Order Modes

Overview

Order Modes are service categories that group checks together by how or where an order is being taken — for example, Dine In, Bar, To-Go, or Counter. Every check processed through an Order Mode is tagged with that category, which flows through to your end-of-day and sales reporting so you can see revenue broken down by service type.

Order Modes also appear on the POS as a selection a staff member can log in to or select at the start of their session, keeping checks clearly attributed to the correct service channel.

Prerequisites

• You must have Restaurant Owner access, or a staff role with permission to view or edit restaurant settings, to manage Order Modes in back office.
• Staff need access to the Drawers & Modes section of the POS app to link or unlink themselves from an Order Mode.

How Order Modes Work

When a staff member links to an Order Mode on the POS, every check they open during that session is automatically tagged with that Order Mode name. This tagging feeds into:

• Sales by Order Mode reporting — see revenue, check counts, and totals broken down by service type
• Cash Out totals — checks are attributed to the correct mode
• Check history — each check shows its Order Mode label

There are three built-in Order Mode types:

Protected Order Modes (Pickup & Delivery and Catering) cannot be renamed or deleted. Only their Job Classes assignment can be changed.

Managing Order Modes in Back Office

Navigating to Order Modes

1. Log in to the Katalyst Restaurant Management dashboard.
2. Click Settings in the left sidebar.
3. Select Cloud Point of Sale.
4. Click Order Modes & Cash Drawers.

The page displays a table listing all your Order Modes with columns for ORDER MODE NAME, JOBS ASSIGNED, ACTIVE, and action icons.

Creating a New Order Mode

1. Click the Add ORDER MODE button at the bottom of the Order Modes table.

2. The New Order Mode dialog opens.

3. Fill in the following fields:

   Field	What to enter
   Order Mode Name	A short, recognizable name for this service type (e.g., "Dine In", "Bar Tab", "Counter") — minimum 2 characters, maximum 100. Must be unique for your restaurant.
   Job Classes	Optionally assign one or more job classes from your staff departments. Use the Assign Jobs dropdown to select.

4. Click Create.

The new Order Mode appears in the table with the Active checkbox checked by default.

Editing an Order Mode

1. Click the edit icon (pencil) on the row for the Order Mode you want to change.
2. The Edit Order Mode dialog opens with the current values pre-filled.
3. Update the Order Mode Name or Job Classes as needed.

   The Order Mode Name field is disabled for protected modes (Pickup & Delivery and Catering). Only Job Classes can be changed on protected modes.

4. Click Save.

Activating and Deactivating an Order Mode

The Active checkbox on each row controls whether the Order Mode appears as an option in the POS.

• Check the box to make the Order Mode available on the POS.
• Uncheck the box to hide the Order Mode from the POS without deleting it.

Changes save immediately — no Save button is needed.

Inactive Order Modes do not appear on the POS Order Mode selection screen or in the Drawers & Modes list. Staff will not be able to link to an inactive mode.

Deleting an Order Mode

1. Click the delete icon (trash) on the row for the Order Mode you want to remove.
2. A confirmation prompt appears: Are you sure you want to delete this order mode? The order mode will be deleted!
3. Click to confirm.

Before you can delete an Order Mode, all of the following must be true:

• The Order Mode is not protected (the delete icon is disabled for Pickup & Delivery and Catering).
• No POS staff currently have an active link to this Order Mode — all links must be unlinked from the POS first.
• There are no uncashed-out checks tagged to this Order Mode — complete the cash out process first.

Linking and Unlinking on the POS

Linking connects a specific POS session (a logged-in staff member) to an Order Mode. Once linked, every check opened in that session is automatically tagged with the linked Order Mode.

How to Link to an Order Mode

1. On the POS, navigate to the Drawers & Modes screen.
2. The list shows all active Order Modes for your restaurant.
3. Find the Order Mode you want to work under and tap the Link button next to it.
4. The button changes to Unlink, confirming the link is active.

Each staff session can only be linked to one Order Mode at a time. If you are already linked to an Order Mode, its row shows Unlink instead of Link. You must unlink from your current mode before linking to a different one.

How to Unlink from an Order Mode

1. On the POS, navigate to the Drawers & Modes screen.
2. Find the Order Mode you are currently linked to — it shows the Unlink button.
3. Tap Unlink.
4. The row switches back to showing the Link button, confirming the session is no longer linked.

Unlinking does not affect checks already opened and processed during the linked session. Those checks remain tagged with the Order Mode they were created under.

Selecting an Order Mode at POS Login

When a staff member logs in to the POS, they may be presented with a selection screen showing available Order Modes alongside their own name. Tapping an Order Mode button on this screen routes that login session through that mode — every subsequent check in the session is tagged accordingly.

• Tap your own name to work under your personal session without an Order Mode.
• Tap an Order Mode button to work under that mode for the session.

Troubleshooting

"Can't delete protected Order Mode"

Pickup & Delivery and Catering are system-protected Order Modes and cannot be deleted. If you need to hide them from the POS, deactivate them by unchecking the Active checkbox on their row in back office.

"Must Unlink Order Mode in POS to Delete"

At least one staff member on the POS currently has an active link to this Order Mode. Have all staff navigate to Drawers & Modes on the POS and tap Unlink for that mode before attempting to delete it in back office.

"Can't delete Order Mode with un-cashouted checks"

There are open checks still tagged to this Order Mode that have not yet been included in a cash out. Complete the cash out process for those checks first, then return to back office to delete the Order Mode.

"This Name has already been taken"

Order Mode names must be unique within your restaurant. Choose a different name or edit the existing Order Mode with that name.

An Order Mode is not appearing on the POS

• Confirm the Active checkbox is checked for that Order Mode in back office — inactive modes are hidden from the POS.
• Staff may need to refresh the POS or log out and back in to pick up the latest settings.

A staff member is linked to the wrong Order Mode

Have the staff member go to Drawers & Modes on the POS, tap Unlink on the incorrect mode, then tap Link on the correct one. Checks already opened will retain their original Order Mode tag; only new checks going forward will use the updated mode.

Related Guides

• Cash Outs — how Order Mode tagging feeds into cash out totals and reporting
• Payment Devices — setting up the POS hardware that staff use alongside Order Modes