• Section 1 - Preamble
• Section 2 - Purpose
• Section 3 - Scope
• Section 4 - Policy
• Cash management principles
• Cash Assets
• Students and volunteers
• Safeguarding and Accountability
• Employees
• Section 5 - Procedure
• General Requirements
• Cash float
• Cabcharge
• Gift Cards and Vouchers
• Section 6 - Non-Compliance

Section 1 - Preamble

(1) Charles Darwin University (‘the University,’ ‘CDU’) takes a cashless approach. 

(2) Cash handling is only permissible, by exception, when it is necessary for operational purposes and alternate non-cash arrangements are unavailable or unsuitable, or where it aligns with the University’s educational offerings, such as TAFE courses that include cash handling training.

Section 2 - Purpose

(3) This policy and procedure aims to:

1. provide guidance on the requirements for the safe handling, receiving, safeguarding, transporting, depositing and recording of University cash assets;
2. ensure that cash management practices are consistent and transparent; and
3. safeguard and protect University cash assets and employees involved in the receipting and collection of cash or cash equivalents.

Section 3 - Scope

(4) This policy and procedure applies to all University employees, students, contractors and volunteers with responsibility for any part of the handling of the University’s cash assets.

Section 4 - Policy

Cash management principles

(5) The University aims to minimise cash handling to reduce fraud risk, improve workplace safety and support efficient business practices.

(6) Electronic payment and receipting facilities must be used where possible.

(7) All cash handling must be:

1. correctly receipted;
2. accurately recorded and reconciled;
3. supported by appropriate documentation;
4. held in a locked and secure location, preferably a safe; and
5. undertaken in accordance with segregation of duty requirements.

(8) The University does not accept foreign cash currency.

Cash Assets

(9) For the purpose of this policy and procedure, cash assets include: 

1. cash;
2. cheques;
3. Cabcharge eTickets; and
4. gift cards and vouchers.  

(10) Any Faculty or organisational unit seeking to use cash must obtain approval from the Associate Director Finance by emailing payables@cdu.edu.au and providing a business justification.

(11) Any Faculty or organisational unit handling cheques and Cabcharge eTickets must immediately notify Finance by emailing payables@cdu.edu.au.

Students and volunteers

(12) Students and volunteers handling University cash assets must be directly supervised at all times by an area manager who is an employee of the University.

Safeguarding and Accountability

(13) All cash assets, including cash equivalents, must be stored in a locked and secure location, preferably a safe. 

(14) Each area responsible for cash assets must maintain appropriate records and registers to ensure all cash assets received, held, issued, transferred, returned, cancelled, lost or disposed of can be fully accounted for at all times. 

(15) All cash asset reconciliations must be completed monthly using the Cash Management Reconciliation Worksheet and submitted together with supporting documentation as follows: 

1. Cash Float reconciliations to payables@cdu.edu.au; 
2. Cabcharge eTicket reconciliations to payables@cdu.edu.au; and 
3. Gift Card and Voucher reconciliations and recipient registers to Corporatecard@cdu.edu.au. 

(16) Where responsibility for a cash asset is transferred to another officer, a reconciliation and Handover Declaration must be completed before the transfer occurs. 

Employees

Segregation of duties

(17) Segregation of duties must be maintained in order to safeguard the University’s cash assets. 

(18) Responsibility over cash handling should be clearly delineated and assigned to specific individual(s) to ensure accountability.

(19) No individual should have more than one of the following responsibilities:

1. cash asset receipting;
2. end-of-day cash counting, recording and reconciliation;
3. reviewing and approving cash counts and reconciliations and the safe and secure storing of cash assets; or
4. transport and banking of cash assets.

(20) The individual reviewing and approving the reconciliation must sign and date the reconciliation form.

(21) If it is not possible to segregate duties due to a lack of available employees, alternative arrangements must be approved by Finance by emailing treasury@cdu.edu.au.

Collection and banking

(22) Cash and cheque collections must be recorded daily.

(23) Cash and cheque collections must be banked:

1. daily for cash balances of $2,000 or more; and 
2. weekly for cash balances below $2,000. 

Theft, fraud or loss

(24) Suspected theft, fraud or loss of any University cash asset must immediately be reported to the relevant area manager. 

(25) The area manager must:

1. report suspected theft or fraud to the Police within one day of dicovery; and
2. notify the Vice-President Governance and University Secretary (VPGUS) within one day of discovery via governance@cdu.edu.au, providing details of the Police report.   

Section 5 - Procedure

General Requirements

(26) Responsible officers must:

1. maintain accurate records and registers for all cash assets under their control; 
2. ensure assets are securely stored when not in use; 
3. complete monthly reconciliations using the Cash Management Reconciliation Worksheet; 
4. submit reconciliations and supporting documentation in accordance with Section 4 of this policy and procedure; 
5. complete the Handover Declaration whenever responsibility is transferred to another officer using the Cash Management Reconciliation Worksheet;and 
6. retain supporting documentation in accordance with the University's records management requirements. 

