Depository safes solve the problem of allowing someone to place items in your safe without giving them access to the safe. Depository safes, sometime called drop safes, have a slot or hinged rotary hopper (like a corner mailbox) that allows someone to deposit something into the safe without opening the door on the safe. Depository safes are available with slots in the front or on top, and with a rotary hopper that opens from the front or is placed on top. The top-mounted rotary hopper is the most secure type of depository safe, because the hopper must rotate a full 180 degrees to drop something into the safe. This makes it impossible to “fish” something back out through the opening used for deposits.
The other types of depository safes are still secure, though, as they use baffles connected to the opening to prevent “fishing” the contents back out. Depository safes are ideal if your business handles a lot of cash or for jewelry store, pawn shops or other businesses that handle a lot of small, valuable items. If you handle a lot of cash, you can have your clerks deposit any large bills they receive during the day, or if they accumulate a lot of cash in their cash drawer. This way, if your store is robbed your losses will be limited to what is in the cash drawers.
It’s a good idea to remove the contents of a depository safe at night and place it in a more secure safe or in the bank. This is because, due to the slot or hopper used on depository safes, they are not as secure from burglars as a regular safe. Because of their construction, you won’t find a depository safe that is burglary rated or fireproof rated, so keep this in mind.
Depository safes are available with a variety of locking mechanisms. There’s the keylock, which uses a key to open the safe. There’s the electronic keypad type, which is opened by entering a PIN number on an electronic keypad like the ones found on ATM machines. This type of locking mechanism allows you to assign PIN numbers to multiple people and track who has accessed the safe and when.
Now that you know a little more about depository safes, you need to select a dealer to do business with. You should choose someone with experience in the business of safes, and ask them to recommend the safe that is best suited to your needs. For more information about depository safes, visit the Value Safes website.