January 30, 1883 James Ritty, a saloon owner from Dayton, Ohio patented the first cash register. In order to cut back on employee theft, he invented the Ritty Model 1 cash register. He was inspired by a machine that counted the revolutions on steamships’ propellers and employed the help of his brother, John Ritty to complete the working prototype.
The initial model was just mechanical, basically an adding machine. Metal taps would display the sale amounts and a bell would ring to alert the manager when the drawer opened and a sale was made. It tracked the daily sales and offered up a total sum of what should be left in the till at the end of the day.
His invention was nicknamed the “Incorruptible Cashier” and the familiar cha-ching sound became known as "The Bell Heard Round the World". The demand came quickly with orders from retail owners like glassware salesman Jacob H. Eckert of Cincinnati. Eckert purchased the patent from Ritty who was overwhelmed running 2 businesses.
Then in 1884 Eckert sold the company and patent to John H. Patterson for $6500. Patterson named the company National Cash Register Company and added register tape, a paper roll to record transactions. After that the cash register business was booming. The machine was more than a theft deterrent, it revolutionized business everywhere. The analytics offered by recording transactions and tallies offered businesses a new approach and allowed them to systematically track sales. From 1888 through 1915 the big brass and cast metal machines popped up in shops and service locations everywhere.
In 1906 an electric motor was added and the electric cash register emerged. Since then the technological advances in the tally keepers have been fast and far reaching. From antitheft options to security features that keep employees and employers accountable, the cash register matured in its 128 years. Now Point of Sale Systems scan and inventory items. Self checkouts don’t even require clerks to do the work. Soon with RFID technology customers will only have to fill their carts and walk out the door, their accounts automatically charged for the items in their container. Cash register, you’ve come a long way baby.
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By Heather Fairchild - Heather is a writer and blogger for Nexxt. She researches and writes about job search tactics, training, and topics.
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