cash storage and is the only fire-rated depository safe available.

Need High-Security Storage?

In some cases, the best option for a business is to have a depository safe for day-to-day operations and cash flow and a higher-security safe for overnight or longer-term storage. Beyond the AMSEC ACF mentioned above, we would recommend:

Amsec Max 1014

• Small but strong, high-security safe

Amsec Amvault Series

• Full range of TL-rated commercial safes

• Available in multiple sizes

Not Sure What Depository Safe You Need? We Can Help.

Every business is different, and so are its security needs. If you’re unsure which safe is right for you, contact us. We’ll help you find the perfect solution to protect your cash and support smooth day-to-day operations.