Questions?
Sign up for online ordering
How do I become a restaurant partner?
Just send us an email or call us! We will then do all the setup and customization work for your restaurant. We’ll virtually shake on it and we’re partners!
How long will it take to get my restaurant online?
Typically 3-7 days depending on the complexity of your menu and if we have all the necessary information. If it’s urgent, just let us know and we will put you on the priority list.
How much does it cost to join?
There are no ongoing costs aside from any custom domain names until you make a sale. We provide your restaurant with the website, marketing support, and free day to day support.
How much commission will I pay?
8% per based on the total food order amount.
Can I pass the fee onto my customers?
Yes, we can add a “convenience fee” or “online order fee” of any percentage or dollar amount onto your orders.
Do I need to sign a contract with you?
No, you don’t need to sign any contract with us. There are no long-term contracts or commitments. You pay month-to-month and you are free to pause or cancel the service at any time. You will receive a final invoice with what’s owed up to the point that you cancelled.
Do you deliver the food for us?
No. We provide the online ordering system so your customers can place the orders for your restaurant. If you cannot deliver the food yourself, no problem, you can just use the system for pickup or advance dine-in orders.
Do you serve restaurants outside the US?
We currently offer service in the US and Canada. We’re looking to expand into more countries soon.
Order Management
How do I receive my customer orders?
Your can receive orders via the following ways: fax, email, SMS (Text Message Notification with a link to view the Order), web based interface (via any Web Browser on any Device, optimized for Tablets), direct to printer* and the Order Manager App**. You can choose multiple methods and change order receiving methods any time.
*Direct to Printer (Auto Print) requires installation of Order Monitor Software (This software is compatible with computers running Windows Vista, Windows 7, 8, 10).
**Order Manager App via Apple App Store (IOS) or Google Play Store (Android), optimized for tablets. (Apps available for tablet or smartphone)
What if my fax machine / printer isn’t located where staff can see the orders?
No problem. We offer automated phone calls and/or SMS text message notifications to alert you of new orders. The text messages include the order information as well.
How do I know when I get an order?
Every time you receive a new order, you will receive an automated notification phone call to let you know you have a new order, press “any key” before you hang up on the call. If you don’t press the key before hanging up, our system will detect notification failure and will attempt to resend the phone notification again.
Can I disable the phone notifications? The phone rings constantly when there are too many orders.
We can disable the phone notification, however, we do not recommend this because it’s very easy to overlook an order without the phone alert. We can reduce the the number of attempts to call your restaurant.
If you are receiving more online orders than you can handle, we can limit the number of orders being served every 30 minutes.
Are customers required to create an account before ordering?
By default, no. But you can set it as requirement. The advantage to encouraging account creation is the ability to capture their emails for future marketing purposes.
What information is shown on the order?
Order details include items & quantities, order created time & due time, order type (pickup/delivery), payment methods, and customer contact details.
Is there any way to change the order sheet layout?
Yes, please contact us so we can make the adjustment for you.
How do I know when the order needs to be ready?
Order Due Time is shown on the order sheet. Customers can choose the earliest available time or schedule for a later time to receive the orders. Normally, system default setting for pickup order preparation time is 25–30 mins, and delivery order preparation time is 55–60 mins. Please contact us if you require more or less time to prepare the orders.
I need more time to prepare orders during peak hours, how do I set that?
We can set increased or reduced preparation time for both pick-up and delivery orders during certain times of the day. Please contact us and we can make the adjustment for you. If you need to make the adjustment immediately, navigate to Restaurant Manager - Restaurant Locations - Choose Your Location and click Add/edit additional details - Click on Prep time, and create a special prep time at the bottom of the screen for use during your peak hours. Don’t forget to save.
Can my customers place orders up to the last minute of closing?
By default, our system would allow you enough time to prepare last order before closing. However, you can change the last order time up to your closing time or any time you prefer. If your last order time is 15 mins before closing, and if the customer places the order 10 mins before closing, our system will alert the customer the next available time would be the next business day.
Can I set last order time for delivery order earlier than last order time for pick up order?
