Short codes and fast POS entry

A short code is a few letters or numbers for a dish, like BC for Butter Chicken or RS180 for Royal Stag 180 ml. On the POS, staff type the code and press Enter, and the dish is added. It is the fastest way to take an order at a busy counter or bar, and it works offline too. Guests never see short codes.

Every dish has one short code and one scan code. The short code is what staff type, like OC180. The scan code is the product barcode a scanner reads, like 8901544011144. Both are optional and staff only.

How do I give a dish a short code?

1. Open Menu & QR → Menu builder and click the dish.
2. Under POS codes & parcel price, type the Short code, or click Suggest for one made from the dish name.
3. Click Save changes.

A short code is 1 to 20 letters, numbers, - or _. Codes are saved in capitals and each code can belong to only one dish in your business. A duplicated dish starts without a short code or a scan code.

Add codes for a whole menu at once: in the menu builder, open the gear button next to the menu name and choose Create missing short codes. AirQR makes a code for every dish that has none, from brand initials plus the size, for example Royal Stag Whisky (180ml) → RS180. Dishes that already have a code keep it. Click Add N codes.

From a file: a Short code column in your import file is read as it is, a Barcode, EAN, UPC or Scan code column becomes the scan code, and Import menu can suggest short codes for the rest. See Import your menu.

How do I add a dish by its code on the POS?

1. On Point of sale, the cursor sits in the search box (Search dishes or type a code). Press / to jump there from anywhere on the screen.
2. Type the code, for example BC, and press Enter. The dish is added and the box clears for the next code.
3. If the dish has sizes or add-ons, the options window opens with the first size picked. Press Enter again to add it. So "BC, Enter, Enter" adds a Butter Chicken with sizes.
4. Press Ctrl + Enter (⌘ + Enter on a Mac) to send the round to the kitchen.

Typing part of a name works too. Each dish shows its code beside the name.

Add several at once: type the quantity, a star and the code, like 2*BC, then Enter. 2 BC and 2x BC work too, up to 50. A dish whose name starts with a number, like "7 Up", is still found by its name.

The list shows the best matches first: an exact scan code, then an exact short code, then codes that start with what you typed, then dish names. If nothing matches, you see "Nothing matches" and the text stays selected, so the next code replaces it.

Can I use a barcode scanner?

Yes. A USB or Bluetooth barcode scanner types the barcode and presses Enter for you, so scanning adds the dish straight away. Save the barcode on the dish as its Scan code first:

• In the dish, fill Scan code (optional) under POS codes & parcel price, for example 8901544011144. It is 4 to 32 letters or numbers, and spaces and dashes are removed.
• Or import it: a Barcode, EAN, UPC or Scan code column in your import file becomes the scan code.

Then scan the product anywhere on the POS and the dish is added; you do not need to click the search box first. If the dish has sizes or add-ons, the options window opens first. If no dish has that scan code, you see Not on the menu and the code. If you can edit the menu, Assign to a dish… saves the code on a dish and adds it. To give a whole menu its codes in one sitting, use Assign scan codes (gear next to the menu name in the menu builder). See Barcode scanner for setup, a test page and camera scanning.

Each scan code can belong to only one dish in your business. The short code and the scan code are separate: scanning uses the scan code, typing uses the short code.

Dishes can also be found by typing codes kept in custom fields named Alt code, EAN, UPC, SKU, Item code or PLU, so codes from your old POS keep working. These are typed codes, not scan codes. One field can hold several codes separated by spaces or commas.

What are custom fields?

Custom fields are your own details on a dish, like an HSN code, SAP code or online name. Add them at the bottom of the dish window under Custom fields, or bring them in from extra columns in your import file. They are for staff only and are included in Export CSV.

Do short codes work offline?

Yes. Short codes, quantities and scan codes work the same on the offline POS. See Offline POS.

Troubleshooting short codes

See Keyboard shortcuts for every POS key, and Point of sale basics.

Still stuck? Call or WhatsApp +91 96573 22724, or email support@airqr.in.