Set up online ordering (pickup and delivery)

Online ordering gives your outlet its own ordering page for pickup and delivery, with zero commission. Guests order from your link or QR without an app, and staff handle the orders on the Takeaway & delivery board. Owners and managers set it up in Online ordering settings.

Online ordering for pickup is included in every plan, starting with Starter. Delivery orders are included in the Growth plan and above (and the free trial).

Takeaway, order ahead and delivery

AirQR has three ways to order. Online ordering covers the last two:

• Takeaway (pickup now): the guest orders on the counter / menu QR or with the cashier and collects it with a token in a few minutes. Set it up in Settings → Takeaway.
• Order ahead (pickup) (pickup later): the guest orders from your online link, from home or work, and collects it at the counter with a token, as soon as it's ready or at a time they pick.
• Delivery: the guest orders from your online link and your riders bring it.

Your online ordering page has a Pickup / Delivery switch at the top; the checkout and the AI waiter follow it. The menu link's "How are you ordering today?" screen offers Dine-in, Takeaway, Order ahead (pickup) and Delivery.

Opening the online ordering settings

Go to Settings → Online ordering, or open Takeaway & delivery and choose Settings → Online ordering settings. The page is titled Online ordering: "Your own ordering page for (outlet) — pickup and delivery with zero commission."

At the top:

• Your ordering link, with Copy. Put it on Google Maps, Instagram, WhatsApp and your delivery bags.

Your link takes orders whenever the Online ordering (pickup) module is on in Settings → Modules. To stop for a short while, use Pause online orders on the board (see The Takeaway & delivery board).

Press Save changes when you're done. Preview opens the ordering page as guests see it.

Pickup, delivery and accepting orders

Under How guests get their food:

• Order ahead (pickup): guests order on your online link and collect at the counter, now or at a time they pick. (Takeaway from the counter QR is set under Settings → Takeaway.) Without delivery, pickup is always offered. While delivery is on, Order ahead (pickup) is a switch: turn it off to take delivery orders only.
• Delivery: with your own riders, by PIN code. Delivery is its own module, so there's no switch for it here. It's offered whenever the Delivery module is on; turn it on or off in Settings → Modules (Delivery needs the Online ordering module). On the Starter plan this shows "Available on the Growth plan and above" with Upgrade to add delivery.

Then:

• Accept orders automatically. Off (recommended when starting) means staff accept each order on the board with a promised time. On means orders go straight to the kitchen.
• Preparation time (minutes): how long the kitchen needs. Used for "Ready in ~20 min" and the earliest pickup slot.
• Delivery time (travel) (minutes): added on top for delivery.

Prices and charges for online orders

Under Prices & charges ("Menu prices stay the same as at your outlet — no aggregator mark-up needed."):

• Minimum order for delivery.
• Packaging charge per order, added once to every online order. This is separate from the takeaway packaging charge in Settings → Takeaway.
• Delivery fee, used when you haven't set delivery areas.
• Free delivery above an amount, or Never.

Delivery areas by PIN code

Under Delivery areas, list the PIN codes you deliver to. If you leave this empty, AirQR accepts any address and you check it when accepting.

For each area press Add delivery area and fill in:

• A name, for example "Indiranagar".
• PIN / postal codes (comma separated).
• Fee, Min. order and Travel time for that area.

Guests enter their PIN code at checkout. If it's in an area, they see that area's fee and time ("Delivering to (area)"). If not, they see "Sorry, we don't deliver to this area yet — choose pickup instead." Below the area minimum they see "Minimum order for delivery here is (amount)." The same PIN can't be in two areas; AirQR tells you which ones clash when saving. Remove area deletes one.

Scheduled orders and time slots

Under Scheduling ("Let guests order ahead — and cap orders per slot so the kitchen isn't swamped."):

• Allow scheduled orders. Guests pick a time, also when you're closed.
• Slot length: 10, 15, 20, 30, 45 or 60 minutes.
• Orders per slot: leave blank for No limit. When a slot is full, guests are asked to pick another time.
• Days ahead: Today only, Today & tomorrow, or up to 7 days.

At checkout, under When, guests choose As soon as possible or Schedule and Pick a time. Slots only fall inside your opening hours (set in Settings → Opening hours) and no earlier than the preparation time (plus travel time for delivery). If you're closed or have paused orders, guests can only schedule for later.

Payment options for online orders

Under Payment, choose at least one:

• Pay on delivery / pickup ("Pay at pickup" for pickup-only): cash or UPI when the food is handed over.
• Pay now by UPI: guests see the UPI pay screen (UPI app button and QR with the amount filled in, or your bank details) right after placing the order, then tap I've paid · Verify payment. The order waits on the board as Waiting for payment and is not sent to the kitchen, even with Accept orders automatically on. When staff verify the payment (on the board or in Payments) the order is accepted. Spoke to the guest? Accept without payment still works. The guest's order page and the AI waiter keep showing the pay screen until it's paid. To turn this on, first add a UPI ID, UPI QR or bank account in Settings → Payments.

Card and wallet payments are not available yet; they arrive with the payment gateway. AirQR does not collect the money: UPI payments go straight to your account, and staff verify them before marking the order paid (see Recording payments).

Note for guests is shown at checkout, for example "We deliver with our own riders — no aggregator commission."

If order protection marks a guest or order as pay-first, that guest must choose Pay now by UPI.

Cancel unpaid orders after

With Pay now by UPI on, Cancel unpaid orders after sets how long an order waits for its payment (default 15 minutes, from 5 minutes to 2 hours). If nothing is paid in that time, the order is cancelled on its own: the guest's page says "We didn't receive payment in time, so this order was cancelled. Nothing was charged." with an Order again button, and your board lists it under Cancelled as Cancelled automatically · Reason: Not paid in time. Stock and any loyalty points are given back.

An order is never cancelled this way when:

• you recorded a payment, or anything is paid;
• the guest tapped I've paid (with a UTR or a screenshot), even if you later marked it Not received;
• you accepted it (including Accept without payment).

Each outlet has its own time. Pay on delivery / pickup orders are never cancelled for not paying.

Sharing your online ordering link and QR

• On the Takeaway & delivery board, Share link gives Copy link, Share on WhatsApp, Open ordering page and Make a QR code for it.
• On QR codes, press New QR and choose Opens online ordering (pickup and delivery), for flyers or delivery-bag stickers.
• Your QR menu's takeaway banner also links here (Order ahead for later), and the "How are you ordering today?" screen opens it with Order ahead (pickup) or Delivery already picked.

Troubleshooting online ordering setup