Square is a good counter till. It's quick to set up, the card readers are reliable and plenty of UK coffee shops run on it happily. The trouble starts when the café grows: a busier brunch floor, a few outside tables, a beer garden. Everyone still has to queue at one till, and the queue becomes the thing customers remember.
QR table ordering fixes that. Guests scan a code on the table, order and pay on their own phone, and the order goes straight to the kitchen. You don't have to rip out Square to get it. Café QR can sit alongside your Square till, or replace it entirely if you'd rather.
Why venues look for an alternative to Square's own table ordering
Square does offer QR code ordering, through Square Online. Whether it suits you depends on three things.
Plan fees and card rates vs a flat monthly price
Square's QR ordering needs a paid Square Online plan: Plus at £20 a month or Premium at £64 a month, both billed annually, according to Square's UK plans page. Online card payments on Free and Plus are 1.4% + 25p for UK cards. Square Loyalty and Square Marketing are separate subscriptions per location.
Café QR's Order & Pay plan is £9.99 a month per venue. Loyalty contacts are included, card payments go through your own Stripe account at Stripe's rates (1.5% + 20p for standard UK cards online), and there is a 0% Café QR platform fee. Our Square QR ordering alternative page compares the two side by side, with sources.
Kitchen screens and routing to different stations
When drinks and food are made in different places, you want each order split so the bar sees the drinks and the kitchen sees the food. Café QR includes a kitchen screen on every plan that runs in any browser, and kitchen stations (a separate screen for the bar, the grill and so on) on the POS plan. Orders turn amber and then "Late" at times you set, so nothing sits forgotten.
Modifiers, milk options and allergens
Coffee orders are all about options: oat milk, an extra shot, decaf, a larger cup. Café QR lets you set these up as modifiers with their own prices, and shows allergen information on every item so guests can check before they order. See our guide to online allergen information for café orders.
How Café QR works with your Square till
Here is what happens when a guest sits down at Table 7:
- They scan the QR code on the table. Your menu opens in their phone's browser; there is no app to download.
- They choose a flat white with oat milk and a croissant, and pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay or card.
- The paid order appears on your kitchen screen and prints on your kitchen printer, marked Table 7.
- Café QR pushes the paid order into Square, so your Square reports still show all of the day's sales.
One menu, no double entry
You don't type your menu twice. Café QR can import your Square catalogue, so your items and prices come straight across. When something sells out in Square, Café QR hides it from the QR menu too, so guests can't order the last slice of cake twice.
Split bills, open tabs and waiter orders
If you want staff to take orders at the table on their phones, run open tabs or split a bill, those come with Café QR's POS plan, which includes the waiter app, tabs and floor plan. At that point many venues find it simpler to run Café QR as the till as well, which is the choice below.
Should you sync with Square or switch to an all-in-one POS?
There's no single right answer. It depends on how much of Square you use today.
| Option A: keep Square, add Café QR Order & Pay | Option B: run Café QR POS | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | £9.99 per venue, plus your existing Square costs | £39 per venue |
| Counter till | Square | Café QR till in the browser |
| Card payments at the counter | Your Square reader | Stripe Terminal reader (from £229 + VAT) or your own card machine |
| QR table and counter ordering | Café QR | Café QR |
| Kitchen screen and printers | Café QR | Café QR, with kitchen stations |
| Waiter app, tabs and floor plan | Not included | Included |
| Best for | Cafés happy with Square that just want table ordering | Venues that want one system for till, tables and kitchen |
If you're unsure, start with Option A. You keep everything you know, and you can move up later without re-entering your menu.
How to set up table QR codes with your Square menu
Step 1: Connect Square or send us a photo of your menu
Connect your Square account and import your catalogue. Not on Square, or your menu is out of date? Upload a photo of your printed menu and review the items before they go live.
Step 2: Set up drink options and dietary tags
Add modifiers such as oat milk, soya milk and extra shots, with any extra charge. Then tag allergens on each item so guests can see them while ordering.
Step 3: Print your table codes and open the kitchen screen
Download a QR code for each table, print them and put them where guests will see them. Our guide on where to put QR codes in a café shows what works. Finally, open the kitchen screen on a tablet behind the counter and place a test order.
Frequently asked questions
Do customers need to download an app to order at the table?
No. They scan the QR code with their phone's camera and the menu opens in the browser. They can pay with Apple Pay or Google Pay in a couple of taps.
What devices do I need to run the kitchen screen?
Any tablet, laptop or screen with a modern web browser. Many cafés use an iPad or an inexpensive Android tablet on the wall. If you'd rather have paper tickets, Café QR also prints to supported Star and Epson network printers. See kitchen screen or printed tickets to decide.
Related reading
- QR Code Menu vs Order and Pay
- Is QR Ordering Worth It for a Small Café?
- How to Print QR Codes for Café Tables
Already running Square? Start your free month of Café QR, with no card needed, and test QR table ordering alongside your existing counter till today.