Cash handling in the mailroom rarely gets attention until a drawer full of bills and coins has to be counted and secured. If you're choosing between a locking cash tray and a pocket-sized money counter, you're deciding which bottleneck matters more: safe storage or counting speed. The Office Depot Locking Cash Tray protects cash during transport and daily operations. The Money Counter Machine moves through banknotes quickly at a much lower price. Here's how to match the tool to your actual routine.
Quick verdict
Choose the Office Depot Locking Cash Tray if your cash tends to sit in one place and needs to stay organized and locked. Choose the Money Counter Machine if your mailroom gets stacks of bills that need fast counting. The tray gives security and structure; the counter gives speed and portability.
Comparison
| Product | Price | What it does best | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office Depot Locking Cash Tray | $62.99 | Locking cover and organized compartments for bills and coins | No counting function; storage only |
| Money Counter Machine | $43.95 | Counts about 600 bills per minute | Does not verify whether banknotes are genuine |
Where each product wins
Office Depot Locking Cash Tray wins when the job is safeguarding cash. The locking cover is the main reason to choose it, and the high-impact construction is built for repeated use. The organized compartments keep bills and coins separated, which makes end-of-day balancing easier.
Money Counter Machine wins when the job is speed. It can run through about 600 bills per minute, so a full cash drawer becomes a quick task instead of a manual one. It is also the lower-priced option, which gives it an edge if budget is the deciding factor.
Product notes
Office Depot Locking Cash Tray
The Office Depot Locking Cash Tray is the practical choice when the priority is protecting money between the register and the mailroom. Its locking cover keeps bills and coins contained during transport, while high-impact construction is meant to handle regular use. The organized compartments let you keep denominations separate without extra pouches or envelopes. The trade-off is straightforward: this tray does not count. If your process requires knowing exactly how much cash is moving through the mailroom, you will still need a separate counting step. At $62.99, it is the higher-priced option in this head-to-head, but you are paying for security and organization rather than counting speed. For a mailroom that handles sealed cash bags and needs a single secure box at the end of the day, this tray gives you a sturdy home for the money.
Money Counter Machine
The Money Counter Machine is for mailrooms where speed matters more than storage. It counts about 600 bills per minute and can handle stacks of about 100 bills, which makes quick work of cash drawer drops or petty cash counts. The 3-digit display is simple, and power can come from the included AC/DC adapter or four AA batteries if you need to count away from a wall outlet. The limitation is just as clear: the machine counts banknotes only and does not verify whether they are genuine. So it tells you how many bills are in the stack, but it won't tell you if they're counterfeit. At $43.95, it is the lower-priced option here, and its compact size makes it easy to store between uses. For routine counting, it is a fast, lightweight helper, just not a security device.
Final choice by use case
If your mailroom keeps a set cash float that has to stay locked and organized, the Office Depot Locking Cash Tray is the natural fit. If you are reconciling multiple drawers or counting incoming cash payments, the Money Counter Machine gives you the speed you need at a lower price. For a workspace that does both, the tray and the counter complement each other: the counter handles the counting, and the tray handles the storage.
