Order and Pay: let customers order and pay from their phone

How customers order

A customer sits down and scans the QR code on the table. The table number is already filled in. They pick their food and drink, add it to the basket and pay on their phone. Nothing to download.

They can also use your order link without a code. That is handy for people ordering ahead. They choose how they are ordering: Eat in, Collection or Delivery, whichever you have switched on.

At checkout they can type an offer code or a gift voucher code, add a tip if you have that turned on, and confirm they are 18 or over for alcohol. The order only reaches your screen once it is paid, so you never make something nobody pays for.

Takeaway and delivery

Takeaway is called Collection in the app. The customer orders ahead and is told roughly how long it will be, using the "Ready in (minutes)" time you set. They can ask for it as soon as possible or pick a time.

Delivery is for people near you. You set a delivery charge, a minimum order and how many miles you will deliver. Customers type their postcode first, and anyone too far away is politely told no. Our takeaway and delivery guide has the details.

Kitchen and bar screens

Orders show up on a screen you leave open on a tablet or old laptop. There is an All orders screen, a Kitchen screen and a Bar screen. Each menu section is set to be made by the kitchen or the bar, so food goes to one screen and drinks to the other. Use one screen, or both. See the screens guide.

What it costs

• £10 a month as an add-on on top of the Pro plan.
• £19.99 a month on its own (the "Ordering only" plan) if you do not take table bookings.
• 14 days free to try it. It is automatic, so you do not need to ask anyone.
• No limit on orders and no fee per order from Tablez.
• One venue per subscription. A second venue needs its own.

The money from your customers goes straight to your own Stripe, PayPal, SumUp or Square account. Tablez never holds it and never takes a cut. Those companies charge their usual card fees.

How to start your free trial

1. Log in as the owner. In the menu on the left, under Booking page, press Order and Pay. Only the owner login sees this.
2. On a Pro plan you will see "Try Order and Pay free for 14 days". Press Start my free trial. No card is needed to start.
3. Press Menu in the left hand menu and add your sections and items.
4. Back on Order and Pay, under "Getting paid", connect Stripe, PayPal, SumUp or Square.
5. Tick Switch ordering on and press Save.
6. Press Orders in the left hand menu, then QR codes, press Print sheet and stick one on each table.

Not on Pro yet? The same box shows two ways in, both with 14 days free: upgrade to Pro and add Order and Pay for £10 a month, or take the Ordering only plan at £19.99 a month. If you do nothing when the free time ends, it switches itself off and you are not charged. To keep it, pay with PayPal (or a card through PayPal) from the same page. You can cancel the renewal any time.

Watch it instead

Prefer to see it done? There is a short video of this on the video guides page. More on the same topic: building your menu, turning on ordering, Pricing.