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Payments · 5 min read

How customers pay for orders

The three ways customers settle an order — cash, pay at the counter, or online — and how payment status shows up on each order so staff always know what is owed.

The three payment options

Customer payment choices at checkout
Cash

The customer pays in cash when the order is handed over — at the counter, at the table, or at the car for carside orders. The order is recorded as pending payment until staff mark it received.

Pay at counter

The customer pays at handoff using your in-restaurant card terminal. DashDine records the choice but never collects card data — your terminal handles the transaction as usual.

Online payment

When you have connected an online payment account (SkipCash in Qatar, Stripe internationally), the customer pays on a secure hosted payment page before the order reaches your kitchen.

Cash and counter payments are not prepaid

A cash or pay-at-counter selection means the customer intends to pay at handoff — the storefront records the choice, nothing more. The order arrives in your kitchen and on the runner screen marked as unpaid, and staff collect payment when the food is delivered or picked up.

Build this into staff training: the order card shows the chosen method, and whoever hands the order over is responsible for collecting payment before closing it out.

How online payment works for the customer

  1. 1

    The customer builds their cart and taps Checkout.

  2. 2

    If online payment is enabled for the branch, they can choose it alongside cash and pay at counter.

  3. 3

    They are redirected to a secure hosted payment page run by the payment provider — card details never touch DashDine.

  4. 4

    After a successful payment, they return to the live order tracker, and the order appears for your staff already marked as paid.

Marking a cash or counter payment as received

  1. 1

    When the customer pays, the staff member opens the order card on the runner or kitchen screen.

  2. 2

    They tap Mark paid in the actions menu.

  3. 3

    The card flips to a paid state, and the payment shows up in admin Reports for the day’s reconciliation.

Where payment status appears

  • On the runner and kitchen order cards — each card shows the payment method and whether it is paid or pending.
  • On the customer’s live order tracker — online payments show as paid immediately.
  • In admin Orders and Reports — filter by payment state to reconcile cash at the end of the day.

Frequently asked

  • Can I run my restaurant with cash and counter payments only?
    Yes. Cash and pay at counter work on every plan with no setup. Online payment is optional and can be enabled later when you are ready.
  • Does DashDine store customer card numbers?
    No. Counter payments go through your own card terminal, and online payments happen on the payment provider’s secure hosted page. Card data never passes through DashDine.
  • What happens if a customer’s online payment fails?
    The order is not sent to your kitchen. The customer can retry the payment or switch to cash or pay at counter and submit again.

Still need help?

If a guide does not answer your question, our support team can walk through your account directly. We usually respond within one business day.