The total fee for a table QR order depends on more than the QR software price. Add the platform charge for the order to the payment processing charge for the route the guest uses. Then account separately for any optional service charge collected from the guest. A lower processing rate at a staffed terminal may not make that route cheaper if the platform or terminal adds other fees.
Compare both routes on the same check amount and under the same assumptions. Use at least one small and one large check: fixed fees matter more on smaller orders, while percentage fees become more important as checks grow. The ledger below gives you a way to make that comparison before signing a contract.
Map each order from scan to payment
Start by drawing the path the order takes, not by comparing advertised percentages. In an online-payment route, a guest scans the code, selects items, submits the order, and pays through an online checkout. Depending on the setup, the restaurant may receive a paid order and prepare it for the identified table.
In a staffed-terminal route, the guest may scan and submit an order but pay an employee at a physical terminal. Ask whether that order can reach the kitchen before payment, whether it must be accepted first, and how staff can see its payment status. Those steps depend on the products and configuration being quoted. Do not assume every QR ordering product supports both routes.
A QR menu alone is not necessarily an ordering or payment system. Confirm whether the product accepts an order, where it sends the order, and which payment options are available. Also ask whether an employee can handle a guest who cannot or does not want to use a phone.
For example, Fleksa's QR ordering lets guests scan, order, and pay at the table in a browser without downloading an app. Fleksa does not charge a commission on table QR orders; payment processing and applicable tax still apply. Ask Fleksa which payment and staff-handoff options are available for your setup rather than assuming a particular terminal route is included.
Before requesting prices, make a short route map for each option:
- Order entry: Does the guest submit the order, or does an employee enter it after the guest reads the menu?
- Table identification: How does the order get associated with the correct physical table? Review your table QR code setup and ask how corrections are handled.
- Payment: Is the card processed online or at a staffed terminal? Can guests split a check, and does each payment create another fixed fee?
- Handoff: What does staff see when an order is unpaid, paid, changed, or canceled?
- Fallback: How does an employee serve a guest without a phone or complete the order if the preferred route is unavailable?
These details affect the number of transactions and the quote you need. A split payment, for instance, can turn one table check into two processing transactions. Compare that situation separately from a single-payment check.
Separate the charges before doing the math
A useful fee ledger has a line for each charge and a clear payer. Platform fees can be fixed per order, a percentage of an order, a recurring subscription, or a combination. Payment processing can have a percentage, a fixed amount per transaction, or both. A terminal or payment provider may also quote equipment, rental, setup, or other recurring charges.
Ask what each percentage applies to. A processor may calculate its fee on a different base from the platform. The base might include a guest-facing charge or other amounts added at checkout. Do not apply a quoted rate to the food subtotal unless the quote says that is the right base.
A guest-facing service charge is different from a processing fee. It is an amount added to the guest's bill, not automatically a cost paid by the restaurant or money the restaurant keeps. Ask who receives it, whether processing applies to it, and how it appears on the receipt. Keep it outside the basic merchant-fee comparison until those terms are clear.
Also keep deposits and sales separate from fees. A deposit is a transfer of funds; it is not the same thing as a sales total, and the difference between the two is not necessarily the full cost of processing. Settlement timing, refunds, and other adjustments can affect what arrives. Ask for an itemized statement that shows each deduction.
For a per-order comparison, use this structure:
- Platform cost: fixed charge per order plus any platform percentage on its stated base.
- Payment cost: processing percentage on its stated base plus fixed charges for each payment transaction.
- Other allocated cost: relevant recurring or equipment charges divided by a reasonable number of orders, if you are comparing a full monthly quote.
- Guest charge: show it separately, along with who receives it and whether it changes the processing base.
Do not allocate the full cost of a terminal to QR orders if it also serves other sales without explaining that choice. Equally, do not ignore a terminal fee that exists only because of the route you are considering. Show the allocation next to the quote so another manager can challenge it.
Calculate two checks using the same ledger
The following example is hypothetical. The figures are fictitious and are not Fleksa prices or a vendor quote. Assume each check is paid once, with no split payment, refund, tip, tax, or guest service charge. Both routes have a $0.30 platform charge per order. Online processing costs 2.9% of the check plus $0.30; staffed-terminal processing costs 2.4% plus $0.10. Percentages are calculated on the check amount and rounded to the nearest cent.
