Discounts, voids, service charge and tips

This article covers everything that changes a bill after items are added: discounts, voids, service charge, tips, automatic offers, coupon codes and loyalty points. Every discount and void is saved with the staff member's name and reason in the audit log and shows in reports.

Who can do what on a bill

Hosts and kitchen staff can't change bills. A waiter who tries to void sees "Only a manager or cashier can remove or change items the kitchen already has."

Giving a discount with a reason

1. Open the check and press Pay on the Point of sale, or Settle bill on the order in Orders.
2. In the Settle check window, press Add a discount (or Edit if one is applied).
3. Choose % or Amount and type the value.
4. Type a reason, for example "regular guest", and press Apply.

The bill shows the discount, and the Settle window shows "Discount applied: (amount)". Always add a reason; it goes into reports and the audit log. A percentage can't exceed 100%. Only one manual discount applies per check; applying a new one replaces it. In offline mode a reason is required.

Voiding or changing items already sent to the kitchen

On the Point of sale, sent items show a pencil button (Change or remove):

1. Tap the pencil. The window shows which round it was sent in and its kitchen status.
2. Change the Quantity, size, add-ons or kitchen note, or press Remove.
3. For a reduction or removal, pick a reason: Guest changed mind, Wrong item entered, Out of stock or Guest complaint (or type one).
4. Press Void item or Update kitchen.

The kitchen display shows the voided item struck through. A change voids the old line and sends the new one as a new round, so the cooks see exactly what changed. Stock used by the dish is put back when it's voided.

You can also void from Orders: open the order, hover over an item and press the X (Void (dish)), enter a reason and press Void.

Void only items that were never served, or that the guest refused for a real problem, and tell the kitchen.

Service charge on dine-in bills

The service charge percentage is set by an owner or manager in Settings → Taxes & billing → Service charge. It's added to dine-in bills only, not takeaway or delivery. In India, the consumer protection authority's (CCPA) guidelines of July 2022 say a service charge can't be added by default or made compulsory, so a guest who doesn't want it should not have to pay it. AirQR marks it optional on the guest's QR bill, receipts and printed bills for outlets in India, and lets staff take it off a single bill.

To remove it from one bill

1. Open the check on the Point of sale (or open the order in Orders).
2. In the bill, next to Service charge, press Remove.
3. Optionally type a reason (for example "Guest request"; if you leave it empty, AirQR saves "Guest request") and press Remove service charge.

The service charge row changes to Service charge · removed, the tax on it goes too, and the total drops. To put it back, press Add back on the same row. This works as long as the check is open and for dine-in bills only.

• Who can do it: anyone allowed to give discounts (owners, managers, captains, cashiers and any custom role with the discount permission). The discount limit doesn't apply, because removing the service charge isn't a discount; a captain with a 15% limit can still remove it. Staff without the permission can see that it was removed but don't get the button.
• Offline POS: the same Remove and Add back buttons work on the offline POS. The change syncs with the check, and the audit log notes that it was made offline (see Using the POS offline).
• Merging checks: if either check had the service charge removed, the merged bill keeps it removed.
• Audit log: every removal and every add-back is saved with the staff member's name, the bill number, the amount and the reason.
• Reports: the bill, cash and X/Z reports, GST reports, accounting exports and the orders CSV all use the service charge actually billed, so a removed charge is zero everywhere. Both orders CSVs (the Growth → Analytics export and the orders file in the full backup) have a Service charge waived column, right after Service charge (Yes where it was removed).
• Guests: on the QR menu bill in India the line reads Service charge (optional) with a note that guests can ask staff to remove it. Once staff remove it, the line disappears from the guest's bill.
• If you never charge it: set the percentage to 0 in settings and the line never appears.

Recording tips

Tips are recorded with the payment. In the Settle check window, enter the amount in Tip next to the payment amount. The UPI QR includes the tip. Tips are shown on the bill and in reports, and managers can share them among staff with Team → Tips split (see Tips split and payroll).

Offers applied automatically

Offers you set up in Offers & coupons apply by themselves when their rules match (channel, days, times, minimum order and so on), on QR, online and POS orders. The order in Orders lists each applied offer. If a guest isn't eligible, a cashier or manager can remove an offer with the remove button next to it. Offers aren't applied while the POS is offline; they're applied when the check syncs. See Offers and coupons.

Coupon codes and loyalty points at the counter

Open the order in Orders (open checks only):

• Coupon code: type the code (for example SAFFRON15) and press Apply.
• Loyalty: if the check has no guest, enter the Guest's phone and press Add. Then enter the points to use and press Use points. The panel shows the rule, for example "Needs 100+ points · up to 20% of the bill."

Loyalty needs the Loyalty & rewards module on in Settings → Modules (Growth plan and above, or an add-on). There's no separate on/off on the Loyalty page. See Loyalty.

Voids vs refunds

A void takes an item off a check that isn't paid yet. Once money has been taken, use Record refund instead (owners and managers): open the order in Orders, or a settled check from Settled in the last 24 hours on the Point of sale. Give the money back first (UPI, cash, card reversal or bank transfer), then record the amount, method, a reason and, optionally, which items. A check that has payments can't be cancelled until they're refunded. See Recording payments.

Troubleshooting discounts and voids