Cash Handling for Government Service & Payment Counters in Dubai

Government service and payment counters handle cash differently from a shop. The priority is an accurate, audit-ready total for every counter and every shift, with a clear record behind it - not maximum speed. Counters also serve the whole public, including visitors who pay in foreign cash.

Dubai’s government services are largely digital, but cash never disappears entirely, and large public events pull in international visitors who pay in many currencies. The same is true across the UAE. Here is a real example from one of our clients.

40 counters and 200+ staff trained at Expo 2020

Expo 2020 was one of the most important government projects for Dubai and the world. The early plan was to keep all transactions digital, but with so many international visitors, the team soon realized they had to accept cash too.

We installed 40 Cassida Xpecto machines at the ticket counters and another 90 Cassida UNO Plus detectors for the smaller restaurant and souvenir counters across the Expo site. We trained more than 200 staff working different shifts - a key requirement before purchase.

Another key requirement was special after-sales support: if a counting machine had any issue, our team collected it and provided an immediate replacement, then returned the unit once fixed. When the event ended, the equipment stayed in use across government departments now tied to Expo City, and new purchases continue today.

What government counters need that retail does not

Audit-ready records. Every counter and shift needs a documented total with a clear record behind it, so figures can be checked later.

Many currencies at public events. Visitors pay in foreign cash, so counters serving the public need to value and check a mixed stack.

Reliable after-sales. A public counter cannot sit idle; a fast repair-or-replace service is often a purchase requirement, not a nice-to-have.

The setup we recommend for government counters

Value and check at the counter, detect at smaller points, and keep an audit-ready record.

At ticket and payment counters - Cassida Xpecto: it counts and values 20-plus currencies, checks each note for fakes, and shows the payer a screen - the model used across Expo 2020 ticketing.

At small restaurant and souvenir counters - Cassida UNO Plus: a compact detector that checks each note as it is taken.

For smaller service counters - Cassida AXIA: a compact mixed-value counter with automatic currency recognition and UV, MG, and IR counterfeit detection, ideal for locations with lower daily cash volumes.

For the back office - Cassida Neo Max: it brings counters together, checks the cash, and prints a documented, serial-number-backed total for the audit trail.

Practical points

Make after-sales part of the decision. A public counter needs a repair-or-replace service that keeps it running; we ran exactly that at Expo 2020.

Train every shift. Counters run across shifts, so training all staff - as we did for 200+ people at Expo - keeps counts consistent.

All Cassida machines read the new polymer AED notes. As the Central Bank rolls out polymer AED notes, every Cassida machine reads all versions, old and new, so a real note is never rejected at a public counter.

Clean the machines often. Public cash is dirty and high-volume; grime builds up inside and causes miscounts and jams, so the machines need regular cleaning, which our service center handles.

Frequently asked questions

Do government counters still need cash machines if services are digital? Yes. Cash never disappears entirely, and public events draw international visitors paying in many currencies, so counters need to value, check, and record cash accurately.

Why does after-sales support matter so much here? A public counter cannot go dark. At Expo 2020 we collected any faulty machine and gave an immediate replacement, then returned it fixed - a requirement built into the purchase.

Can the machines produce an audit-ready record? Yes. Serial-number recognition and printed totals on the Neo Max give a documented record behind every count.

Why government bodies switch to Cassida

Public buyers often start with counters bought on the open market or from an online marketplace, then find no service and no training when it matters. They switch to Cassida because we run the region’s only specialized service center for cash machines, in Al Quoz, Dubai, and we back it with staff training and a repair-or-replace service - the setup that kept Expo 2020 running.

About Cassida Middle East

Cassida Middle East is the only branch of Cassida USA in the region. We operate the UAE’s only service center focused exclusively on cash-handling equipment - banknote counters, sorters, and counterfeit detectors - located in Al Quoz, Dubai. We have been here since 2013 and have served more than 4,000 businesses across the country, including public bodies such as Expo 2020, Dubai Police, and Dubai Land Department. Every machine has one year of warranty as standard; order directly on the Cassida website and you get an extra year on top, for two years in total, plus training when you buy and both on-site and yearly service plans.

Written by Mr. Muhammad Ukasha, Service Engineer, Cassida Middle East - 7 years of experience with money-handling equipment.

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