QR code ordering in restaurants: 9 tips to make it pay for itself (2026)

In our previous article we compared six QR ordering systems and what they really cost. But price is only half the story. The other half: what does it bring in? A QR code ordering system can easily pay for itself, as long as you use it well. In this article, nine practical tips to get more rounds, a higher average bill and less running around on the floor with QR code ordering in your restaurant.

First, the maths: when have you earned it back?

Say your system costs €25 a month and you are open 26 days a month. Sell one extra drink of €3.50 a day and that is €91 a month. That is almost four times the cost, from one drink a day. With the more expensive systems at €80 to €130 a month, you need three to five a day. So it pays to look beyond the price, at what a system does to make that extra sale possible.

Why guests often order more by QR

The biggest loss on a busy night is waiting. A guest who wants something else but can't catch anyone's eye ends up ordering nothing. With a QR code, they order the next round the moment they feel like it. They also see the whole menu, with photos and without being rushed, and nobody feels watched when ordering a second dessert. That only works if you set up your digital menu as carefully as your venue. That is what these tips are about.

9 tips for a higher bill

1. Add photos to your best sellers

A good photo sells better than any description. Don't start with the whole menu, but with your ten best-selling and your most expensive dishes. Better ten great photos than sixty mediocre ones: a dark photo of a plate does more harm than no photo at all.

2. Make a suggestion at the right moment

Good staff say "a glass of red goes well with that". A digital menu can do the same: fries with the burger, wine with the pasta, cake with the coffee. Keep it to one or two suggestions that really fit, not a row of pop-ups. It should feel like good advice, not a sales pitch.

3. Make options and extras easy

Extra cheese, a larger size, add avocado, a double shot: at the table these are often forgotten, because the guest doesn't want to ask or staff don't offer. Put the options and their prices right next to the dish. A couple of euros extra per order adds up to a big difference over a month.

4. Make the next round as easy as possible

This is where the biggest gain is. Let guests order round after round on one running tab, so they don't have to pay after every drink. The second and third rounds then come naturally, without anyone having to wave.

5. Show what's popular

A guest who hesitates often picks what others pick. A small "popular" label on your strongest dishes helps them choose, and steers guests towards dishes you know are good and sell well.

6. Use happy hour and time-based prices for quiet hours

Quiet between three and five? A temporary price on bar snacks or a second drink lifts those hours. With a digital menu you switch it on and off by the hour, without printing new menus, and the guest sees the offer price right at the dish.

7. The menu in the guest's language, with allergens

A tourist who doesn't understand the menu orders the one dish they recognise, or nothing. A menu that automatically shows in their own language removes that barrier. The same goes for allergens: a guest who can see what is safe to eat orders with more confidence, and more often adds a starter.

8. Let the whole table order together

At a table of six, not everyone wants to place their own order. Let everyone add to one shared basket from their own phone, and send it to the kitchen in one go. It is more sociable, and whoever sees the rest ordering dessert often orders one too.

9. Let guests pay themselves, with the option to tip

Waiting for the bill is the biggest frustration at the end of the night. Let guests pay whenever they want, per person too. Your tables free up sooner, which on a busy night means an extra table turn. And a tip option at checkout is used more often than a tip jar.

Make sure guests actually scan the QR code

The best digital menu brings in nothing if nobody scans. A few things that help:

• A clear table card in your own style, with a short line on what it does: "Scan, order and pay at your table".
• A reason to scan. Put the wifi password on the welcome screen after scanning, and nearly everyone scans.
• A welcome screen that matches your venue, with your logo, a mood photo and your colours. The guest should feel they are with you, not in an app.
• Staff who explain it to the first guests of the evening. One sentence is enough.

What to avoid

• A PDF behind the QR code. Zooming, scrolling and not being able to order: that brings in nothing.
• Making guests download an app. Every extra step costs orders. A good QR menu opens straight in the browser.
• Cutting your staff. QR ordering takes over the walking and typing, not the hospitality. Use the time it frees up for a chat at the table. And make sure guests can call staff from their phone.
• A menu that isn't accurate. Sold out is sold out: switch a dish off straight away, or a guest orders something you don't have.

Measure what it brings in

Keep track of a few numbers, before and after you start: your average bill per table, the number of orders per table, and how long a table is occupied. Also look at which suggestions and extras are chosen most. Within a few weeks you know what works, and you switch off the rest.

Frequently asked questions

Does QR ordering really increase revenue?

Often, yes, mainly because guests no longer have to wait to order something else and can browse the whole menu at their own pace. How much it brings in depends on your venue and how you set up the menu. So measure it yourself: compare your average bill for a few weeks before and after.

Won't it make my place feel impersonal?

Not if you do it well. QR ordering takes over the back-and-forth with orders, so your staff have more time for the guests themselves. A welcome screen in your own style and the option to call staff keep it personal.

What is contactless ordering in restaurants?

Contactless ordering means the guest orders from their own phone, usually by scanning a QR code on the table, instead of through staff. Often they can pay straight away too. It became widespread during the pandemic, and it stays popular because guests don't have to wait and staff walk less.

Do guests need to download an app?

No. A good QR ordering system opens straight in the phone's browser. The guest scans, orders and pays, without an app and without an account.

How quickly does a QR ordering system pay for itself?

With a system at €25 a month, one extra drink per opening day is more than enough. More expensive systems need more. Work it out with your own prices and opening days.

Finally

A QR code on the table is not a goal in itself. It is a way to let guests order faster, choose more easily and pay without waiting. Set up the menu the way you set up your venue, with care, and it pays for itself. Everything above, from suggestions and happy hour to ordering together, tipping and the wifi screen, is included in Up by Friday's ordering at the table. See our pricing and try it free for seven days.