If you run a business or other venture that deals in a lot of paper currency, investing in one of the best money counter machines is a wise choice. These units turn a task that is tedious and easy to make mistakes doing into a task that is just easy and quick. There are a number of different units out there, all offering similar products – but what is the best option?
We’ve put together a buyer’s guide of the best money counters on the market, for businesses dealing in a wide range of cash levels. Accounting for different budgets and sizes, we’ve chosen products that don’t burn as much cash as they count – so you can effectively run your new business venture with ease!
- Best Money Counter Machine
Aneken AL-1000
- Counting Speed: 1000 bills/minute
- Currency: USD, EUR
- Counterfeit Detection: Yes
- Value Count: Yes
- Best Budget Money Counter Machine
MUNBYN IMC51
- Counting Speed: 1100 bills/minute
- Currency: USD
- Counterfeit Detection: Yes
- Value Count: Yes
- Best Mixed Denomination Money Counter Machine
Aneken N60 Money Counter
- Counting Speed: 1200 bills/minute
- Currency: USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, MXN
- Counterfeit Detection: Yes
- Value Count: Yes
- Best Accurate Money Counter Machine
Cassida 5520 UV
- Counting Speed: 1300 bills/minute
- Currency: USD
- Counterfeit Detection: Yes
- Value Count: No
- Best Portable Money Counter Machine
Cosdio Portable Money Counter
- Counting Speed: 600 bills/minute
- Currency: USD, EUR, GBP, CAN, MXD, AUD, SGD
- Counterfeit Detection: No
- Value Count: No
How We Picked the Best Money Counter Machine
Money counter machines are simple enough on the surface that there isn’t much that you need to worry about when choosing one. There are some features, such as counterfeit detection methods and currency recognition, that are highly sought-after. Those can be as simple or complex as your budget allows, and we looked for options that cover as much ground as possible.
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We’ve split our recommendations based on a few features, though there is some overlap between them. Depending on whether you deal in multiple currencies or large quantities, we have recommendations for different cash-counting needs that keep your business’ finances secure and accurate.
- Counting Speed: 1000 bills/minute
- Currency: USD, EUR
- Counterfeit Detection: Yes
- Value Count: Yes
An excellent medley of quality-of-life and ease-of-use, the AL-1000 is a top choice for counting currency!
- Counterfeit detection – the AL-1000 ensures every bill is legitimate.
- Intuitive design – this money counter machine is easy to set up and use.
- Low bill limit – though 200 bills at a time may seem like a lot to some, it can limit some larger cash-based ventures.
Combining all the vital features needed in cash-counting and maximizing their efficiency, we’re happy to call the Aneken AL-1000 the best money counter machine on the market today! Be secure in your cash counting at all times, as this top unit makes for highly reliable and versatile counting of currencies!
Practically designed, the AL-1000 comes with both a built-in screen and a standalone LCD display that can also be set up nearby, allowing you to tailor the machine to your individual space. It has a series of clearly defined function buttons and even a discretely collapsible carry handle. There are three forms of counterfeit currency detection built-in, to ensure every note is genuine. Capable of counting both US dollars and Euros, this machine starts counting as soon as bills are loaded in, and can determine the total value of them (if all bills are of the same denomination).
Though the AL-1000 can count up to 1000 bills per minute, it can only hold 200 of them at a time. This means constantly loading and retrieving your larger quantities of cash, making it a poor choice for the largest of businesses. However, for average cash levels, this top money counter is the ideal marriage of form factor and convenience.
- Counting Speed: 1100 bills/minute
- Currency: USD
- Counterfeit Detection: Yes
- Value Count: Yes
If you want to count money rather than spend it, then this unit from Munbyn is a great option.
- Affordable – the low price of the IMC51 makes it a great budget money counting machine.
- Counterfeit detection – even despite the low price, this money counter machine ensures you aren’t taken advantage of.
- No automation – the overall functionality of the IMC51 is limited by its budget status.
A more affordable money-counting machine, the Munbyn IMC51 offers competitive features to our top choices, at a lower price point – enabling you to save both time and money with a rapid cash-counting solution.
The IMC51 has almost everything you could ask for in a money counter, especially as a small business. It can count fast and accurately and it even comes with a secondary LCD screen next to the primary control panel like the AL-1000. This allows you to access the various robust features of this counter, from batch counting to additional counting that allows you to keep track of your current tally. This may not seem like a huge feature, but it makes for a far more productive cash count. It’s hard to pick at this machine, especially considering that it offers counterfeit detection at such an affordable price tag.
That said, it is a budget option, and lacks many of the automated features we’d have liked to see in such a unit. Such is the tradeoff for affordability, however, and we’re still happy to name this the best budget money counter machine on the market!
- Counting Speed: 1200 bills/minute
- Currency: USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, MXN
- Counterfeit Detection: Yes
- Value Count: Yes
Another Aneken money counter machine, the N60 is ideal for those dealing in multiple countries’ currency.
- Multi-denomination support – capable of counting five different currencies, the N60 is a highly versatile money counter.
- Continual support – Aneken consistently updates and refines this money counter machine for improved performance.
- Premium price point – you’ll have to part with some of your cash to afford this money counter machine.
For dealing in more than dollars and euros, consider Aneken’s other offering. Capable of processing five different currencies, the N60 is ideal for businesses dealing with an international variety of cash!