Yes, we can set it for you. By default, last order for delivery is 30 mins earlier than pick up orders.
Can I stop receiving orders mid-day between lunch and dinner prep time?
You can let us know your break times and we can set it up so customers won’t be able to place orders during your break time.
How far in advance can my customers place an order?
By default, our system allows customers to place order up to 7 days in advance. We can increase or decrease the number of days at your preference. We can also limit future orders within the same day or completely disable future orders so customer cannot schedule any advance orders.
Do I get notified immediately for a Future Order?
By default, our system will send all orders to you upon receipt. If it’s a future order, a warning message will be shown in order sheet with the wording “Future Order”. Please pay attention to the order due time when you see the warning.
What should I do when customers want to make changes to an order that’s already been placed?
You must login to your admin area, navigate to the order, click on edit order, and then revise and check out as if you were the customer.
However, if the credit card payment has already been processed online for the order, Food App Fast is not able to process partial refund (for example for missing item or removing an item from the order). You must log in, void and refund the entire order, and then place a new order for the corrected items. We recommend running very fast to the kitchen and pulling that ticket as well. These things happen sometimes.
How can I cancel an order?
If the customer cancels an order or the order cannot be fulfilled, simply log in and navigate to their order, and click the “cancel order” button. It will automatically refund their money in the format paid. There is no need to refund the money from your merchant processing terminal.
Would I get charged if the order is cancelled?
No, we will not charge you for any cancelled order.
What should I do when I could not reach the customer by phone to pick up the order?
As long as you have required that they pay at the time of the order, you are not out any money for the food prep. Hold their order as you would any other customer until you feel it’s safe to dispose of it.
Do I get compensation for no show orders?
For new customers paying at time of pick up, we recommend restaurants to call the customer before preparing food. No show is very rare, however we cannot be responsible for the loss.
How do I prevent no show or fake orders?
We have a phone number verification put in place to make sure all phone numbers are real.
If you are getting fake/fraudulent orders placed by a customer, we can have them blocked by our system to prevent the customer from placing orders again in the future. We can block this person’s email address, phone number and address from placing online orders again.
For orders to be paid in the store at the time of pickup, if the email address looks suspicious or if it is a first-time customer, you may want to call the customer first to double check the order.
We also suggest you to limit payment option to pay online by credit card if the email address looks fake or suspicious. Also, we can allow only registered customers to place online orders, or if it is not a registered customer, you may want to call the customer first to double check the order before preparing the food, especially if it is a large order. Always be cautious when a large order comes in late at night. We recommend that you always contact the customer for a large order to make sure if the order is genuine. If the order looks suspicious, do not prepare the food until you can reach the customer by phone first.
We highly recommend restaurant use Online Credit Card Payment, in this case, the restaurant payment processor can verify customer’s payment info and make sure that restaurant will get paid even if they do not show up for their order.
Can I get a report on how many orders I receive every day?
Yes, please let us know and we will send you an End of the Day Summary.
What should I do when customers ask for extra food in the Special Instruction on the order sheet?
Any request for additional items or special preparation in the special instruction may incur an extra charge not calculated on the online order. The restaurant is not obliged to give extra food for free just because they ask for it. Please contact the customers to agree on the extra cost.
We can also create add-ons (additional options to purchase, e.g. extra chicken for $2) in your menu so customers have the option to add extra items to the order, the extra cost will be applied to the order amount.
Website & Menu
How do I update info on the website?
You’re in luck! We’ll do it all for you! To update your opening hours, add an announcement, set holiday closing, change your delivery information, add photos, update prices, or order payment options, please contact us. If you would like to learn how to do it yourself, send us an email and you’ll get step by step instructions for updating it yourself. This system is extremely user-friendly.
Can I set minimum order amount differently for pickup and delivery order?
Absolutely!
Can I set different business hours for pickup and delivery?
Absolutely!
What if we close the store for holiday?
Contact us! Whenever you would like to set different opening hours for your restaurant or to close on a specified date or a certain period of time, please contact us in advance so we can set holiday hours accordingly on your website. It is important that you inform us any change of opening hours to avoid customer negative feedback or complaints.
