Handle a table tab that's been left open
It happens in every restaurant: a tab gets left open. The guest got up without paying, or a tab was forgotten from an earlier shift. Here's how to sort it out.
1. Find the tab
An open tab stays until it's closed. You'll find it in two places:
- The floor map – the table shows as occupied. Tap the table to open the tab.
- Parked tabs – if the tab was parked (set aside without a table) you'll find it in the parked tabs list and tap Resume.
2. Decide what should happen
| Situation | What you do |
|---|---|
| The guest is still here / will pay | Open the tab and take payment as usual |
| The guest moved to another table | Move the tab to the right table |
| The tab is wrong / duplicated / guest left | Void the tab (usually needs manager approval) |
Take payment: Open the tab from the table or via Resume and run the payment exactly as usual.
Move: Use Move tab to move the whole tab to another table – handy if the guest changed seats or the tab ended up on the wrong table.
Void: If the tab will never be paid (e.g. a guest who left without paying, or a wrongly duplicated tab) you void it. Voiding is a protected action and normally requires a manager PIN, because it affects follow-up.
Good to know:
- An open tab doesn't disappear by itself – it must be actively closed, paid, moved or voided.
- Open tabs left at the end of the day affect the day's close – see the article on closing the day with open tabs.
Tip: Make it a routine to close out every table before the shift ends. Then the next shift doesn't start with old, unexplained tabs.
This feature is part of Vendion POS.
Curious how it looks in practice? Read more about the product or book a short demo.
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