Plain-English summary#
Foodops has two kinds of discount setup: named discount rules (e.g., "Happy Hour 20%", "Staff Meal 100%") that you set up in advance and apply at the POS with one tap, and discount reason types, a list of reasons a cashier can pick when they apply a one-off discount. Picking a reason is optional. Together they balance flexibility for promotions with accountability — staff can give discounts, and the reason list lets you see why.
When you'd use this#
- Setting up promotions (happy hour, loyalty day, seasonal offers)
- Controlling one-off discounting at the POS (offer a list of reasons so cashiers can say why; the reason is optional)
- Staff meal policy — a named 100% discount with reason "Staff Meal"
- Checking for discount leakage in reports — which reasons are over-used?
How to access#
- Sidebar: admin.foodops.io → Settings → Discounts section → Discounts or Discount Reason Types
- Discounts are applied at the counter.
Key concepts#
- Named discount — set up in advance; predictable, traceable, one tap at the POS
- One-off discount — entered by hand; the cashier can pick a Reason Type; gets more scrutiny in reports
- Reason Type — the "why" tag. Set up centrally; cashiers can pick one when they apply a discount (it is not mandatory); reported per reason so you can spot leakage
- FOC (Free of Charge) — giving the order away free. Shown separately from discounts in the Day Summary report because tax treatment may differ
Common questions#
Q: What's the difference between a discount and a price list? A: A discount is a percentage/amount off the base price, applied to the order. A price list replaces the base price entirely. Discounts show on the receipt as "Discount: -MVR X"; price-list prices don't (the customer sees the list price as the normal price).
Q: Can I limit who can apply discounts? A: Not at the moment — the counter has no role permission for the discount button. Discounts are applied per order or per line through the "Apply Discount" dialogs. For now, control discounting through policy: reason types plus reporting.
Q: Why did applying a 100% discount make the bill close instead of staying open? A: A 100% discount doesn't close the bill — it brings it to zero, and the counter treats a bill with nothing left to collect as fully paid. The Pay and Settle buttons disappear, the bill shows Paid, editing locks, and Close Order is the only action left — so in practice it goes straight to closed without a payment step, and without any receipt or invoice being recorded. If you're comping the whole order, use FOC from the order's ⋯ More-options menu instead (see below). A percentage discount doesn't remove delivery fees or fixed service charges — bills with those keep a balance and stay open as normal.
Q: How do I handle FOC (comped meals)? A: Use the FOC action in the order's ⋯ More-options menu — not a 100% discount. FOC needs a named customer (it's not available for Walk-In), records a zero-value invoice so the comp shows in reports and settlement, then closes the order. A "FOC — 100%" named discount brings the bill to zero with no invoice at all, so the giveaway disappears from reconciliation. A "Complimentary" Reason Type is still useful for partial comps given as discounts.
Q: How do I see which staff member gave the most discounts? A: The Discount Exceptions report (under Daily Operations in Reports) shows manual and loyalty discounts by who gave them and why. Outliers stand out quickly.