When selecting a tamper evident deposit bag, quality is the most important consideration. The bag must be strong enough to hold the amount of cash for deposit without breaking or tearing. A permanent seal or locked seal ensures that the tamper evident deposit bag is secure while in transit to the bank. The best bags are designed with an alert system that reveals any attempt to open them. Deposit bags should also be marked with control numbers in more than one location, and include a tear-off receipt to enable tracking of the people who handle them.
Night deposit bags that can resist extreme heat or cold, and those made of plastic polymers that stretch instead of tear if someone attempts to open them, are best. Single use bags should be marked with numbers that can be compared to a control log. The best tamper evident deposit bags include a designated spot for the signature of the person who placed the deposit inside.
Tamper evident deposit bags were developed in the 1980s to help banks, retail stores, police agencies, and armored car businesses transport money safely and securely. Some churches also use this type of deposit bag to store offerings collected during services. Once the bags are sealed, they have various features that indicate if they have been opened. Some bags display the word "void" to indicate someone tried to tamper with it.
In some countries, tamper evident deposit bags are allowed to store duty-free liquids purchased abroad. Vendors of liquids in various countries use these types of bags when selling duty-free products at airports. In the past, passengers were required to surrender duty-free liquids for security reasons.
Bags similar to tamper evident deposit bags are used by police departments to hold forensic evidence and maintain the chain of evidence protocol used in courts. Serial numbers in sequential order maintain multiple samples or pieces of evidence in a single investigative case. The bags used by law enforcement also provide ample sections for multiple signatures of those handling the evidence.
Buying quality tamper evident deposit bags is the first step to ensure that money is secure. Those handling the bags should be trained in their proper use and control. Unused bags, or those that are damaged, should be accounted for, along with maintaining used bags for a predetermined period of time. Paperwork that verifies each transaction should be held in a safe place.