Christmas pre-orders
Take Christmas pre-orders on your own page
Open Christmas pre-orders this week: customers pick their dishes, choose a collection or delivery slot, and you keep every order in one list instead of scraps of paper and missed calls. 0% commission on every order. Pre-orders with a date and time start on Lite, $17 a month.
Set this up before December gets busy. Lite is $17 a month with a 14-day free trial.
A card starts the trial; nothing is charged until the 14 days end. Pre-orders with a date and time are on Lite and above. Need a quick paper form first? The Christmas pre-order form below is free.
Why take them online
Christmas orders, off paper and in one list
December brings more orders than any other month, and each one has a name, a day, a slot and a balance. A pre-order page keeps them straight so nothing is double-booked or missed.
Order now for a set day
Customers choose dishes, then a date and a time slot inside your opening hours, even while you're closed. Each order waits in your Prebookings list until it's time to cook.
0% commission, your money
Every Christmas order is yours. Menuthere takes no cut. Card fees, where you take payment, go to your own payment gateway, not to us.
Nothing slips
Orders due within the hour sit at the top of the Prebookings tab, and the partner app rings when a new one arrives. You stop re-reading a paper book on the 24th.
How it works
Open Christmas pre-orders in an afternoon
On Lite, with your menu already uploaded.
- 1
Build your festive menu
Add your Christmas items with sizes and photos. Mark the ones that need notice, such as a whole turkey or a celebration cake, so a customer can't order them for tomorrow.
- 2
Turn on Prebooking and set your rules
In Settings › Ordering › Prebooking settings, choose fixed slots (such as collection 10:00–14:00 on 24 December) or rolling slots, how far ahead customers can order, and how much notice you need per dish.
- 3
Decide how you take payment
Take card payment up front for the pre-ordered food (Lite and above, through your own payment gateway), send a payment link, or take cash on collection. Paying up front means fewer no-shows at the counter.
- 4
Share your link and QR code
Open Share in the dashboard to copy your link, post it on Instagram and your Google listing, and print a QR code for the counter and your packaging. One link does the whole season.
- 5
Work the list on the day
The Prebookings tab shows what to prepare and when, with the next hour at the top. Bags go out in slot order. Kitchen tickets show the time each order is for.
A worked example
A deli taking Christmas Eve collections
A deli opens Christmas pre-orders on 26 November and closes them on 20 December. Customers pick a grazing board, a side platter or both, choose a 15-minute collection slot on 24 December, and pay by card up front through the deli's own Stripe account (on Lite). The Prebookings list shows how many boards to make each day, and on the 24th they go out in slot order.
The numbers below are an illustration to show how the money works, not a real deli's figures. The point is simple: Menuthere takes 0% commission on all of it, and card fees go to the deli's own gateway, not to us.
An illustration
Where the money goes on 40 orders
40 Christmas pre-orders at $55 each, paid by card up front. An example, not a quote; card fees are set by your gateway, not by Menuthere.
| Line | On Menuthere Lite | On a 30% marketplace |
|---|---|---|
| 40 orders at $55 | $2,200 | $2,200 |
| Platform commission | $0 (0%) | −$660 (30%) |
| Your plan | −$17 (one month of Lite) | $0 |
| Card fees | Set by your own gateway | Usually bundled into the cut |
| You keep (before card fees) | $2,183 | $1,540 |
Commission is the difference. A marketplace cut grows with every order; Lite is a flat $17 a month however many Christmas orders you take.
Good to know
What it does and doesn't do
Pre-orders are on Lite, not Free. On the Free plan customers order for as soon as possible. Pre-orders with a date and time, including dishes pre-ordered with a table booking, start on Lite ($17 a month), which has a 14-day free trial: a card starts it and nothing is charged until the 14 days end. See pricing and the restaurant pre-order system.
No separate booking deposit or no-show fee yet. To protect a Christmas order, take card payment up front for the food itself (Lite and above, through your own gateway), or send the customer a payment link. That is the balance paid, not a held deposit.
Want a paper form instead? The free Christmas pre-order form makes a printable PDF with your items, slots and terms, with no sign-up. Good for the counter alongside the online page.
Through the season
One page for the whole festive run
The same Prebookings setup carries you from Christmas into the new year. Pick the related page for the day you're selling.
| Occasion | What you pre-sell | Page |
|---|---|---|
| Christmas | Collection and delivery boxes, cakes, party platters | You're on it |
| New Year's Eve | Set menus, party platters, a table with pre-ordered dishes | New Year's Eve pre-orders |
| The festive menu | A fixed seasonal menu guests book ahead | Festive menu ordering |
| Catering and large orders | Office parties and bulk orders by quote | Catering ordering system |
Questions owners ask
Answered, plainly.
Open your Christmas pre-orders this week
Start your 14-day free Lite trial, turn on Prebooking, and share one link for the whole season. 0% commission on every order.
