Commercial Safe Guide: Choosing a Safe for Your Business

The right commercial safes for your business are the ones rated for the amount of cash and stock you hold overnight, fitted with a lock that suits how your staff work, and bolted down in the right spot. Most businesses need one of five types: a deposit (drop) safe, a till drawer safe, a fire-resistant office safe, a high-security safe, or, for larger holdings, a strongroom or vault.

We have supplied safes to banks, government departments, retailers and offices for a combined 50+ years, and our Tullamarine showroom has over 350 new and used safes on display. This guide brings together what we cover with business owners every week so you can shortlist the right safe before you call us.

What this guide covers

• What makes a safe a commercial safe, and how it differs from a home safe
• Working out what you need to store and how much
• The main types of business safe and where each one fits
• Cash ratings, grades and what your insurer will look for
• Locks, dual control, time delay and audit trails
• Recommendations by business type
• Location, installation and anchoring
• Real price ranges from our current range
• New vs used, and what happens when you move or close

What makes a safe a commercial safe?

There is no single legal definition. In practice, commercial safes are built and rated for business risk: more cash, more people with access, and more attention from offenders. Compared with a typical home safe, you can expect heavier steel or composite bodies, higher cash ratings, larger capacities and locks that handle multiple users.

Many business safes also have features you rarely see on home models. Deposit chutes and drawers let staff drop cash without opening the safe. Dual-control locks need two people to open the door. Time-delay locks make the safe slower to open on demand, which reduces the payoff for a robbery. If you want a quick comparison of the categories most retailers and offices start with, our earlier article on the best commercial safes for retail stores and offices is a good primer.

Start with what you store and how much

Before you look at models, write down what will go in the safe and the maximum value at any one time. The figure that matters is your peak overnight holding, not your average. Think about the Friday before a long weekend, the end of a big event, or December trading.

Then list everything else that needs protecting:

• Cash: floats, takings, petty cash and change.
• Stock: jewellery, watches, phones, gold or other high-value goods.
• Documents and data: contracts, titles, cheque books, backup drives.
• Keys and access cards: vehicle keys, master keys, client keys.
• Regulated items: Schedule 8 medicines or firearms, which have their own storage rules.

This list usually points to more than one safe. A café might need a small deposit safe at the counter and a key cabinet in the office. A pharmacy needs a compliant drug safe as well as somewhere for the cash. Splitting roles between safes is common and often cheaper than one oversized unit.

Types of commercial safes and where each one fits

The table below gives a quick overview. Each type is explained in more detail underneath.

Deposit and drop safes

A deposit safe has a chute, drawer, rotary hopper or slot that lets staff put cash in without access to the contents. Only a manager or cash-in-transit crew can open the main door. It is the single most effective way to reduce the cash sitting in the till. Our guide to how deposit and drop safes work and which businesses need one explains the different deposit mechanisms and how to match them to your shifts. You can compare models in our deposit safes range.

Till drawer safes

Till drawer safes sit under the counter and hold the till drawer itself, or excess notes skimmed from the register during the day. They suit small shops and cafés that do not need a full deposit safe. Read our till drawer safes guide for placement, sizing and the staff routines that make them work, or browse the till drawer safe category.

Office and fire-resistant safes

Offices usually need to protect documents and data as much as cash. Many office safes combine a burglary rating with a fire rating, such as the Chubb Safes Viper range (30 minutes) or the Platinum Safes Director range (60 minutes). See our range of office safes for options, and our guide to fire ratings and fire-resistant safes for how fire ratings are tested and what they protect.

High-security safes

When the amount at risk climbs into six figures, you move into high-security territory. These safes use composite walls and hardplate to resist drilling, cutting and torch attack. Our short explainer what a TDR (torch and drill resistant) safe is covers the terminology, and the high-security safes range includes the CMI Commander series.

Key safes and key cabinets

Lost or copied keys cause a surprising number of business losses. A key cabinet organises keys; a key safe adds burglary resistance. Our comparison of key cabinets vs key safes for business explains which you need, and the key safes and cabinets category covers both.

Hotel and accommodation safes

In-room safes are designed for guests: simple codes, master override for management and, on some models, an audit trail of openings. We stock several compact hotel safes from Guardall and Secuguard. For the guest’s point of view, see whether hotel safes are really safe.