How is the delivery zone set?
We can set your delivery area by choosing one of these 3 methods:
1. within a radius of this many miles from your store location
2. for specified zip codes
3. by drawing on map to specify irregularly shaped delivery zones.
I don’t want to offer delivery to a specific area, can I exclude that area?
We can draw on map to specify the area you do deliver, or we can block orders from specific towns or street names.
Can I put more than one menu on the website?
Yes, we can set unlimited menus for your restaurant. For example, some restaurants set a Main Menu and Lunch Menu separately. For those which offer different cuisines, we also set different menus.
Can Food App Fast update the menu for me?
Yes, definitely! Free menu changes for life! Please send us your menu via email: hello@foodappfast.com.
Can I add photos on my menu items?
Yes, food photos sell food! Adding photos will attract more customers.
You can send the photos to us with dish names labeled on each picture and we will upload the photos for your menu items.
Can I create coupons, specials or discounts for my customers?
Yes, we can set almost any kinds of coupons for your restaurant, e.g. $ off, % off, free items, etc.
We can also set special offers for targeted groups to help you attract new customers or reward loyal customers. Plus you can add restrictions such as having to purchase certain items or meet certain requirements in order to use them.
Can I use the domain name that I have purchased for my restaurant to take orders?
Yes, please contact us and we will help you to set it up with your domain registry.
Can I integrate my own website with your ordering feature?
Yes, please contact us and we will work it out for you. In most cases it’s a simple link feature on your website and we can make the changes for free.
Payment & Fees
Do customers pay directly to me or you collect payment on my behalf?
We do not collect payments on your behalf. Restaurants will have to collect the payment from customers. If customers choose to pay online first with their credit cards, their payment can be processed online by your existing merchant account payment provider.
How do customers pay for their online orders?
Customer can pay
1. by Cash at time of Pickup or Delivery
2. by Credit Card at time of Pickup or Delivery
3. Pay Online directly to your existing merchant payment provider
You can choose the payment methods and we will set it up for you.
What are the benefits of using online payment processors?
1. Eliminate the need to manually enter credit card info / avoid typo error on POS Terminal.
2. Automatically processed, instant approval / declined.
3. Fast transaction speed.
4. Low risk of theft, no exposing customer full credit data on fax / print out.
5. Lower chance of no show order.
Do I need to sign up a new merchant account to use online payment processor?
If you are already accepting credit card payments at the restaurant, please ask your merchant service provider to setup a payment gateway for you to take payment online. We only need the setting keys to help you start receiving payment online through your payment processor.
We can integrate with over 70 payment gateways so you can use your existing merchant account to process credit cards. If you have a processor that does not integrate, we will set you up with an online processor such as Stripe, Square, or Braintree to process CCs in real time.
How do I set up an online payment processor?
1. Tell us which payment processor the restaurant is using.
2. Depending on the processor used, we will require restaurant to provide us the info needed in order to proceed with the integration setup (e.g. Merchant ID / API ID, some transactions keys).
** Please login to your payment process account to find this info, or ask your payment processor directly if you are not sure how.
3. Upon receiving the info, we will go ahead with the integration and run some tests before going live.
What if the payment provider is not on the list?
Most merchant account providers can work with one of the above gateways. For example, if they are on TSYS they can use TransFirst. Or if they use Bank of America, they can use Authorize.net. Most merchant account providers can work with one of the gateways listed.
Do you charge additional fee for payment integration?
We do not charge a setup fee or anything extra to integrate with your payment gateway. However, your merchant account provider may charge an extra fee for certain payment gateways, so you will need to talk with your merchant account rep regarding the fees. This is not part of the process that we can manage.
How long does it take to get setup?
Anywhere from instantly to a couple of days depending on your merchant account provider. Some give the necessary access in the online account, while others require the owner to fill out a form to enable it on the merchant account. Once you obtain the necessary information, all we need to do is enter the few pieces of information into your account in our system.
Is it easy for my customers to make online payment?
