diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/DailyCashUp.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/DailyCashUp.tsx
index 6074b9c..ae6a1c2 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/DailyCashUp.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/DailyCashUp.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { useState } from 'react'
+import { useState, useEffect } from 'react'
 import { RefreshCw, Save, CheckCircle, Loader } from 'lucide-react'
 import { api } from '../api'
 import { PageHeader, Card, Btn, StatusBadge } from '../components/Layout'
@@ -31,8 +31,12 @@ function denomTotal(denoms: Denomination[]) {
 
 interface Props { user: User }
 
+// flow: checking → empty (no record) | editing (draft) | locked (final)
+type PageState = 'checking' | 'empty' | 'editing' | 'locked'
+
 export function DailyCashUp({ user: _user }: Props) {
   const [date, setDate] = useState(today())
+  const [pageState, setPageState] = useState<PageState>('checking')
   const [cashUp, setCashUp] = useState<CashUp | null>(null)
   const [takings, setTakings] = useState<Denomination[]>(initDenominations('takings'))
   const [float, setFloat] = useState<Denomination[]>(initDenominations('float'))
@@ -43,60 +47,49 @@ export function DailyCashUp({ user: _user }: Props) {
   const [tillPayments, setTillPayments] = useState<TillPayment[]>([])
   const [fetching, setFetching] = useState(false)
   const [saving, setSaving] = useState(false)
-  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false)
   const [msg, setMsg] = useState<{ text: string; ok: boolean } | null>(null)
   const [showFloat, setShowFloat] = useState(false)
 
-  const isFinal = cashUp?.status === 'final'
+  const isFinal = pageState === 'locked'
 
   function flash(text: string, ok = true) {
     setMsg({ text, ok })
     setTimeout(() => setMsg(null), 4000)
   }
 
-  async function loadExisting() {
-    setLoading(true)
-    try {
-      const data = await api.get<{
-        cash_up: CashUp; denominations: Denomination[]; card_machines: CardMachine[];
-        reconciliation: ReconciliationRow[]; attachments: Attachment[]
-      }>(`/cashup?date=${date}`)
+  function applyLoaded(data: {
+    cash_up: CashUp; denominations: Denomination[]; card_machines: CardMachine[]; attachments: Attachment[]
+  }) {
+    setCashUp(data.cash_up)
+    setNotes(data.cash_up.notes || '')
+    setAttachments(data.attachments || [])
 
-      setCashUp(data.cash_up)
-      setNotes(data.cash_up.notes || '')
-      setAttachments(data.attachments || [])
+    const rebuild = (ct: 'takings' | 'float') =>
+      GBP_DENOMINATIONS.map(d => {
+        const saved = data.denominations.find(
+          s => s.count_type === ct && parseFloat(String(s.denomination_value)) === d.value
+        )
+        return saved
+          ? { ...saved, denomination_value: d.value }
+          : { count_type: ct, denomination_type: d.type, denomination_value: d.value, quantity: null, value_entered: null, total_amount: 0 }
+      })
 
-      // Rebuild denomination grids from saved data
-      const rebuild = (ct: 'takings' | 'float') =>
-        GBP_DENOMINATIONS.map(d => {
-          const saved = data.denominations.find(
-            s => s.count_type === ct && parseFloat(String(s.denomination_value)) === d.value
-          )
-          return saved
-            ? { ...saved, denomination_value: d.value }
-            : { count_type: ct, denomination_type: d.type, denomination_value: d.value, quantity: null, value_entered: null, total_amount: 0 }
-        })
+    setTakings(rebuild('takings'))
+    setFloat(rebuild('float'))
 
-      setTakings(rebuild('takings'))
-      setFloat(rebuild('float'))
-
-      if (data.card_machines.length) {
-        setMachines(MACHINES.map(name => {
-          const m = data.card_machines.find(c => c.machine_name === name)
-          return m ?? { machine_name: name, total_amount: 0, amex_amount: 0, visa_mc_amount: 0 }
-        }))
-      }
-
-      flash('Loaded existing cash up.')
-    } catch (e: unknown) {
-      if (e instanceof Error && e.message === 'Not found') flash('No cash up for this date.', false)
-      else flash('Failed to load.', false)
-    } finally {
-      setLoading(false)
+    if (data.card_machines.length) {
+      setMachines(MACHINES.map(name => {
+        const m = data.card_machines.find(c => c.machine_name === name)
+        return m ?? { machine_name: name, total_amount: 0, amex_amount: 0, visa_mc_amount: 0 }
+      }))
     }
+
+    setPageState(data.cash_up.status === 'final' ? 'locked' : 'editing')
   }
 