If we had to pick the smartest money counter on this list in terms of tech, it would definitely be the N60, as it has special built-in software that gets regular updates to improve its recognition speed and allow it to operate more smoothly. And with time, you can update this software as Aneken enhances it. It also features all the same top-tier features of the AL-1000, such as counterfeit bill detection and a 1200-bills-per-minute speed, but enables you to count five different nation’s cash. From pounds to pesos, this unit is perfect for money counting!
So why isn’t the N60 the best money counter machine? For most businesses, we don’t think the international currency is common enough to warrant such a high price tag: at over double the price of the AL-1000, most will struggle to justify spending most of the cash they’ve earned on a new method of counting it. For those that do need it, however, the N60 remains the best mixed denomination money counter option on the market.
- Counting Speed: 1300 bills/minute
- Currency: USD
- Counterfeit Detection: Yes
- Value Count: No
Fast and accurate, the 5520 UV makes cash counting the largest piles of notes easy.
- Fast – the 5520 UV can count up to 1300 bills per minute, making for blisteringly fast accounting.
- Value-counting – this is one of the few money counter machines that tells you how much your bills are worth, cutting out some arithmetic.
- Single currency – you’re limited to dollars (USD) with the 5520 UV.
The Cassida 5520 UV is one of our favorite money counter machines, not just for its super fast counting speed, but also for being able to provide a total value of the bills inserted. When you’re handling large sums of money, you can use it to easily keep tally of your cash without having to keep track of the totals after every batch you count.
Capable of processing 1300 bills per minute, the 5520 UV is a fast-running cash counter. Though its input tray is only capable of holding 150 bills at a time, you can add onto the previous count which enables you to quickly tally up the totals. Similar to the AL-1000, it has a convenient carry handle that can be stashed along with bank-level counterfeit detection. The results speak for themselves: the 5520 UV promises fast and accurate cash counts, every time.
However, that speed and precision is limited to American businesses: the 5520 is only capable of counting dollars, and can’t tell apart different amounts – making it useless for mixed notes. If you’re dealing with large sums of the same unit, then the Cassida 5520 is worth the cost!
- Counting Speed: 600 bills/minute
- Currency: USD, EUR, GBP, CAN, MXD, AUD, SGD
- Counterfeit Detection: No
- Value Count: No
For cash-counting on-the-go, this Cosdio unit is an ideal choice.
- Pocket-sized – the compact form factor of this money counter machine makes it a great option.
- Battery or AC – count cash with ease regardless of whether there’s a power socket nearby.
- Limited functionality – highly manual and with no counterfeit recognition, this portable money counter isn’t always the most practical option.
Our final pick on the “best money counter machine” rankings is the Cosdio Portable Money Counter which is – as the name suggests – a highly portable money counter. If you’re looking for something easy to use and lightweight for on-the-go money counting needs, then this unit is ideal.
The Cosdio Portable Money Counter comes with a convenient carry case, that makes it easy to take with you. It packs a lot into its pocket-sized design: with a convenient LCD display that displays clearly the count number, and a simple roller that leafs through your notes. Choose between battery operation or a simple AC plug to suit your needs, and use this portable money counter machine anywhere.
However, this is the most rudimentary money counter due to its size. There’s no value-counting function, and all of the functions besides the actual counting of notes are done manually. With no counterfeit recognition and a limited capacity, this isn’t ideal for most business needs. But for quick and highly portable cash-counting on the go, the Cosdio Portable Money Counter is still a worthwhile consideration!
Features and Considerations
If you’re planning on purchasing a money counting machine that’s not among our best today, here are some things to consider:
Supported Currencies
One of the most important considerations is the currencies your desired machine can count. For users based in America, this shouldn’t be a big issue as almost all machines can handle US dollars, even if they’re not made in the United States.
Counting Speed
Counting speed is another critical factor when considering a money counter machine. It’s often measured in bills per minute, and most machines should handle around 1,000 to 1,200 b/m.
Counterfeit Detection
If you deal with paper cash frequently, you must ensure that your money counter machine can detect counterfeit money, because this can turn into a rampant issue if you don’t address it quickly. Fortunately, money counter machines typically have several ways of catching counterfeit bills, such as ultraviolet detection of the telltale markings on legitimate bills.
Handling Mixed Denominations
Having a machine that can handle mixed denominations saves a ton of precious time, as you won’t need to separate your bills by size and load them into the machine separately. Thankfully, it’s common for money counters to recognise each denomination lightning quick and even separate them on the other end. After counting, they could tell you the total sum of money and how many of each bill you have.
Batch Counting
Batch counting refers to when the money counter machine can accept a preset number of bills or cash sum and stop counting once it reaches it.
FAQs
Can money counter machines catch counterfeit bills?
Yes: the best money counter machines are built with several layers of protection, such as ultraviolet, infrared, and magnetic detection sensors, to catch counterfeit money.
Can money counter machines handle different denominations?
Yes: if the machine supports a specific currency, it should be able to distinguish between different denomination bills and give you the total sum at the end.
Verdict
- Counting Speed: 1000 bills/minute
- Currency: USD, EUR
- Counterfeit Detection: Yes
- Value Count: Yes
With a not-unreasonably sized cash input tray and with intelligent counterfeit detection, the Aneken AL-1000 serves as the best money counter machine on the market! Though it lacks the versatility of the N60 in terms of currency options, this is nevertheless a top choice for counting cash. That said, all of our choices today are reliable and purposeful ways of making sure the end-of-day cash-count is correct!
If you’re upscaling your entire business, why not combine your new hyper-efficient cash management with one of the best routers for businesses?