> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.storetalk.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Dine-in, tabs & payments

> Pay now or run a tab at the table, how a tab stays tied to the right guest, and when unpaid orders and idle tabs are cleared automatically

When a guest scans the QR code at their table, the menu opens already bound to that table.
At their **first order** they choose how they'd like to settle — pay there and then, or open
a tab and pay at the end.

## Pay now, or start a tab

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Pay now" icon="credit-card">
    Pay for that order by card straight away. Order again later and you simply pay again —
    ideal for a quick coffee or a single round.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Start a tab" icon="receipt">
    Save a card once (**no charge, no hold**), order as many rounds as you like through the
    visit, and pay the whole tab at the end.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

```
Scan table QR → browse menu → add items → Review
                                            ├─ "Pay now · £x"     → pay this order by card
                                            └─ "Start a tab"      → save card → order more → pay at the end
```

## Running a tab

1. **Open the tab** — the guest taps *Start a tab* and saves their card. Nothing is charged
   and there's no hold on the card; it's simply kept on file for the end of the meal.
2. **Order rounds** — each round is sent to the kitchen right away and added to the tab. No
   payment happens per round.
3. **Settle** — the guest taps **View tab** to see every round and item, then **Pay tab** to
   charge the saved card. Staff can also settle it from the Floor board (see below).

<Note>
  Each round is its own kitchen ticket (and its own order number) so the kitchen can cook it
  as it comes in — but they all roll up to **one tab** and settle in a **single payment**.
</Note>

## Keeping a tab tied to the right guest

A table's QR code is permanent, so StoreTalk makes sure a new guest can't accidentally land
on the **previous** guest's tab and order onto their card.

The phone that opens a tab holds a private key for it. Only that phone can keep adding to the
tab. If **someone else** scans the same table while a tab is still open, they see a notice —
*"This table has an open tab, please ask a staff member"* — and **cannot** order onto it.

<Warning>
  The safe way to turn a table over is for staff to **Close tab** (or **Clear table**) when a
  party leaves. That settles the previous guest and frees the table for the next one.
</Warning>

## Closing and clearing tables (staff)

On the **Floor** board each occupied table has an action:

* **Close tab** — for a table running a card-on-file tab. Charges the saved card for the whole
  tab, marks the rounds paid, and frees the table.
* **Clear table** — for a table with only *pay-now* orders. Marks paid orders done, cancels any
  abandoned ones, clears their kitchen tickets, and frees the table.

A table also **frees automatically** once the kitchen serves its last order.

## Automatic cleanup

StoreTalk tidies up on its own so nothing is left holding a table. A background sweep runs
about **every 10 minutes**:

| What                | When                                                                          | What happens                                                 |
| ------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Idle tab**        | no new round for **3 hours**                                                  | the saved card is charged for the tab and the table is freed |
| **Abandoned order** | a pay-first order left unpaid for **30 minutes** (card page closed or failed) | the order is voided so it stops holding the table            |

<Note>
  The auto-close is a **safety net**, not the everyday flow — staff closing tabs and clearing
  tables is still the normal way to turn a table over. The 3-hour window is long enough not to
  cut a leisurely meal short.
</Note>

## Card payments

Payment is handled by your installed payment app — **Stripe** (GBP / EUR / USD) or **Razorpay**
(INR). StoreTalk never holds the money. For card-on-file tabs the card is saved securely at the
provider and charged at the end; if a card needs extra authentication (3-D Secure) the guest is
simply asked to confirm on the payment page. See [Collecting payments](/payments/collect-payments).