The bill in the chat

#What it's for

When a guest types «the bill», «can I pay?», «the receipt», «I'd like an invoice» or «how much are we at?» in the chat (in any of the 8 menu languages), the waiter shows them their table's bill summary and the buttons to settle it: pay from their phone, split the bill, add a tip, ask for an invoice with their tax ID or get it by email. No waiting for someone to come to the table.

It needs ordering to be on (it's part of your plan). It doesn't use answers or credits: it's answered from the table's data, without AI.

#What your guest sees

A «Your bill summary» card with:

• The table and the time, and the «Pre-bill · not valid as an invoice» label.
• What the table has ordered (including what other phones at that table or your team ordered): quantity, dish in the guest's language, options and price.
• Total (VAT included), what's already been paid and what's left to pay. If you have the Invoices module, also the VAT breakdown (indicative: «the official one is on the invoice»).
• Not sent to the kitchen: what the guest has in their order but hasn't sent yet («It isn't on the bill until you send it.»).
• The legal text: with Invoices, «The simplified invoice, with its QR code, is issued when you pay»; without it, «[your venue] gives you the simplified invoice when you pay».

Before the bill is settled, the waiter may suggest one single thing, if it fits the time of day and what the table has ordered: dessert after a main, or coffee after dessert («Before you settle up, fancy…?»). Once per visit, and never if the guest has an allergy or diet it doesn't suit, nor against your alcohol policy.

#The buttons

Only the ones your venue can offer appear:

No button charges or sends anything by itself: they all open the menu's usual screens, with their confirmation step.

#After paying: the receipt in the chat

If the guest pays from the chat, when they close «Bill paid!» the chat opens with their receipt:

• With the Invoices module: «Paid! Here's your simplified invoice:», with its number and QR code.
• Without it: «Paid! Here's your payment receipt:», with «Not valid as an invoice» and the payment reference.
• Buttons: Download PDF, Send by email, Invoice with my tax ID and, if you have Google Reviews, Leave us a review.

#Bill security

• The guest only sees their table's open bill. The conversation stays tied to the first table they ask for the bill from: if they then ask about another one, it asks them to scan that table's QR code.
• Without a table (for example, with the general QR code), they only see what they ordered from their own phone in the last 3 hours.
• No names or phone numbers appear on the ticket. The email used to send it isn't kept.
• If you've turned on Require new QR codes (see QR codes), the table's QR code is needed to see the bill.

#Try it in your dashboard

At the test table, type «the bill»: you'll see the same summary with a yellow border and «Test table». There, the buttons don't charge or notify anyone («On your real menu, this would open «…».»), except Send what's pending, which sends the test table's order.

#Common problems