Sometimes, if the line’s long, I figure out the exact total (with the tax) before the cashier even finishes scanning, and when he or she tells me the amount, I say, “Yes, you’re right,” as I hand it over exactly.
But usually I just use a debit card.
Unless you pay at a drive-thru window. Then if you give the cashier the bills first and the change all in one hand, the coins slide off the paper and fall to the ground outside the drive-thru window. Then someone has to go outside and pick up the change when the drive-thru rush slows down. Unless you’re one of the considerate customers who hands over the change and bills separately. And don’t worry about slowing things down. Drive-thru cashiers are trained to cash out multiple orders in succession and count change as the customer arrives at the window. They don’t need to enter the amount tendered into the cash register to figure out the correct change.
Then I would hand the hundred back and say, “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m not allowed to take any bills larger than a twenty. Do you have anything smaller?” 
Announcing the change seems to save a bit of time. The cashier can just visually verify that the change looks about right versus having to count it out. So if I hand the cashier a bunch of dimes, nickles and pennies and say it’s $.72, they will usually take me at my word if the change looks about right.
I don’t see anything wrong with it. Communication rarely hurts and cashiers are grateful to know the amount you’ve given in advance, even if they are going to check.
I do it.
I announce it.
It’s not that I doubt the cashier’s abilities. It’s as much a double-check for me as for them - by getting my own count and saying it out loud, I’m making sure I counted things right.
It’s also a way of avoiding any scams about change. The scam can go either way - I hand over a $10 and then insist after the fact that it was a $20, or the cashier could get a $20 and make change like it was only a $10. By stating the value, the cashier knows I’m not going to cheat them, and that they can’t cheat me.
This is true. And every single cashier in the US does it wrong. On top of that, they put the receipt on top of the coins, so you have paper then coins then paper. I hate that.
I only do it if I’m going for the coins.
If the cost is $11.35, If I hand over a $20 there’s no announcement. If I have coins in the pocket however, I’ll hand them the note first and say “There’s ten”, and then dig through the pocket until I find something approximating correct weight and hand that over with the announcement.
I don’t get why coins first though.
Again, if handing money at a drive-thru, the cashier can hold the coins securely in the cup of their hand without dropping it. If you hand the bills over, then the change on top, the coins slide off the bills and the cashier drops them all over the ground. I imagine polymer bills are even slicker than paper. I’ve had this happen to me more often than I can count. So, if you’re in a drive-thru, please hand over the coins first. Or if you hand the bills first and allow the cashier to get them inside, then hand the coins over separately, that’s OK, too. But don’t hand over the coins on top of the bills all in one handful.
I always do this. If the person in line in front of me can waste 10 minutes of the whole line’s time being demanding about their food, I’m free to use that dead time to calculate my purchase plus tax and, when its my turn, to hand them exact change.
If the line can take it when the finicky cat can go through 3/4 of the menu item by item & ask if the fish is fresh, then they can take it when I hand over exact change. 'Nuff said.
I’ll hand over enough paper money to cover it and then say “Hang on, I think I have some change” while I’m digging into my change pocket.
Always do that. I made a point of it once I got intentionally short changed years back. (I knew it was intentional when it happened twice in a row - I had even marked my $20 in anticipation of possible shenanigans, which ended up occurring.)
I think I can count on one hand the number of times in my life that I’ve handed over coins to make the exact payment; in the rare occasion that I’m not paying with a credit card, I’ll hand over the bill and if I get change, drop it in the tips/coins cup if there is one.
And when a cashier is clueless enough to hand me bills, then change, then the receipt (which is usually), I don’t feel bad about putting down my merchandise on the counter, sorting everything into its proper receptacle or pocket, then grabbing the receipt and merch and leaving. The folks behind me may grumble, but if I don’t do that I’m invariably going to drop something on the way to the car when I’m also trying to fish my car keys out of my pocket with hands full of crap, thanks to the cashier.
I do bills then coins, and announce it. That’s also how I preferred it in my cashier days.
Sometimes.
I do this. It’s usually of the format of:
“That’ll be $8.35”
“Okay. Here’s 8… and…uhm… 50.” (Or occasionally 35, but I’m one of those people who will give MORE change than owed because I’d rather get a couple of coins back than a big pile of coins back.)
I also sometimes do the “Out of 20.” or, if I’m at the farmer’s market “Sorry, all I’ve got is a 20.” thing as well.
I don’t really know why. It just makes me feel good to say something.
I usually just stuff the coins, bills, and receipt into my front pocket. Saves time for the people behind me.
I really despise drive-thru cashiers who pile the change and receipt on top of the bills. Probably as much as they despise people that do that to them.
Maybe a transaction etiquette book is in order.
I do it because I want to announce that I’m giving them change, because, if I don’t, I have had them not notice I’ve done so, and give me actual coins back. I guess I could just say “I’m giving you change,” but saying the amount seems more natural.
Cashiers don’t seem to expect that situation. It’s either exact change or a number of bills.
As a cashier, it kind of annoys me when people do it but, in the grand scheme, it’s not a big deal.
That’s why the cashier should never put the customer’s money in the till until the change is given back and the customer is satisfied with it. I used to try to teach the new cashiers that all the time but was mostly ignored. I’m just waiting until someone shortchanges them and I can say: “I told you so.”.
Generalize much? I’m a cashier and I don’t do it that way.
Same here. Bills first then fish around my change pocket, then annouce as I count the change.