Strongrooms and vaults

When the stock or cash will not fit in a safe, or staff need to walk in, the answer is a strongroom: a reinforced room secured by a rated strongroom door. Our guide to strongroom and vault doors covers construction, door ratings, day gates and buying used. You can see current doors in our strongroom doors and vault doors categories, and complete units under vaults for sale.

Commercial safe ratings and insurance

Most safes sold in Australia carry an indicative cash rating, such as $10,001 to $20,000 or $200,001 to $300,000. It is a guide to how much cash an insurer may accept in that safe overnight, and it assumes the safe is installed as the manufacturer specifies, normally bolted down. Insurers can set different limits depending on whether the premises are alarmed and monitored, so treat the rating as a starting point for a conversation with your insurer, not a guarantee of cover.

Some safes are also tested to the European EN 1143-1 standard and carry a grade. In our range, the Chubb Europa safes come in Grade II, Grade III and Grade V versions. Graded safes are tested by independent laboratories, which is why many insurers like them for higher holdings.

Three practical rules:

1. Size the rating to your peak overnight holding, plus headroom.
2. Ask your insurer in writing what rating and installation they require before you buy.
3. Remember a fire rating and a cash rating measure different things. Our article on cash rating vs fire rating explains the difference.

For a deeper look at grades, SCEC classes and how to check a rating is genuine, read our guide to safe ratings, grades and SCEC classes. Our older post on insurance and safes also covers what to tell your insurer.

Locks, dual control and time delay

The lock is where security meets daily operations. A lock that is awkward for staff gets worked around; a lock that one person controls completely creates a single point of failure.

• Key locks are simple and need no batteries, but keys can be copied or lost.
• Mechanical combination locks are durable and battery-free but slower to use.
• Digital locks are quick, allow code changes, and many support multiple users.
• Dual control means two keys, two codes or a key plus a code, so no single person can open the safe. Models such as the Platinum Safes Manager and Defender dual-key versions are built this way.
• Time delay makes the safe wait a set period after the correct code before it opens. Victoria Police lists safes with dual keys and time delays among its cash handling advice for business owners.
• Audit trails and duress codes are available on advanced electronic locks. Our post on the Dormakaba Axessor safe lock shows what a networked multi-user lock can do.

Whatever lock you choose, manage the codes. Change them when staff leave and on a regular schedule. Our article sets out a sensible schedule for changing safe codes.

Choosing a business safe by industry

Retail shops

Most shops need a deposit safe or till drawer safe at the counter, plus a rated safe in the back office for the float and banking. Our retail safes category groups the models designed for counters and back rooms. Pair the hardware with good routines; our guide to cash handling best practice for small retail businesses covers drops, dual control, banking runs and staff training.

Pubs, cafés and restaurants

Hospitality venues juggle floats for several registers, shift takings, tips and sometimes gaming cash, all with rotating staff. Our article on choosing a safe for a pub, café or restaurant walks through float storage, deposit safes for end-of-shift takings, key control and accommodation room safes.

Jewellers and pawnbrokers

Overnight stock values are high and insurers usually set the requirements. Expect to look at high-security safes, time locks, alarm monitoring and, for larger stores, a strongroom. Read safes for jewellers and pawnbrokers for how ratings and insurance fit together.

Offices and professional services

Accountants, lawyers, real estate agents and clinics typically need fire protection for records and data, moderate cash protection and good key control. A fire-rated office safe plus a key cabinet covers most needs.

Pharmacies, clinics and aged care

Schedule 8 medicines must be stored according to state and territory rules, which often specify the safe’s construction and fixing. Start with our drug safe guide rather than a general commercial safe.

Government and defence suppliers

Agencies storing classified information need SCEC-endorsed containers, listed in our SCEC government safes category. We also accept official government purchase orders.

Location, installation and anchoring

Where the safe goes affects both security and how well staff use it. A deposit safe needs to be within reach of the counter but out of customers’ sight. A main safe is usually better in a back office, away from the entrance and out of view of windows.

