Ring up an open item with a custom amount

Sometimes you need to sell something that isn't on the menu: the dish of the day, a chef's special or a one-off offer. That's when you ring up an open item with a custom amount.

Open the dialog:

In the POS quick actions choose Open item. Manager approval may be required. A box opens where you fill in the line.

How to fill it in:

1. Pick a category – e.g. Open food, Open drink, Open spirits, Open wine or Open beer. Under each category the dialog shows the VAT rate the line gets on this particular tab.
2. Name (optional) – type e.g. "Chef's special". Leave it blank and the category name is used.
3. Price – enter an amount greater than zero, e.g. 145. You can use a comma or a dot for decimals (89.90).
4. Quantity – default is 1. Enter a positive whole number.
5. Note (optional) – e.g. "extra parmesan".
6. Press Add.

The line lands in the cart just like any product and can be sent to the kitchen and paid for as usual.

VAT follows the category – and the order format

The category decides the VAT. Open spirits, wine and beer always get 25%. Open food and drink get 12% – and if the restaurant has Enable variable VAT switched on they follow the order format just like a regular product: 12% when the guest eats in and 6% for takeaway and delivery. Switch the tab to takeaway afterwards and the line is recalculated.

Always pick the category that matches what you're selling. Ring up a beer as "Open food" and the VAT will be wrong on the receipt and in the bookkeeping. If the item needs a different product group than the categories offer, use a configured menu item, and open price if the amount varies.

Good to know:

• An open item is logged in the cash control so it can be followed up afterwards.
• If you have no active tab when you ring up an open item, the system starts a new one.
• Open items are handy, but for recurring dishes it's better to add them to the menu so the name, price and VAT are always correct.

Selling the same thing often – but at varying prices?

Then open price is a better fit than an open item. You add the item to the menu once with the right name, product group and VAT, and turn on open price. It then sits as a normal button in the POS and staff simply enter the amount.

The practical difference: with an open item, staff choose both the name and the VAT category at every sale – fast, but easy to get wrong. With open price, everything except the amount is already decided by you. Typical cases are recurring specials and other products with variable amounts.

Tip: Use the name field generously – "Chef's special" on the receipt looks more professional than just "Open food", and the guest understands what they paid for.