Split a check and take payment

What you’ll do: You will split a table’s check the way the guests want it and take payment. You can mix cash and card on one bill and add tips at the same time.

Before you start

• Open a register with its opening cash amount. See registers.
• Make sure every item the table had is on the order.
• Have your card terminal ready. Card payments work with your own processor.

Steps

1. Open the table. On the POS screen, open the table’s order. Check every item and modifier is there before you split; it is harder to add an item after a check is paid.
2. Choose how to split. Pick the split the guests ask for:
   • Evenly: divide the total into equal parts. Good for “split it three ways”.
   • By seat: each guest gets the items for their seat.
   • By item: move single items to the check that should pay for them.
   • By amount: one guest pays a set amount; the rest stays on the bill.
3. Check each part. Read each check back to the guests: items and total. This stops arguments at the card terminal.
4. Take payment. Take payment for each part. A single bill can use more than one method, for example part cash and part card. Run the card on your terminal, then record it on the POS.
5. Add the tip. Enter the tip at payment. Tips recorded here go into the server’s tips and into the tip pool. See set up tips and tip pooling.
6. Print or close. Print a receipt for each guest who wants one. Close the order so the table shows as free on the POS screen.

Tips from the onboarding team

• Assign seats as you order. Splitting by seat at the end is one tap if seats were set when the order was taken.
• Even splits leave a cent. If a total does not divide exactly, one check carries the extra cent. Tell the table.
• Cash first, card second. On mixed payments, enter the cash part first so the card takes the exact remainder.
• Do not close early. Close the order only when every part is paid.
• More on our split checks page. Want to know which terminals work? See hardware.

If something goes wrong

Problem	Fix
A guest paid but the table still shows open	Another part of the bill is unpaid. Check each split and take the remaining payment.
The split total does not match the bill	An item was added after splitting. Recheck the splits, or undo and split again before taking payment.
The card was charged twice	Check your processor’s terminal history. Refund the duplicate there, then correct the payment on the POS.
The tip is missing from the report	The tip was not entered at payment. A manager can edit the payment to add it.
The cash drawer did not open	The drawer is kicked by the receipt printer. Check the printer is on and the drawer cable is connected to it.

Related help

• Set up tips and tip pooling
• Send orders to the kitchen screen and fire courses
• Taxes, currency and receipts in the US, UAE and Pakistan