At table ordering apps compared – which is best?

With social distancing expected to remain in place for some time, pubs may be expected to turn to technology to control numbers and prevent overcrowding at the bar. One solution is ‘at table’ ordering via an app. Unsurprisingly a number of companies now offer solutions – but with so many options, which is best?

We’ve tried and tested a few options to try and help answer this question, and here is what we found.

AppInstitue

This company allows pubs to design their own app using their platform, which can uploaded to the Apple App store and Google Android store. It is possible to work from a number of templates, which can be edited to customise menus and design options. A native ‘at table’ ordering feature is being added shortly, and it’s now possible to offer food collection within delivery slots. The features are constantly being improved, and it’s a good option if you want your own bespoke App, rather than an integration or web-based option. This allows ‘push notifications’ which is a great marketing feature. If you wish for the team to design the app the cost is around £400. You also require your own Apple Developer account (£79 per annum) and Google account (£20 per annum).

App Costs: £70 per month (free self-design, or approx. £400 design fee)
Card processing: Stripe integration (1.4% plus 20p per transaction)
Hardware: Compatible tablet & printer required £120-150

Like many options, a third party payment integration is required – which makes the transaction costs pricey. The 20p per transaction is not ideal for pubs, where the average transaction value will likely be low. The self-design aspect is not entirely straightforward and an expert designer is expensive. We found setting up the menu fiddly and time consuming. The look is also quite basic and lacks customisation options. Unless a downloadable app is a necessity, we think this will be overpriced and not ideal for most pubs.

Many similar apps require third party payment provider integration, so will have similar pricing with the preferred option being Stripe – so always best to ask, as these fees will be on top of any monthly fees charged for the app itself. It’s also worth noting that payment clearance times are up to 7 days, which is not ideal for cashflow purposes.

Sample app – https://m.appbuild.io/princeof1?ni=1

Our Rating: 3/5

PepperHQ

An experienced company who have been around for a number of years. They have designed the app for Young’s and Geronimo Inn amongst others. They offer integration with Zonal, Judo and other ePos systems. They also have a standalone system which works on the Square platform.

The Square ePos system is a reliable platform, which works with any iPad. It offers a good set of features, including loyalty & rewards and marketing via Push Notifications and customer insights. The app is fully branded and designed and set up by the team at PepperHQ.

App costs: from £89 per month per location (£149 with loyalty features)
Card processing: 2.5% via Square (no per transaction costs)

We consider that this is a decent offering from an experienced company with a strong track record. Our only criticism is the 2.5% transaction costs which is above average, although for some the use of the Square ePos system will justify the fee.

Our rating: 4/5

Yoello

Unlike any of the other options we’ve come across, Yoello is an FCA regulated payment provider. This means they process the card payments themselves in house.

They offer an at table ordering system which integrates with their payment platform to offer a reliable solution designed to reflect your pubs branding and menus.

We found the setup incredibly simple and straightforward, with all the menus and design dealt with by them. They offer a well priced package, which includes everything a pub needs to get started – including smartly designed QR table plaques and printer terminal. As they process the payments themselves, transaction costs are as low as 1.25% (with an annual package) – with no per transaction fees. This is the most competitive we found anywhere, with next day payment clearance also included as standard.

The system can integrate with a number of POS systems and we were very impressed with the ease of setup and level of support offered. They had our app up and running within a week, and were able to integrate with our table booking platform.

Pricing options:
Monthly – £250 setup (includes QR plaques, terminal, training) then £59 per month, 1.5% transaction fees
Annual – £199 setup (includes QR plaques, terminal, training) then £39 per month, 1.25% transaction fees

Our rating: 5/5 *RECOMMENDED

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