The Federal Reserve: Frequently Asked Questions about Penny Deposits and Orders
Cash Processing Services | Multi-Currency Counting and Sorting - Brink's US
Global Cash Processing Services for Banks and Financial Institutions
Brink's manages the full currency processing lifecycle for central banks, wholesale banks, and retail banks worldwide, from counting and validation to secure vaulting and global distribution.
Every note counted. Every shipment tracked. Trusted worldwide for 165+ years.
How Brink's Cash Processing works
The same documented process for every shipment, at every facility, across every currency.
Receive and process. Currency arrives at a Brink's secure vault facility. Notes are counted, validated, fitness-sorted, and screened for counterfeits. Every step is documented against your institution's specifications.
Prepare and pack. Fit notes are wrapped, packed, and prepared for distribution. Unfit notes are segregated and processed per applicable regulatory requirements. Your account team provides documentation throughout.
Store or distribute. Currency is vaulted in Brink's secure storage or transported to your chosen destination via armored vehicle. Every movement is tracked in real time through the Brink's 24SEVEN portal.
Cash isn't declining. The scale of the problem is growing.
US physical currency in circulation reached $2.45 trillion in 2026, more than triple its level in 2004. Globally, cash in circulation rose in 85% of currencies in 2024. The volume of currency that financial institutions need to process, sort, and distribute is not shrinking.
The cost of managing currency processing in-house
Unfit notes compound downstream
Notes that aren’t systematically sorted re-enter circulation and create downstream errors. Manual fitness sorting doesn't scale to institutional volume.
Multicurrency exposure multiplies detection risk
Every currency your institution adds multiplies counterfeit detection complexity. Manual protocols weren't built for that.
In-house infrastructure costs more than it returns
Processing equipment, vault space, and trained personnel across multiple locations tie up capital that rarely justifies internal ownership at scale.
What changes when Brink’s manages your currency processing
Processing accuracy across every denomination and currency
Brink's handles counting, validation, fitness sorting, wrapping, packing, and counterfeit detection across multiple currencies. Every note is processed to the same documented standard, at every facility, on every shipment.
Extended Custodian Inventory (ECI) management
Brink's ECI facilities let your institution hold USD on the Federal Reserve's books while Brink's stores it physically. Your Fed-book position stays intact, and your capital doesn't get tied up in inventory you're managing yourself.
Real-time visibility, not end-of-day reconciliation
Every order in transit is tracked through the Brink's 24SEVEN portal. Treasury and operations teams see the same real-time picture as it moves. No waiting for shipment confirmation, no manual reconciliation at close.
Global pickup and delivery through a single provider
Wherever currency is being sourced from or directed to, Brink's global network provides secure logistical support and courier services. One account team. One chain of custody. One reporting relationship across 100+ countries.
Our end-to-end cash processing capabilities
Brink's covers every stage of the currency lifecycle. These services operate as an integrated offering, not a menu of standalone products.
Fitness sorting
Systematic separation of fit and unfit notes to institutional quality standards.
Counterfeit detection
Advanced screening identifies suspect notes before they re-enter circulation.
Wrapping, packing, and shipment preparation
Currency prepared to your institution's specifications using purpose-built processing equipment.
ECI facilities
USD currency held on Federal Reserve books and physically stored in Brink's secure vaults.
Secure storage and vaulting
High-security, continuously monitored vault facilities store short- and long-term currency.
Track-and-trace visibility
Real-time digital transparency of every order in transit via the Brink's 24SEVEN portal.
Global pickup and delivery
Secure logistical support and courier services across Brink's international network.
All-risk insurance
Comprehensive cargo insurance coverage on all currency and valuables in Brink's care.
Custom pricing for global currency processing
Pricing is based on currency volume, number of currencies processed, service scope, and geographic coverage. Brink's quotes are custom, which means your operation's scale and requirements determine your price.
Most institutions find that partnering with Brink's reduces total cost of ownership compared to maintaining equivalent infrastructure across multiple locations. Your account team will map your current operation and build a cost comparison before you commit to anything.
Financial institutions that rely on Brink’s
If your business moves, stores, or distributes physical currency at scale, Brink's Cash Processing is built for your operation.
End-to-end processing, ECI facility management, and high-velocity transport of currency to and from the Federal Reserve and equivalent institutions worldwide.
Multi-currency processing and global distribution support for institutions managing cross-border currency operations and banknote supply chains.
Scalable cash processing and secure vaulting that reduce the cost and complexity of branch-level currency management across large networks.
Explore the full Brink’s portfolio
Cash processing is one part of a broader set of global services Brink's provides to financial institutions and central banks worldwide.
Bank Notes
End-to-end supply chain integrity for banknote production and distribution, from printing facility to vault.
Cash-in-Transit
Scheduled armored pickup, verified chain of custody, and real-time visibility for businesses and institutions handling serious cash volume.
Secure Logistics
Verified transport for high-value assets across borders, including precious metals, diamonds, pharmaceuticals, fine art, and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Brink's Cash Processing is designed for multi-currency operations, handling counting, validation, fitness sorting, and counterfeit detection across denominations and currencies within a single processing relationship.
An ECI facility lets your institution hold USD on the Federal Reserve's books while Brink's stores it physically. Your Fed-book position stays intact, and your capital doesn't get tied up in inventory you're managing yourself. Your account team can walk through the specific implications for your reserve structure.
Suspect notes identified during processing are segregated from fit currency and handled according to applicable regulatory and institutional requirements. Your account team can provide documentation of the detection and segregation process.
Yes. Brink's operates in more than 100 countries with 1,300 facilities worldwide. Your account team coordinates processing, storage, and distribution across your institution's global footprint through a single relationship.
Better currency management starts with one conversation
Talk to a Brink's specialist about your institution's processing volume, currency mix, and geographic footprint. We'll map your current operation and show you where Brink's delivers the most impact.