-  function reset() {
+  // Auto-check on mount and whenever date changes
+  useEffect(() => {
+    setPageState('checking')
     setCashUp(null)
     setTakings(initDenominations('takings'))
     setFloat(initDenominations('float'))
@@ -105,7 +98,17 @@ export function DailyCashUp({ user: _user }: Props) {
     setAttachments([])
     setNewbookTotals(null)
     setTillPayments([])
-  }
+
+    api.get<{
+      cash_up: CashUp; denominations: Denomination[]; card_machines: CardMachine[];
+      reconciliation: ReconciliationRow[]; attachments: Attachment[]
+    }>(`/cashup?date=${date}`)
+      .then(data => applyLoaded(data))
+      .catch(e => {
+        if (e instanceof Error && e.message === 'Not found') setPageState('empty')
+        else { flash('Failed to load data for this date.', false); setPageState('empty') }
+      })
+  }, [date])
 
   function updateDenom(list: Denomination[], setList: (d: Denomination[]) => void, idx: number, field: 'quantity' | 'value_entered', raw: string) {
     const val = raw === '' ? null : parseFloat(raw)
@@ -174,6 +177,7 @@ export function DailyCashUp({ user: _user }: Props) {
       flash(result.message)
       if (status === 'final') {
         setCashUp(prev => prev ? { ...prev, status: 'final' } : null)
+        setPageState('locked')
       }
     } catch (e: unknown) {
       flash(e instanceof Error ? e.message : 'Save failed.', false)
@@ -196,8 +200,7 @@ export function DailyCashUp({ user: _user }: Props) {
 
   return (
     <div style={{ padding: '1.5rem', maxWidth: '900px' }}>
-      <PageHeader title="Daily Cash Up" subtitle={cashUp ? `Status: ` : undefined} />
-      {cashUp && <div style={{ marginTop: '-1rem', marginBottom: '1rem' }}><StatusBadge status={cashUp.status} /></div>}
+      <PageHeader title="Daily Cash Up" />
 
       {msg && (
         <div style={{
@@ -213,19 +216,40 @@ export function DailyCashUp({ user: _user }: Props) {
       <Card style={{ marginBottom: '1rem', display: 'flex', alignItems: 'center', gap: '1rem', flexWrap: 'wrap' }}>
         <div>
           <label style={{ fontSize: '0.8rem', color: 'var(--text-mid)', display: 'block', marginBottom: '0.25rem' }}>Business Date</label>
-          <input type="date" value={date} disabled={isFinal}
-            onChange={e => { setDate(e.target.value); reset() }}
+          <input type="date" value={date}
+            onChange={e => setDate(e.target.value)}
             style={{ border: '1px solid var(--card-border)', borderRadius: '6px', padding: '0.45rem 0.75rem', fontSize: '0.9rem' }}
           />
         </div>
-        <div style={{ display: 'flex', gap: '0.5rem', alignItems: 'flex-end', paddingBottom: '1px' }}>
-          <Btn onClick={loadExisting} disabled={loading || isFinal} variant="secondary" small>
-            {loading ? 'Loading…' : 'Load Existing'}
-          </Btn>
-          {cashUp && <Btn onClick={reset} variant="ghost" small>New</Btn>}
-        </div>
+        {cashUp && <div style={{ paddingBottom: '1px' }}><StatusBadge status={cashUp.status} /></div>}
       </Card>
 
+      {/* Checking */}
+      {pageState === 'checking' && (
+        <div style={{ color: 'var(--text-mid)', padding: '2rem 0', textAlign: 'center' }}>Loading…</div>
+      )}
+
+      {/* No cash up for this date */}
+      {pageState === 'empty' && (
+        <Card style={{ textAlign: 'center', padding: '2.5rem 1.5rem' }}>
+          <p style={{ color: 'var(--text-mid)', marginBottom: '1.25rem' }}>No cash up recorded for this date.</p>
+          <Btn onClick={() => setPageState('editing')}>Start Cash Up</Btn>
+        </Card>
+      )}
+
+      {/* Locked banner */}
+      {pageState === 'locked' && (
+        <div style={{
+          background: '#f0fdf4', border: '1px solid #bbf7d0', borderRadius: '6px',
+          padding: '0.75rem 1rem', marginBottom: '1rem', fontSize: '0.875rem',
+          color: '#16a34a', display: 'flex', alignItems: 'center', gap: '0.5rem',
+        }}>
+          <CheckCircle size={15} /> This cash up has been finalised and is locked.
+        </div>
+      )}
+
+      {(pageState === 'editing' || pageState === 'locked') && <>
+
       {/* Cash denomination — Takings */}
       <Card style={{ marginBottom: '1rem' }}>
         <div style={{ display: 'flex', justifyContent: 'space-between', alignItems: 'center', marginBottom: '1rem' }}>
@@ -363,7 +387,7 @@ export function DailyCashUp({ user: _user }: Props) {
       </Card>
 
       {/* Action buttons */}
-      {!isFinal && (
+      {pageState === 'editing' && (
         <div style={{ display: 'flex', gap: '0.75rem' }}>
           <Btn onClick={() => save('draft')} disabled={saving} variant="secondary">
             <Save size={14} style={{ marginRight: '0.4rem' }} />
@@ -376,11 +400,7 @@ export function DailyCashUp({ user: _user }: Props) {
         </div>
       )}
 
-      {isFinal && (
-        <div style={{ color: 'var(--text-mid)', fontSize: '0.875rem', fontStyle: 'italic' }}>
-          This cash up has been finalised and cannot be edited.
-        </div>
-      )}
+      </> /* end editing | locked */}
 
       <style>{`@keyframes spin { from { transform: rotate(0deg) } to { transform: rotate(360deg) } }`}</style>
     </div>