HandyCafe Docs
cashier

How to Process Orders

This guide covers creating, modifying, closing, and cancelling orders for food, drinks, and other products sold in your cafe. Orders are separate from session billing. A customer can have both an active session and open orders at the same time.

What You Will Need

  • A logged-in cashier or admin account on the HandyCafe Server.
  • Products configured in the Products page (at least one product with a name, category, price, and VAT rate).
  • At least one payment method available (Cash is always present by default).

How to Create and Close an Order

This is the standard workflow: create an order, add items, and close it with payment in a single flow.

  1. Navigate to the Orders page using the left sidebar.
  2. Click the New Order button.
  3. Optionally assign the order to a client PC. Click the PC assignment field and select a connected client from the dropdown. If the sale is for a walk-in customer at the counter, you can skip this step.
  4. Optionally add a note to the order (e.g., "Table 3" or "Extra napkins").
  5. Search for products using the search field. Type a product name or category to filter the list.
  6. Click a product to add it to the order. The default quantity is 1.
  7. To change the quantity, click the quantity field next to the item and enter the desired number.
  8. Repeat steps 5-7 for each product the customer wants.
  9. Review the order summary. The dialog shows:
    • Each line item with product name, unit price, quantity, and line total.
    • Subtotal (sum of all line totals).
    • VAT (calculated from each item's VAT rate).
    • Grand total.
  10. Click Close Order to proceed to payment.
  11. Select the payment method (Cash, Card, or a custom method).
  12. Click Confirm to finalize the order and record the transaction.

Expected result: The order moves to the "Closed" tab in the Orders page. A transaction is recorded with the order amount, payment method, and VAT breakdown. The transaction appears in the Cash Report. If the order was assigned to a client PC, it is linked to that PC's session history.

How to Modify an Open Order

You can change an order's contents as long as it has not been closed yet.

Change an Item's Quantity

  1. Navigate to the Orders page.
  2. Find the open order in the "Open" tab.
  3. Click the order to expand its details.
  4. Locate the item you want to modify.
  5. Click the quantity field and enter the new quantity.
  6. The line total and order total update automatically.

Change an Item's Unit Price

  1. Open the order details.
  2. Click the unit price field next to the item.
  3. Enter the new price. This overrides the product's default price for this order only.
  4. The line total recalculates.

Remove an Item

  1. Open the order details.
  2. Click the delete or remove button next to the item you want to remove.
  3. The item is removed and the order total recalculates.

Expected result: The open order reflects the updated quantities, prices, or removed items. The total adjusts automatically.

How to Cancel an Order

Cancelling an order removes it from active processing. Only open (unpaid) orders can be cancelled.

  1. Navigate to the Orders page.
  2. Find the open order in the "Open" tab.
  3. Click the order to select it.
  4. Click the Cancel button.
  5. Confirm the cancellation in the dialog.

Expected result: The order status changes to "Cancelled." It moves out of the Open tab. No transaction is recorded. Cancelled orders remain in the system for audit purposes but do not affect financial reports.

Note: You cannot cancel an order that has already been closed and paid. To reverse a paid order, a refund process is required.

How to Create a Quick Walk-in Sale

A walk-in sale is an order not linked to any PC or member. Use this for counter sales where the customer is not using a computer.

  1. Navigate to the Orders page.
  2. Click New Order.
  3. Do not assign a PC. Leave the PC field empty.
  4. Add a note if helpful (e.g., "Walk-in, energy drink").
  5. Add the products the customer is purchasing.
  6. Click Close Order.
  7. Select the payment method and confirm.

Expected result: The order is created and closed without any PC or session association. The transaction is recorded in the Cash Report under the current cashier's shift.

How to Handle a Customer Order from a Client PC

Customers can place orders directly from their client PC using the Online Page interface. When a customer places an order, the server receives a notification.

  1. A sound notification plays on the server (the new order sound configured in Settings).
  2. A notification badge or popup appears on the Orders page icon in the sidebar.
  3. Navigate to the Orders page.
  4. The new order appears in the "Open" tab. It shows:
    • The client PC name that placed the order.
    • The items the customer selected with quantities and prices.
    • An optional note from the customer.
  5. Review the order items to verify product availability.
  6. Prepare the items (make the drink, heat the food, etc.).
  7. When ready, close the order using the normal close workflow:
    • Click Close Order.
    • Select the payment method. If the customer has a member wallet, you can deduct from it.
    • Click Confirm.

Expected result: The order is linked to the customer's active session. The notification clears. The transaction is recorded. The customer sees the order status update on their client PC.

Tip: You can modify the order before closing it if an item is out of stock. Remove the unavailable item and communicate the change to the customer.

How to Assign an Order to a Member

If the customer is a registered member, linking the order to their account enables wallet payment and order history tracking.

  1. Create a new order or open an existing open order.
  2. If the order is assigned to a PC with an active member session, the member is linked automatically.
  3. If the order is a walk-in sale, you can manually search for and assign a member in the order's member field.
  4. When closing the order, the payment method options will include the member's wallet balance if they have sufficient funds.

Expected result: The order appears in the member's order history. Wallet deductions create consumption records linked to the order.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Adding products with zero price. If a product's sale price is set to zero in the Products page, order items will also be zero. Always verify product prices before going live.
  • Closing an order without verifying items. Once closed, the transaction is recorded. Double-check quantities and prices before clicking Confirm.
  • Ignoring customer order notifications. When a customer places an order from their PC, it sits in the Open tab until a cashier processes it. Unprocessed orders lead to unhappy customers. Monitor notifications during busy periods.
  • Cancelling instead of modifying. If only one item is wrong, modify the open order instead of cancelling and recreating it. This saves time and keeps the audit trail cleaner.
  • Not configuring products before opening day. Orders require products to exist in the Products page. Set up your full product catalog with correct names, prices, categories, and VAT rates before your first shift.
  • Forgetting VAT rates on products. If a product has a VAT rate of 0 but should be taxed, the order total will be incorrect. Verify VAT rates per product in the Products page.