How to set up QR code ordering at your tables

Q: Can guests split the bill by item?

Not at checkout. Guests ordering together from one phone pay together. If they want separate bills, each person orders from their own phone, which creates separate orders.

Updated October 25, 2026

QR code ordering means each table has a sticker or card with a code; a guest scans it, your live menu opens in their browser, they order and the ticket reaches the kitchen with the table number on it. No app to download, no waiting to flag down a server. With Menuthere you can set this up on the free plan: build the menu, make one QR code per table, and decide whether guests pay on their phone or at the counter. This guide walks through each step.

Create your free ordering page See pricing

In short

One code per table. Each code carries the table number, so the kitchen ticket always says which table ordered.
No app. The menu opens in the guest's phone browser; nothing to install.
You choose the payment flow. Pay now by card, or run a tab and pay at the counter.
Free to start. QR table ordering is on the Free plan (up to 50 orders a month); unlimited orders are on Lite.

The QR code opens your live menu, so the menu has to exist first.

Create your store and pull dishes in from a photo or PDF of your printed menu, then tidy prices and descriptions.
Group dishes into categories that scan fast on a phone: Small plates, Mains, Sides, Drinks.
Add choices as add-ons. Cooking temperature, sides, extras. Mark a group Required (pick a side) or capped ("up to 2 extras").
Mark allergens so guests can filter, and add a photo to your bestsellers.

For building the menu itself, see how to create a digital menu.

Step 2: Turn on dine-in and table ordering

In your store settings, switch on dine-in as an order type. This is what tells the system to ask for (or carry) a table number and to route the order as a seated order, not a pickup.

Decide two things now:

Do guests pay on their phone, or do you run a tab? Pay-now suits busy counters and bars; pay-at-counter suits sit-down service where guests add rounds through the meal.
Can guests add a tip at checkout? Turn it on if you want it offered.

Step 3: Make a QR code for each table

You need a separate code per table so the kitchen knows where to send the food.

Table	What the code links to	On the ticket
Table 1	Your menu link with table = 1	"Dine-in · Table 1"
Table 2	Your menu link with table = 2	"Dine-in · Table 2"
Patio A	Your menu link with table = Patio A	"Dine-in · Patio A"

Generate one code per table from your dashboard (or the menu QR code generator and table QR card tools). Give each a clear label. A worked example: a 12-table café makes 12 codes, prints them as tent cards, and each code is tied to its table so a ticket for "Table 7, two flat whites" never goes to the wrong table.

Step 4: Print the codes at the right size

A code that won't scan from across the table is useless. As a rule of thumb, a QR code needs to be about 1/10th of the scan distance on each side: for a guest scanning from roughly 12 inches away, a code of about 1.2 inches (3 cm) works; for a code on a wall or window scanned from 6–10 feet, make it much bigger. Use the QR code size calculator to get the size right, print on a card or sticker, and laminate it so it survives spills.

Step 5: Set up the kitchen side

Let orders ring. Keep the Menuthere partner app open on a phone or counter device; new orders ring until accepted. A plain browser tab doesn't ring.
Print tickets automatically if you have a connected printer, so each order comes out with the table number, items, choices and notes.
Switch on auto-accept (optional) so a busy kitchen never misses one.

Step 6: Test, then put the codes out

Scan a code with your own phone, place a real order, check the ticket prints with the right table number, take a test payment and refund it. Then set the tent cards on the tables and brief the team: guests order from the code, staff run the food and clear plates.

Pay now vs pay at the counter

	Pay on the phone	Pay at the counter
Speed for staff	Fastest; no trip to take payment	Staff take payment at the end
Best for	Cafés, bars, food halls, busy lunch	Sit-down service, rounds through a meal
Risk	Very low walk-out risk	Guest could leave without paying
Card fee	About 2.9% + 30¢ online	Your terminal's rate

You can offer both and let the guest choose. Online card payments land in your own Stripe account.

Honest limits

It's a scan-to-order flow, not a full POS. There's no table-management floor plan or server-login seating map; the table number comes from the code.
No split-the-bill-by-item at checkout. Guests on one table ordering from one phone pay together; separate phones mean separate orders.
No ready-made Square, Toast or Clover link. Orders arrive in the Menuthere dashboard and print from there.

For in-shop scan-to-order on counters and cafés specifically, see QR code menu for cafes and mobile order and pay.

Set up QR code ordering at your tables

Build your menu and pull dishes in from a photo or PDF.
Turn on dine-in and decide pay-now vs pay-at-counter.
Make one QR code per table, each carrying its table number.
Print the codes at the right size and laminate them.
Set the kitchen to ring or auto-print each order.
Place a test order and refund it, then put the codes on the tables.

QR table ordering on the free plan, 0% commission.

Create your free ordering page See pricing

Frequently asked questions

Do guests need to download an app to use QR code ordering?

No. The code opens your live menu in the guest's phone browser. They order and, if you allow it, pay without installing anything.

How does the kitchen know which table ordered?

Each table has its own QR code that carries the table number, so every kitchen ticket shows the table, such as "Dine-in · Table 7", along with the items and any notes.

Can guests pay at the table or do they pay at the counter?

You choose. You can take payment on the guest's phone by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, or run a tab and have them pay at the counter. You can offer both.

Is QR code ordering free?

Yes to start. QR table ordering works on the Free plan with up to 50 orders a month and 0% commission. Unlimited orders are on the Lite plan at $17 a month.

What size should a table QR code be?

About 1/10th of the scan distance on each side. For a guest scanning from roughly 12 inches away, about 1.2 inches (3 cm) works; a code on a wall scanned from several feet needs to be much larger. A size calculator removes the guesswork.

Can guests split the bill by item?

Sources (3)

Stripe US standard pricing, 2.9% + 30¢ per successful domestic card charge (Stripe pricing page), accessed 26 Oct 2026.
QR size rule of thumb (distance-to-size ≈ 10:1): QR code scanning guidance, general industry practice; verified against Menuthere's QR size calculator tool.
Menuthere Docs: Create your store; Import a menu from a photo or PDF; Add-ons and choices; Dine-in and table ordering; Table QR codes; Payment options for each order type; Connect Stripe; New order alerts and ringing; Accept orders automatically; Kitchen tickets (KOT); Free plan limits; Plans compared (read 26 Oct 2026).