diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/DailyCashUp.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/DailyCashUp.tsx
index f3aa284..8375b57 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/DailyCashUp.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/DailyCashUp.tsx
@@ -53,7 +53,9 @@ export function DailyCashUp({ user }: Props) {
   const [fetching, setFetching] = useState(false)
   const [saving, setSaving] = useState(false)
   const [msg, setMsg] = useState<{ text: string; ok: boolean } | null>(null)
-  const [showFloat, setShowFloat] = useState(false)
+  const [showFloat, setShowFloat] = useState(true)
+  const [autoSaveMsg, setAutoSaveMsg] = useState('')
+  const autoSaveFnRef = useRef<() => void>(() => {})
 
   const isFinal = pageState === 'locked'
 
@@ -98,6 +100,33 @@ export function DailyCashUp({ user }: Props) {
     setPageState(data.cash_up.status === 'final' ? 'locked' : 'editing')
   }
 
+  // Auto-save ref — updated every render so the interval always captures latest state
+  autoSaveFnRef.current = () => {
+    if (pageState !== 'editing' || saving) return
+    const allDenoms = [...takings, ...float].filter(d => d.total_amount > 0)
+    if (allDenoms.length === 0 && machines.every(m => m.total_amount === 0) && !notes) return
+    api.post('/cashup/save', {
+      session_date: date, status: 'draft', notes, checked_transactions: [...checkedItems],
+      denominations: allDenoms.map(d => ({
+        count_type: d.count_type, type: d.denomination_type, value: d.denomination_value,
+        quantity: d.quantity, value_entered: d.value_entered, total_amount: d.total_amount,
+      })),
+      card_machines: machines.map(m => ({
+        name: m.machine_name, total: m.total_amount, amex: m.amex_amount, visa_mc: m.visa_mc_amount,
+      })),
+    }).then(() => {
+      setAutoSaveMsg('Auto-saved at ' + new Date().toLocaleTimeString('en-GB', { hour: '2-digit', minute: '2-digit' }))
+      setTimeout(() => setAutoSaveMsg(''), 5000)
+    }).catch(() => {})
+  }
+
+  // Run auto-save every 60 s while editing
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (pageState !== 'editing') return
+    const interval = setInterval(() => autoSaveFnRef.current(), 60_000)
+    return () => clearInterval(interval)
+  }, [pageState])
+
   // Fetch till float target once on mount
   useEffect(() => {
     api.get<{ till_float_target?: string }>('/settings')
@@ -230,6 +259,9 @@ export function DailyCashUp({ user }: Props) {
   const totalPdq = machines.reduce((s, m) => s + m.total_amount, 0)
   const floatCounted = denomTotal(float)
   const floatVariance = tillFloatTarget > 0 ? floatCounted - tillFloatTarget : null
+  // Combined PDQ variance: accounts for Visa/Amex split being misallocated between machines
+  const pdqCombinedReported = newbookTotals ? newbookTotals.manual_visa_mc + newbookTotals.manual_amex : 0
+  const pdqCombinedVariance = totalPdq - pdqCombinedReported
 
   return (
     <div style={{ padding: '1.5rem', maxWidth: '900px' }}>
@@ -283,16 +315,7 @@ export function DailyCashUp({ user }: Props) {
 
       {(pageState === 'editing' || pageState === 'locked') && <>
 
-      {/* Cash denomination — Takings */}
-      <Card style={{ marginBottom: '1rem' }}>
-        <div style={{ display: 'flex', justifyContent: 'space-between', alignItems: 'center', marginBottom: '1rem' }}>
-          <h2 style={{ fontSize: '1rem', fontWeight: 700 }}>Cash Takings</h2>
-          <span style={{ fontWeight: 700, fontSize: '1.1rem' }}>{fmtGBP(denomTotal(takings))}</span>
-        </div>
-        <DenomGrid denoms={takings} onChange={(i, f, v) => updateDenom(takings, setTakings, i, f, v)} disabled={isFinal} tabBase={0} />
-      </Card>
-
-      {/* Float (collapsible) */}
+      {/* Float Count — shown first so staff confirm float before counting takings */}
       <Card style={{ marginBottom: '1rem' }}>
         <button onClick={() => setShowFloat(f => !f)} style={{
           display: 'flex', justifyContent: 'space-between', alignItems: 'center',
@@ -320,6 +343,15 @@ export function DailyCashUp({ user }: Props) {
         )}
       </Card>
 
