Pre-paid orders are one of the best benefits for restaurants using online ordering.  The question is: how many of your customers take advantage of this option? Recent internet reports cite less than 19% of customers choose to pre-pay online.

Our figures are substantially different. With NetWaiter, we see 68% of customers choosing to pre-pay for their online order, if given the chance.  For delivery orders, that number jumps to 77%.

Pre-paying for an online order is just one of the ways NetWaiter streamlines the takeout business.  A customer who pre-pays can quickly pick up their order.  There is no fumbling with money or credit cards at the cash register.  It’s a time saver, especially during those peak hours, for both restaurant and customer.

Some NetWaiter restaurants report frequent instances of twenty or thirty online customers during their lunch rush.  Imagine the logjam that would be caused if they didn’t pre-pay online for their order.

Another major advantage NetWaiter provides restaurants is immediate access to their funds.  Some online services charge customers and do not transfer the payments to the restaurant for as long as a month.  NetWaiter allows restaurants to charge their customers directly and the money is immediately deposited into their merchant account.

“Allowing a third-party to take control of your receivables and then hold your money for up to 30 days is never a good business move,” said Jared Shimoff, Senior Director at NetWaiter. “Then again, if less than 19% of customers chose to pre-pay with that service, you’re probably not missing much!” 

Why does NetWaiter have higher rates for pre-payment?  A significant reason is that we are constantly evolving the NetWaiter system, making changes to increase convenience and improve the customer experience.  Cleary, the results show – producing 3 to 4 times the number of pre-paid customers.