Choose the service model first
QR ordering can mean different things. At a cafe it might replace the queue: guests order and pay from their table or the line, then collect at the counter. On a patio it might replace the first visit from a server. In a hotel or food court it might be the only way to order. Decide which model you are running before you set anything up, because it decides whether guests choose a table, whether they pay up front and what staff do when an order arrives.
Pay-at-order works well for counter service and keeps the drawer simple. Pay-later suits table service, where guests may add more and pay once at the end.
Make the online menu match the till
Guests trust what they see on their phone. If the online price differs from the till, or an item is listed that the kitchen ran out of an hour ago, the order turns into an argument. Use the same catalogue for both wherever your POS allows it, so sizes, modifiers and prices stay in step.
Photos sell, but only good ones. Add photos to the items you most want to sell and leave the rest as clear text. Keep category names short and in the order guests think: drinks, starters, mains, desserts.
Print codes that actually scan
A QR code should be at least 2 to 3 cm (about an inch) across for a table tent, larger for a window or wall. Print it with plenty of white space around it, on matte stock that does not glare under lights, and add a line of text such as 'Scan to order'. Test each printed code with an older phone as well as a new one, in the room's actual lighting.
Handling orders at the counter
The weak point of QR ordering is the hand-off. An order that sits unnoticed on a screen is worse than no order at all. Make sure the till that receives orders is always staffed, the alert sound is on and loud enough, and staff know how to accept an order into the till and how to cancel one with a reason. Agree what happens when an item runs out after an order is placed.
Doing it in SeroPOS
QR ordering in SeroPOS is part of the Online ordering & QR add-on module. The menu uses your SeroPOS catalogue, so items, variations, modifiers and combos match the till.
- In the app: Admin, then Tools, then Catalogue QR. Pick a location to get its code ('Scan to view our menu & order'), then Copy, Share link, Open or Save/Share QR.
- In the back office: Catalogue QR lets you choose the colour, title, subtitle and logo, then Generate and Download PNG, and upload up to four banners for the menu page.
- Business Locations: choose which payment methods the online menu offers for each location. Online card payment uses your own Stripe account, set in Business Settings.
- Types of Service and Tables in the back office decide what guests can choose at checkout, such as dine-in with a table, or takeaway.
- New orders ring on the till's cloud icon as 'Web Order Received'. View Order moves it to the cart; Cancel Order cancels it. BOT / WEB ORDERS lists today's orders with Print Invoice.
- Orders are picked up by the server or standalone till while it is online, so keep that till connected during service.