+      {/* Cash denomination — Takings */}
+      <Card style={{ marginBottom: '1rem' }}>
+        <div style={{ display: 'flex', justifyContent: 'space-between', alignItems: 'center', marginBottom: '1rem' }}>
+          <h2 style={{ fontSize: '1rem', fontWeight: 700 }}>Cash Takings</h2>
+          <span style={{ fontWeight: 700, fontSize: '1.1rem' }}>{fmtGBP(denomTotal(takings))}</span>
+        </div>
+        <DenomGrid denoms={takings} onChange={(i, f, v) => updateDenom(takings, setTakings, i, f, v)} disabled={isFinal} tabBase={0} />
+      </Card>
+
       {/* Card Machines */}
       <Card style={{ marginBottom: '1rem' }}>
         <div style={{ display: 'flex', justifyContent: 'space-between', alignItems: 'center', marginBottom: '1rem' }}>
@@ -387,23 +419,44 @@ export function DailyCashUp({ user }: Props) {
             <table style={{ width: '100%', fontSize: '0.875rem', borderCollapse: 'collapse' }}>
               <thead>
                 <tr style={{ borderBottom: '2px solid var(--card-border)' }}>
-                  {['Category', 'Banked', 'Reported', 'Variance'].map(h => (
-                    <th key={h} style={{ padding: '0.4rem 0.5rem', textAlign: h === 'Category' ? 'left' : 'right', color: 'var(--text-mid)', fontWeight: 600 }}>{h}</th>
-                  ))}
+                  <th style={{ padding: '0.4rem 0.5rem', textAlign: 'left',  color: 'var(--text-mid)', fontWeight: 600 }}>Category</th>
+                  <th style={{ padding: '0.4rem 0.5rem', textAlign: 'right', color: 'var(--text-mid)', fontWeight: 600 }}>Banked</th>
+                  <th style={{ padding: '0.4rem 0.5rem', textAlign: 'right', color: 'var(--text-mid)', fontWeight: 600 }}>Reported</th>
+                  <th style={{ padding: '0.4rem 0.5rem', textAlign: 'right', color: 'var(--text-mid)', fontWeight: 600 }}>Variance</th>
+                  <th style={{ padding: '0.4rem 0.5rem', textAlign: 'right', color: 'var(--text-mid)', fontWeight: 600, borderLeft: '2px solid var(--card-border)', whiteSpace: 'nowrap' }}>Card Total</th>
                 </tr>
               </thead>
               <tbody>
-                {recon.map(row => {
-                  const variance = row.banked_amount - row.reported_amount
-                  const varColor = Math.abs(variance) < 0.01 ? 'var(--text-mid)' : variance > 0 ? 'var(--success)' : 'var(--danger)'
+                {recon.map((row, i) => {
+                  const v = row.banked_amount - row.reported_amount
+                  const fmtV = (n: number) => Math.abs(n) < 0.01 ? '—' : (n > 0 ? '+' : '') + fmtGBP(Math.abs(n))
+                  const vCss = (n: number): React.CSSProperties => ({
+                    padding: '0.5rem', textAlign: 'right', fontWeight: 600,
+                    color: Math.abs(n) < 0.01 ? '#16a34a' : n < 0 ? '#dc2626' : '#16a34a',
+                    background: Math.abs(n) < 0.01 ? '#f0fdf4' : n < 0 ? '#fef2f2' : '#f0fdf4',
+                  })
+                  // Second row of each card group — Total Variance cell covered by rowSpan above
+                  const isGroupSecond = i === 2 || i === 4
+                  // First row of PDQ group (i=1) → rowSpan=2 showing combined PDQ variance
+                  const isPDQFirst = i === 1
+                  // First row of Gateway group (i=3) → rowSpan=2 (Gateway always auto-matches)
+                  const isGWFirst = i === 3
+                  const combinedV = isPDQFirst ? pdqCombinedVariance : 0
                   return (
                     <tr key={row.category} style={{ borderBottom: '1px solid var(--card-border)' }}>
                       <td style={{ padding: '0.5rem' }}>{row.category}</td>
                       <td style={{ padding: '0.5rem', textAlign: 'right' }}>{fmtGBP(row.banked_amount)}</td>
                       <td style={{ padding: '0.5rem', textAlign: 'right' }}>{fmtGBP(row.reported_amount)}</td>
-                      <td style={{ padding: '0.5rem', textAlign: 'right', color: varColor, fontWeight: 600 }}>
-                        {Math.abs(variance) < 0.01 ? '—' : (variance > 0 ? '+' : '') + fmtGBP(Math.abs(variance))}
-                      </td>
+                      <td style={vCss(v)}>{fmtV(v)}</td>
+                      {!isGroupSecond && (
+                        <td rowSpan={isPDQFirst || isGWFirst ? 2 : 1}
+                          style={{ ...vCss(isPDQFirst ? pdqCombinedVariance : v), borderLeft: '2px solid var(--card-border)', verticalAlign: 'middle' }}>
+                          {fmtV(isPDQFirst ? pdqCombinedVariance : v)}
+                          {isPDQFirst && Math.abs(combinedV) < 0.01 && Math.abs(v) >= 0.01 && (
+                            <div style={{ fontSize: '0.65rem', fontWeight: 400, color: '#16a34a', marginTop: '0.2rem' }}>split only</div>
+                          )}
+                        </td>
+                      )}
                     </tr>
                   )
                 })}
@@ -487,7 +540,7 @@ export function DailyCashUp({ user }: Props) {
 
       {/* Action buttons */}
       {pageState === 'editing' && (
-        <div style={{ display: 'flex', gap: '0.75rem', alignItems: 'center' }}>
+        <div style={{ display: 'flex', gap: '0.75rem', alignItems: 'center', flexWrap: 'wrap' }}>
           <Btn onClick={() => save('draft')} disabled={saving} variant="secondary">
             <Save size={14} style={{ marginRight: '0.4rem' }} />
             {saving ? 'Saving…' : 'Save Draft'}
@@ -502,6 +555,11 @@ export function DailyCashUp({ user }: Props) {
               Save as draft — a manager with finalise permission will submit it.
             </span>
           )}
+          {autoSaveMsg && (
+            <span style={{ fontSize: '0.75rem', color: 'var(--text-mid)', marginLeft: 'auto' }}>
+              ✓ {autoSaveMsg}
+            </span>
+          )}
         </div>
       )}