How does QR code table ordering work?
By the Menuthere editorial team · Updated
Each table gets its own QR code. A diner scans it with their phone camera, the menu opens in the browser, they order and (if you turn it on) pay, and the order reaches your kitchen tagged with the table number. No app download is needed. With Menuthere, table QR ordering is included free on every plan, at 0% commission.
- A unique QR code per table means every order arrives already tagged with the right table, so staff know where to take it.
- Diners order in their phone's browser; there is nothing to download and no account to create.
- Menuthere includes table QR ordering free on every plan, with 0% commission on the order.
- You can require that the diner is actually at the restaurant before a table order goes through.
- When the same diner orders again from the same table, the new items are added to their open bill.
Scan-to-order at every table, free
Menuthere turns your menu into a table QR code diners scan to order and pay from their phone, with the table number on every order and no app to download. It is free on every plan, with 0% commission.
What happens when a diner scans the code?
- 1
Scan
The diner points their phone camera at the QR code on the table. The menu opens in the browser, no app needed.
- 2
Order
They browse, add items with any options, and place the order. It is tagged with that table's number.
- 3
Kitchen gets it
The order lands in your dashboard and partner app, which rings until it is accepted, so staff know what to make and where.
- 4
Pay
The diner pays on their phone if you have online payments on, or pays at the counter or table as usual.
Do diners need to download an app?
No. QR table ordering runs in the phone's web browser. The diner scans the code, the menu opens, and they order. There is no app to install and, with Menuthere, no account to create. That is the main reason it works for walk-in diners who would never download a restaurant app for one meal.
How much does QR table ordering cost?
With Menuthere the feature itself is free on every plan, including the Free plan, and there is 0% commission on the order. You only pay a payment gateway's card fee if you take payment on the phone, and that goes to the gateway. The QR codes are yours to print and reprint at no cost.
| Included | |
|---|---|
| Table QR ordering | Free on every plan |
| Commission on the order | 0% |
| App for the diner | Not needed |
| Order tagged by table | Yes |
| Re-order adds to the open bill | Yes |
Who this is a good fit for
- Dine-in cafés, casual restaurants and bars that want to cut queues at the counter and turn tables faster.
- Places short on floor staff, where diners ordering themselves frees waiters for service.
- Owners who want a digital menu they can update instantly without reprinting.
Who this is not for
- Fine dining where guests expect a waiter to take every order by hand.
- Pure takeaway or delivery-only kitchens, which need an ordering link or app rather than table codes.
Common follow-up questions
Can I stop people ordering without being at the restaurant?
Yes. Menuthere has a setting that checks the diner is at the restaurant before a table-QR order goes through, so the codes can't be used from home.
What if the same table orders a second round?
When the same diner orders again from the same table QR, the new items are added to their open order and bill, so you are not juggling separate tickets for one table.
Do I need special hardware?
No tablets or scanners for the diner; they use their own phone. You print the QR codes and manage orders from the dashboard and partner app.
Read next
Sources (2)
- Square: order and pay at the table by QR, Square, read 30 September 2026
- Menuthere table ordering, Menuthere, read 25 October 2026