Yes! The customers will just see a typical credit card form on checkout and the credit card information is sent securely to your merchant provider for processing in real time.
What if the credit card transaction is declined?
If the credit card is declined, customer will be prompted for invalid card or transaction declined. They can try to use another card, but otherwise the order will not go through for declined transactions.
What happens if the restaurant did not fulfill the order, how can the customer get refund?
Restaurant needs to confirm with Food App Fast or by logging into their admin screen that the order has been cancelled before issuing refund.
Food App Fast can issue a refund from the console, as can the owner with admin access, there is no need for the restaurant to login to the merchant account to process refund. However, Food App Fast is not able to process partial refund (for example for missing items), customer has to contact the restaurant directly to request partial refund.
Is it PCI compliant?
Yes! Our solution uses a PCI Level 1 Service Provider, the highest level of PCI DSS certification. So the entire transaction is PCI compliant.
If I don’t want to use online payment processor, can I receive customer’s credit card payment info to process payment at the store?
Not at this time, due to new regulations.
Can I charge customers for credit card processing fee?
Yes, you can set a fixed fee or a percentage for any order to be paid by Credit Card.
Can I set different Delivery Fees for different zones?
Yes.
Can I set minimum order total differently for pickup and delivery orders?
Yes, we can set it for you.
When do I receive my invoice?
Invoice of previous month’s orders is sent on the 1st of the month. Billing happens to a card held on file on the 5th of the month. You have a 5 day window to update your CC info on file to keep your account current.
How do I receive my invoice?
We can send you the invoice by Fax, Email, and SMS.
How do you calculate the commission fee?
We charge based on Food Subtotal. You will not be charged on tips, tax and delivery fees.
Can I pass the service fee onto my customers?
Yes, you can add a “convenience fee or online order fee” (or whatever you’d like to call it) of any percentage or dollar amount onto your orders to offset the service fees we charge you.
How do I make payment for the invoice?
Please contact us by email or phone: hello@foodappfast.com or 208-255-9648. We’ll take your CC info down and keep it in a secure offline location. Once auto payment is setup, you will still receive invoice and payment will be processed on the 5th of the month.
What are the Invoice payment methods?
We invoice a CC card kept on file.
Is there a way to check my recent invoice and payment history?
Yes, this option is available through a manager login on the Online Order Manager App.
Where can I update the restaurant sales tax rate?
You can inform us the correct tax rate and we will update it for you. Alternately, log in to your admin system, navigate to Restaurant Manager - Restaurant Locations - and click “change this” next to the tax rate listed for that location.
Marketing & Advertising
How do you promote my business?
To begin with, we make sure your website is SEO friendly before we even launch.
We have 17 years of marketing experience behind us, and work with you to find a strategy to draw in that online business that’s going to help you be successful.
Can you set up Facebook/ Instagram/ Twitter account for my restaurant?
Yes, we can do that for you. Our rate is $60/hr for social media creation. This includes setting up business pages and linking them to make best use of the Facebook and Instagram Ad Platforms.
I plan to run some promotion, can I put up coupons on my website?
Yes, discounts and coupons work on online ordering much like they do in your store. You can do a variety of discounts, either percentage or dollars off for either specific items or the entire order. You can set restrictions on the coupons for either money spent or number of times it can be used per purchase.
In short we can put up discount coupon or free item coupon with the ability to exclude certain food, apply to certain type of order, certain day and time, new or existing registered customers, and more.
Is there any report that I can check on coupon redemptions?
Yes, please contact us OR click on the “Report” Button at the top of your admin screen to view reports broken down by day, menu, menu item, etc.
Can I get a list of the customer email addresses to send promotional email from time to time?
Yes, please contact us to request the customer list. We can also send out marketing emails on your behalf for a small fee.
Can I find out which are the most popular items sold over the period?
Yes, please contact us OR click on the “Report” Button at the top of your admin screen to view reports broken down by day, menu, menu item, etc.
Google Maps and Apple Maps are not showing the correct information on my restaurant listing, can you help me to fix this?
Yes, please contact us and we will help you to submit the correct information.