Check these before you buy:

• Floor: a concrete slab is ideal. Upper floors and suspended timber floors need their load capacity checked for heavy safes.
• Access: doorways, stairs, lifts and tight corners on the delivery path.
• Door swing and handle projection: leave room to open the door fully and allow for the handle, which our product pages list.
• Anchoring: most rated safes have pre-drilled holes in the base for bolting to the slab.

Bolting is not optional for a business safe. It is what turns a heavy box into one that cannot be carried off, and it is usually a condition of the rating. Our article do I need to bolt down my safe? explains why. Our safe delivery and installation service covers delivery, positioning and anchoring in Melbourne and through our national network. If you are weighing up a concealed unit, see wall safes vs floor safes for homes and businesses.

How much do commercial safes cost?

Price follows rating, size and lock type. The figures below are starting prices in our range at the time of writing. Prices change, so check the product page or ask us for a current quote.

The cheapest safe that meets your insurer’s requirement is not always the best value. A safe with a higher rating than you need today can save buying a second safe when the business grows. We also offer a price beat guarantee on the safes we sell.

New or used commercial safes?

Commercial safes are built to last decades, so a well-maintained used safe can be excellent value, particularly for heavy, high-rated models where the saving is largest. Our used safes for sale change regularly as we take safes back from businesses that relocate or close.

Before you buy any used safe, confirm the make, model and rating, check the lock and bolt work, and make sure the codes or keys are handed over and reset. Our used safe buyer’s checklist goes through each step.

When you move, renovate or close

Safes outlive leases. When you move premises, a commercial safe needs to be unbolted, moved with the right equipment and re-anchored. Our business safe relocation service handles moves across Melbourne and through our network, and we regularly help other locksmiths who do not have safe-moving equipment.

If you are closing or downsizing, read our guide on decommissioning a safe when your business closes, then book safe removal. And if a lock fails or codes are lost, our safe repair and opening team can help.

Commercial safes in Melbourne and Australia-wide

Our showroom and factory at 38 Barrie Rd, Tullamarine has over 350 new and used safes on display, including deposit safes, high-security safes and strongroom doors. You are welcome to come in, see the safes in person and talk through your requirements. We stock CMI, Guardall, Platinum, Chubb, Stronghold, Secuguard and other leading brands, deliver Australia-wide, and install in Melbourne and through our national network. You can also browse the full commercial safes range online.

Related guides

• Choosing a safe for your home: for owners who also want protection at home.
• Guide to safe installation, moving and repair services: what each service involves and when you need it.
• Firearm storage rules by state: for businesses and collectors storing firearms.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a commercial safe and a home safe?

A commercial safe is built for daily business use and for the amounts of cash and stock businesses hold. Most have heavier bodies, higher cash ratings, multi-user or dual-control locks and, in many cases, deposit features so staff can drop cash without opening the safe. Home safes are generally smaller and lighter, with simpler locks suited to one household.

What cash rating does my business safe need?

Work out the most cash and valuables you would ever hold in the safe overnight, including peak trading periods, then ask your insurer what cash rating they require for that amount at your premises. Insurers can set different conditions for alarmed and unalarmed sites. Choose a safe rated at or above that figure, leaving some headroom for growth.

Do commercial safes need to be bolted down?

In almost every case, yes. Bolting stops the safe being carried off and is commonly a condition of the cash rating and of insurance cover. Safes are usually anchored to a concrete slab with heavy-duty anchors through the pre-drilled holes in the base. A professional installer will check the floor, position and access before fixing the safe in place.

How much does a commercial safe cost?

In our range, simple deposit and counter units start from a few hundred dollars, rated drop and deposit safes from around $850, fire-resistant office safes from around $1,300, and high-security safes from around $2,900. Strongroom doors start from around $6,350. Prices change, so check the product page or call us for a current quote.

Can I buy a used commercial safe?

Yes. Used commercial safes can be good value, especially for heavier, higher-rated models. Check the make, model and rating plate, confirm the lock has been serviced and the codes reset, and ask whether your insurer will accept the rating. We sell inspected used safes and can deliver and install them like a new safe.

Talk to us about the right safe for your business

Bring your list of what you need to store, and the rating your insurer wants, to our Tullamarine showroom, or call us on 0409 860 011 (Mon to Fri, 9am to 5pm). We will help you shortlist the right safe and organise delivery and installation. You can also send us an enquiry through our contact page.