The table separates the platform charge from processing, then adds them for the merchant's per-order total. It excludes subscriptions, hardware, setup, and other recurring costs. Those exclusions matter if the routes require different equipment or plans.
| Check and route | Platform | Processing calculation | Total merchant fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| $24 online | $0.30 | 2.9% × $24 + $0.30 = $1.00 | $1.30 |
| $24 staffed terminal | $0.30 | 2.4% × $24 + $0.10 = $0.68 | $0.98 |
| $80 online | $0.30 | 2.9% × $80 + $0.30 = $2.62 | $2.92 |
| $80 staffed terminal | $0.30 | 2.4% × $80 + $0.10 = $2.02 | $2.32 |
Under these assumptions, the staffed-terminal route costs $0.32 less on the $24 check and $0.60 less on the $80 check. That is a per-order fee result, not a full operating-cost result. It does not put a dollar value on staff time, equipment, or changes in service. It also does not show that either route will cost less under your actual contract.
Now consider an optional $1 guest service charge on the online route. The guest would be asked to pay $25 on the smaller check rather than $24. Do not subtract that $1 from the $1.30 merchant fee as if it were automatically retained by the restaurant. First establish who receives the charge and whether it is part of the processing base. If the same hypothetical processor applies 2.9% plus $0.30 to the full $25, processing becomes $1.03 after rounding, and the platform-plus-processing fee becomes $1.33. The treatment of the $1 remains a separate contract question.
To adapt the ledger, use your own typical small and large checks, then add a split-payment case if it is common in your dining room. For each case, count actual payment transactions, not just orders. A fixed processing charge applied twice can change the comparison even when the food total stays the same.
Next, compare monthly totals. Multiply each route's per-order fees by the expected number of orders at each check size. Add route-specific recurring charges and any equipment costs you have chosen to include for the comparison period. Keep one-time setup costs on a separate line rather than presenting them as a recurring monthly fee. Use the same period and order mix for both quotes.
Get current terms and check exceptions
Ask each vendor for a written quote for both workflows, including the payment provider and the exact fee base. A single headline rate is not enough. Request an example statement or fee schedule that distinguishes platform charges, transaction charges, guest-facing charges, and deductions from deposits.
For Fleksa, check the current plans and request a quote for the workflow you need; plan details were checked in November 2026. Confirm current availability and setup for your location. The hypothetical rates above should not be used as Fleksa pricing.
Put these questions alongside your ledger:
- Is there a platform charge for a table QR order on each payment route? Does it change with the plan or order value?
- What percentage and fixed processing fees apply, and what amounts are included in the processing base?
- Are there setup, software, terminal, rental, or recurring charges needed for either route? Which costs apply even if order volume is low?
- What happens when a check is split, partly paid, changed after submission, or canceled before payment?
- On a full or partial refund, which original fees are returned, retained, or supplemented by another charge? How is a guest service charge treated?
- How are fees and refunds shown on statements, and when are funds deposited?
Use the answers to add exception rows to your comparison. For example, a route that looks cheaper on ordinary checks may have different economics if partial refunds are frequent. Do not estimate a refund cost until the provider specifies what happens to the original processing and platform charges.
Then walk staff through a simulated order, a split check, a correction, and a refund using a designated practice environment or a paper walkthrough. The simulation must not create a real card payment, guest message, or courier dispatch. Check what staff would see at each handoff and how an unpaid order would be recognized. A later live service pilot is a separate decision: define its scope and get the provider's terms before using real guest transactions.
Choose the route that fits both the written fee comparison and the service you can run. If contract language or the treatment of charges raises legal or tax questions, ask a qualified adviser rather than relying on a sales summary.
Next step: Use your two typical check amounts to complete the ledger, then compare the relevant QR ordering workflow and current availability with Fleksa. Bring the same figures to any other provider you are considering.
Frequently asked questions
Is paying at a staffed terminal always cheaper?
No. The answer depends on platform charges, processing rates, transaction counts, equipment, and other quoted costs. Compare the same order and payment pattern on both routes.
Does a guest service charge cancel out processing fees?
Not necessarily. Ask who receives the charge and whether it is included in the processing base. Show it separately from the merchant's fees.
What should I check before comparing refunds?
Ask whether each original platform and processing fee is returned or retained, whether another fee applies, and how partial refunds and guest charges appear on the statement.
