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Industry edition · Caterers

Catering software that collects the balance before the truck leaves

Quote, contract, deposit, balance due. Menu and headcount changes that reach the kitchen count, event-day timeline texts for the crew, tips for the servers, and the card fee on a five-figure balance handled by dual pricing or flat-fee ACH.

Get a free quoteSee how dual pricing works
Quote → contract → depositHeadcount changesKitchen countsDual pricing & tips
Merch FinTech · Caterers editionSaturday: 3 events
$184K
Booked this quarter
$41K
Deposits received
7
Quotes awaiting signature
QT
QuotesBar mitzvah, May 3: quote opened twice, reminder sent
Auto
HC
HeadcountSaturday wedding: 180 → 196; invoice and kitchen count updated
Today
BL
Balances3 balances due Friday; 2 paid by ACH
Auto
TL
Timeline textsCrew texts for Saturday go out at 7am
Auto
Illustrative.
Built for caterers

Every event is a small project

Proposal, menu, headcount, tasting, deposit, a balance that runs five figures, and a crew that needs to know where to be at 2pm. This edition runs the pipeline and the money at every step.

Quotes to contractsBuild the quote from your menu library, send it, watch it get opened. Approval turns it into a contract with e-sign and a deposit in the same flow.
Deposits & balance dueDeposit at signing, balance 10 days out, charged to the card on file or paid by flat-fee ACH. Reminders and retries run themselves.
Menu & headcount changesThe client changes the count or swaps a course. The invoice, the contract addendum and the kitchen count update together.
Kitchen countsA production sheet per event: covers, courses, dietary flags, equipment. Printed the day before, updated if the count moves.
Event-day timeline textsLoad-out, arrival, service, breakdown. The crew gets the timeline by text that morning; the client gets the arrival window.
Tips & reviewsOn-site tips on the mobile reader, pooled or direct to the crew. The thank-you and review request go out the next morning.
AI, in catering terms

What the AI does for a caterer

Describe the rule once in plain English. The workflow builder assembles it and asks before switching it on.

Chases the quote that went quietA quote is not accepted in three days. The client gets a text, then an email with the menu attached, then a call task for you on Friday.
Confirms the final countTen days out, the client gets a text asking for the final headcount. Their reply updates the invoice and the kitchen sheet.
Collects the balance without a phone callThe balance goes out with an ACH link. Still unpaid two days before the event: a reminder, then a call task for you.
Fills next spring from this fallTen months after each event, the client gets a short note: planning the next one? The ones who reply land in your pipeline.
Payments built in

Stop losing a card fee on every event

Catering tickets are large and few, so a percentage card fee takes a server's wages off every event. Deposits go on a card on file; balances move by flat-fee ACH or at the posted card price under a compliant dual-pricing program. Send a statement and we show the math on your own numbers.

  • Compliant dual pricing: both prices posted up front, within card-brand and state rules
  • Flat per-item ACH fee on every invoice instead of a percentage; you decide whether the client covers it
  • Returned payments: the processor's return fee passes through at cost, with two automatic retries
  • Card on file for deposits and balances, with smart retries
  • Interchange plus one small, disclosed margin on cards; we show you the math on your statement
  • Mobile reader for on-site charges and tips, pay links for everything else
  • Each catering company holds its own merchant account, in its own name, with our processing partner

Everything we accept, A to Z →

Payroll for your staff runs on the same login — see payroll.

Your stored cards and client records move with you as tokens and exports if you ever leave. Dual-pricing and cash-discount programs are subject to card-brand rules and state law and are not available everywhere.

Event ledger · one wedding, one screen
Quote, 196 covers$19,600Deposit at signing, card$4,900, paidHeadcount change180 → 196; invoice updatedBalance due, 10 days out$14,700, bank link sentServer tips, on sitePooled; reported per eventKitchen sheetUpdated with the countMargin after crew and foodShown per event
Illustrative. Revenue, costs and tips on one screen per event.
What you can cancel

One login instead of eleven

Typical for a caterer doing 50 to 150 events a year. Send your list and we'll map it.

HoneyBookQuotes & contracts
Total Party PlannerCatering software
DocuSignE-sign
QuickBooks invoicingBalance invoices
SquareMobile reader
CalendlyTastings
MailchimpEmail
JotformInquiry forms
SpreadsheetsKitchen counts
WixWebsite
ZapierGlue between them
Plans for caterers

Which plan a caterer picks

Most caterers run on Pro at $299/mo ($249/mo billed annually): the quote-to-contract pipeline, workflow automation, the AI receptionist, reviews, email and SMS to past clients and unlimited users for office and crew. Pro is credited back at higher processing volumes. Basic is $99/mo, and while you process with Merch FinTech we credit it back on your monthly processing statement, so the software is on us; it fits a small operation that needs quotes, invoices, a calendar and texting. Compare plans. Need it built around how you run? Custom builds from $1,999.

A dedicated brand for event halls and caterers is next on our brand roadmap. This edition is live today. Kosher caterers attached to Jewish institutions can also look at 613OS.

FAQ

Questions from caterers

Can clients pay a large balance without the card fee?
Yes. Every invoice offers ACH at a flat per-item fee instead of a percentage, and you decide whether the client covers it. For clients who still want to use a card, a compliant dual-pricing program posts the cash price and the card price up front. Send a statement and we show the math on your own numbers.
How do headcount changes work?
The client confirms the final count by text or in the portal. The invoice, the contract addendum and the kitchen production sheet update together, and the balance due changes with it. You set the cutoff date after which the count is locked.
Can we send quotes with the menu and get them signed?
Yes. Build the quote from your menu library with per-head pricing, send it, and see when it is opened. Approval turns it into a contract with e-sign and a deposit in the same flow, and the event lands on the calendar.
How do server tips work with dual pricing?
Tips prompt after the amount on the mobile reader or as a line on the final invoice. They are pooled or paid direct to the crew per your rules and reported per event. The card price applies to the ticket under the compliant configuration for your state.
Can we run several events on one day?
Yes. Each event has its own timeline, crew, production sheet and ledger. The day view shows every event with load-out and arrival times, and the crew texts go out per event that morning.

Quote it, book it, collect it on one login

Send us a processing statement and your average event size. We'll show you the math for dual pricing and bank payments on your own events.

Get a free quoteSend a statement for a free comparison

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