Service and packing charges by order type

Charges that follow the order type

A takeout order uses containers, bags and cutlery that a dine-in order does not. A catering order needs setup and service time. These costs are tied to the kind of order, not to any one item, so adding a product called Container to every takeout order is clumsy and easy to forget. SeroPOS ties the charge to the type of service instead.

Each type of service, such as Dine-in, Takeaway, Delivery or Catering, can have a packing or service charge. When staff start an order by tapping that service card on the home screen, the charge is added to the order. Dine-in can carry nothing while takeout carries a container fee and catering carries a percentage service charge.

Setting up a charge

Open Types of Service in the web back office, or in the Admin hub on the till, and edit the type. Enter the packing charge and choose whether it is a fixed amount, such as $0.50 per order, or a percentage of the order, such as 10 percent for catering. Save, and tills pick up the change after their next sync.

Each type can also use a selling price group for each location. Some businesses use price groups for delivery and a packing charge for takeout; others use both together. Types of service are a restaurant feature and are hidden in Retail Mode, which suits shops that never charge for packing.

• Fixed: a set amount on every order of that type
• Percentage: a share of the order total
• None: leave the charge blank

At the till and on the receipt

The charge comes from the service type the order was started with, so staff do not add it by hand and cannot forget it. The receipt prints it as its own line, so the customer sees exactly what the container or service fee is. A customer-facing display shows packaging alongside discounts, tips and the total due.

In QSR Mode, the Delivery toggle uses the packing charge from the Delivery type of service as its delivery charge, when that charge is a fixed amount. That lets a quick-service counter take a phone delivery order on the grid and still collect the right fee without opening another screen.

Keeping charges out of your sales figures

Packing and service charges are recorded apart from item sales. The back office daily sales report shows them under Additional Charges and includes a count of boxes and containers, which helps reconcile packaging stock. Your food and product sales stay accurate, so menu reports are not skewed by container fees.

If you use QuickBooks, packing charges post to the account you map for packing in the integration settings, which keeps them out of food income in your books. A service charge is not a tip: it belongs to the business and is reported as a charge, while tips are recorded and reported separately.