Reference

Restaurant Tech Glossary

20+ essential terms for restaurant POS, QR ordering, KDS, payments (GCash, Maya, QR Ph), and operations — explained in plain language with related guides.

Technology

QR Code OrderingAlso: QR menu · Scan-to-order: A self-service ordering method where customers scan a table-side QR code with their phone to access the digital menu and place orders directly. Orders push instantly to the kitchen display system, eliminating handwritten errors and reducing floor-staff labor.
POS System (Point of Sale)Also: Point of Sale · POS: Point of Sale system: software/hardware that records transactions, issues invoices, and manages inventory + membership. Traditional POS is purchased as a hardware unit; cloud SaaS POS uses monthly subscription with browser access.
KDS (Kitchen Display System)Also: Kitchen Display · Kitchen screen: Kitchen Display System: shows incoming orders on a kitchen screen in real time, replacing paper tickets. Eliminates lost orders, illegible handwriting, and delivery delays. Displays wait times, priorities, and customization notes.
SaaS (Software as a Service)Also: Cloud Software: Software as a Service: cloud software accessed via monthly/annual subscription, with no on-premise installation or large upfront investment. Pros: low barrier, automatic updates, cross-device. Con: long-term cumulative cost may exceed perpetual licenses.
Kitchen Printer (Thermal Receipt Printer)Also: Thermal printer · Receipt printer: Thermal printer used in kitchens to print orders for chefs. Common brands: EPSON TM-T series, Star, Bixolon. POS must support the ESC/POS command set. Common spec: 80mm paper width, USB / network / Bluetooth connectivity.
ESC/POS Command Set: EPSON's thermal printer command set, the industry de facto standard. POS sends ESC/POS commands to print orders. OrderEase's print bridge uses this standard to support multi-brand printers (EPSON, Star, Bixolon, etc.).

Business

TCO (Total Cost of Ownership)Also: Total Cost of Ownership: Total Cost of Ownership: the full real cost of a system, including one-time hardware + monthly fees + maintenance + upgrades + hidden costs (data export, API surcharges, termination penalties). Compare POS systems by year-1 and year-3 TCO, not monthly fee alone.
ROI (Return on Investment)Also: Return on Investment: Return on Investment: annual net benefit divided by cost. Restaurant POS ROI typically includes labor savings, lost-order recovery, turnover gains, and subscription difference. Payback period = investment / monthly net benefit.

Payment

GCashAlso: G-Cash: The Philippines’ largest e-wallet, operated by Mynt (Globe / Ant Group). Customers pay by scanning a merchant QR code or sending to a registered GCash business account. Merchants need a GCash business / merchant account to accept and reconcile payments.
MayaAlso: PayMaya: A major Philippine e-wallet and digital bank (formerly PayMaya). Accepts payments via QR code and links to Maya cards and accounts. Together with GCash it covers the bulk of cashless restaurant transactions in the Philippines.
QR Ph (National QR Standard)Also: QR PH · National QR Code Standard: The national QR code payment standard adopted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), based on the EMVCo specification. A single interoperable merchant QR can be scanned by GCash, Maya, and participating banks, so merchants display one code instead of many.
InstaPay: A real-time, low-value electronic fund transfer service under the BSP’s National Retail Payment System. It moves funds between banks and e-wallets within minutes and underpins many QR Ph and e-wallet transactions.
MDR (Merchant Discount Rate)Also: Merchant Discount Rate: The fee a merchant pays a payment provider or acquirer for processing a transaction, expressed as a percentage of the amount. Compare the MDR across GCash, Maya, QR Ph, and card schemes when estimating the true cost of each payment method.
BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue)Also: Bureau of Internal Revenue: The Philippine national tax authority. Restaurants must register with the BIR and issue BIR-compliant invoices/receipts. POS or computerized accounting systems used to issue these documents are subject to BIR registration and accreditation requirements.
VAT (Value-Added Tax)Also: Value-Added Tax: A 12% value-added tax applied to most sales of goods and services in the Philippines. VAT-registered restaurants charge VAT on sales and must show it on the invoice; businesses below the VAT threshold may instead be subject to percentage tax.
Sales Invoice (BIR)Also: BIR Sales Invoice: The primary document evidencing a sale for BIR purposes. Under the Ease of Paying Taxes Act (RA 11976), the Sales Invoice became the principal document for both goods and services, replacing the previous reliance on the Official Receipt for services.

Operations

Table Turnover RateAlso: Turnover: Number of times a single table is used per day. Example: a 10-table restaurant serving 30 parties = turnover of 3. QR ordering + self-checkout typically boosts turnover by 10-15% (reduced wait at order/payment).
Average Order Value (Avg Ticket)Also: ATV · Average Ticket: Average spend per order. Calculation: monthly revenue / monthly orders. Core metric for restaurant health and marketing effectiveness. QR ordering typically boosts ATV by 5-15% (related-item recommendations, one-page upsells).
Cover CountAlso: Covers: Total number of guests served in a given period (one cover = one guest). Core operational metric. Combined with turnover and ATV: revenue = covers x ATV.
Carinderia / Turo-TuroAlso: Turo-turo · Eatery: A small, local Filipino eatery serving pre-cooked dishes that customers select by pointing ("turo-turo" means "point-point"). High-volume, low-margin operations where fast ordering, accurate tallying, and simple POS workflows matter most.

Marketing

Membership / Loyalty SystemAlso: Loyalty Program: A system for customers to accumulate purchase points redeemable for discounts or freebies. Typical mechanics: points per amount spent, point-to-discount conversion, and birthday bonuses. Loyalty programs measurably lift repeat-purchase rates.
Spin Wheel Marketing: A post-checkout spin-the-wheel feature offering customers prizes (discount codes, free drinks, extra dishes) to boost return visits and brand affinity. OrderEase ships with configurable prize probability and conditions such as a minimum spend.

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