Cash float

(27) A cash float is used solely to provide change for cash transactions.

(28) A cash float:

1. must not be used for personal purposes;
2. must be secured in a lockable container or safe;
3. is the responsibility of the designated Responsible Cash Officer; and
4. must reconcile so that cash on hand plus receipts equals the approved float value.

(29) When surrendering a cash float, funds must be transferred by EFT to the University's operating bank account and remittance emailed to payables@cdu.edu.au. 

Cabcharge

(30) Cabcharge eTickets must only be used for approved University business.

(31) Employees holding a University corporate credit card are not eligible to use Cabcharge.

(32) The allocation of Cabcharges to users must be based on approved and actual expected business requirements.

(33) Accounts Payable may limit the stocks the Cabcharge officer can hold at any one time. Accounts Payable may require the Cabcharge officer to use Cabcharge already held before issuing any more. 

(34) On a monthly basis, the Payables officer will prepare a journal to allocate the charges received from Cabcharge. The Journal will be sent to the Accounting Services Team via email to accountingservices.cdu.edu.au for processing. 

(35) Cabcharge officers:

1. can order Cabcharge eTickets by completing the Cabcharge eTicket Request / Authority eform in eCentre;
2. may not hold more than 20 eTickets unless approved by Accounts Payable; 
3. must maintain an up-to-date Cabcharge Register; 
4. must be able to account for all eTickets received, held, issued, returned, cancelled, lost, stolen or destroyed; 
5. must physically verify all unused eTickets as part of the monthly reconciliation process; and 
6. must cross check monthly charges applied to cost codes against the general ledger and reference the amounts by updating the Cabcharge Request and Allocation register. 

(36) Damaged, lost or stolen Cabcharge eTickets must be reported to Accounts Payable via payables@cdu.edu.au for cancellation. 

(37) Unused eTickets must be returned to the issuing Cabcharge Officer and recorded in the register. 

(38) Cabcharge eTickets must not be destroyed unless authorised by Accounts Payable. 

(39) Where a Cabcharge officer leaves the University and is not transferring remaining Cabcharge to a new Cabcharge officer, any unused Cabcharge eTickets must be returned to Accounts Payable area before departure.

Gift Cards and Vouchers

(40) Gift Cards and Vouchers are cash equivalents and should only be used where alternative payment methods are not practical, appropriate, or available.  

(41) Gift Cards and Vouchers must:

1. be purchased using either a University corporate credit card (depending on value) or University Purchase Order no sooner than 30 days before the date of use or distribution;
2. be purchased within the purchaser’s financial delegation;
3. comply with the responsible use of University funds; and
4. not be personally purchased by employees for business purposes. They will not be eligible for reimbursement regardless of circumstances.

(42) Gift Cards and Vouchers may only be purchased and distributed for an approved University business purpose, including:

1. prizes at University events;
2. student prizes, recognition awards or tokens of appreciation;
3. thanking volunteers who are not University employees, students, researchers, or contractors currently engaged by the University;
4. providing approved support to students experiencing genuine hardship or emergency situations; 
5. compensating research participants in studies approved by the relevant Faculty Pro Vice-Chancellor;
6. as part of a scholarship, grant and bursary, including ‘grocery only’ or fuel card; and 
7. for students participating in a focus group run by the University

(43) Gift Cards and Vouchers must not be provided as salary, wages, bonuses, honoraria or any other employment-related benefit.

(44) All Gift Cars and Vouchers must have a maximum individual value of $100.

(45) If a higher value is required, then multiple cards may be given to the recipient; however, the combined value to a single recipient must not exceed $250 unless approval has been provided by Finance by emailing Corporatecard@cdu.edu.au.

(46) For physical Gift Cards and Vouchers, all unused cards must be physically counted and verified as part of the monthly reconciliation process. 

(47) For electronic Gift Cards and Vouchers, reconciliation must include verification against supplier records, issuance records, redemption reports or other supporting evidence demonstrating accountability for all cards issued or held. 

(48) The monthly Gift Card and Voucher reconciliation must be independently reviewed and approved by the relevant manager before submission. 

(49) Lost, stolen or unaccounted-for Gift Cards and Vouchers must be reported immediately to Corporatecard@cdu.edu.au and investigated by the Responsible Officer. Investigation outcomes must be documented and retained with reconciliation. 

Section 6 - Non-Compliance

(50) Non-compliance with governance documents is considered a breach of the Code of Conduct - Employees or the Code of Conduct – Students, as applicable, and is treated seriously by the University. Reports of concerns about non-compliance will be managed in accordance with the applicable disciplinary procedures outlined in the Charles Darwin University and Union Enterprise Agreement 2025 and the Code of Conduct – Students.

(51) Complaints may be raised in accordance with the Complaints and Grievance Policy and Procedure - Employees and Complaints Policy - Students.

(52) All employees have an individual responsibility to raise any suspicion, allegation or report of fraud or corruption in accordance with the Fraud and Corruption Control Policy and Whistleblower Reporting (Improper Conduct) Procedure.