Giving Customers Bills in the Restaurant Sector
If you operate a restaurant establishment, you are required to give your customers a bill or credit note with the prescribed information.
As a rule, you must give the customer the bill without delay after its production. However, if you hold a bar permit for your restaurant establishment and you supply drinks served without food, you can give your customer a bill when you bring them their drink, or later, when you require payment.
What does ”giving customers bills” mean?
Giving customers bills means taking clear and concrete steps to provide them with a bill.
Naturally, the most obvious way to do that is to hand the bill to the customer.
However, you could also:
- place the bill on a tray held out the customer;
- staple or otherwise attach the bill to a bag or box;
- place the bill in a glass given to the customer;
- send the customer the bill electronically.
Taking clear and concrete steps to give your customers bills is the only way to meet the obligation to provide them with bills. Merely asking customers if they would like a bill without giving them one does not comply with your obligation.
Typical transaction scenarios
Below are two typical transaction scenarios in the restaurant sector. Each scenario describes entering the prescribed information, giving customers bills and sending the prescribed information using your WEB-SRM-compatible certified sales recording system (SRS).
Counter service
- The customer orders a meal.
- The user enters the order in the SRS and gives the customer the price.
- The customer pays for the meal.
- The user enters the payment method in the SRS to finalize the transaction.
- A request is sent to us.
- We send a reply with the transaction time and number.
- The user gives the customer a closing receipt.
Table service
- The customer orders a meal.
- The user enters the order in the SRS and saves the transaction.
- A request is sent to us.
- We send a response with the transaction time and number.
- The customer orders an additional item (e.g. coffee or dessert).
- The user modifies the order in the SRS and saves the transaction.
- A request is sent to us.
- We send a response with the transaction date, time and number.
- The customer finishes their meal.
- The user completes the transaction in the SRS and presses the print button.
- A request is sent to us.
- We send a response with the transaction date, time and number.
- The user gives the temporary bill to the customer.
- The customer pays for the meal.
- The user enters the payment method in the SRS to finalize the transaction.
- A request is sent to us.
- We send a response with the transaction date, time and number.
- The user gives the customer a closing receipt if its content is different than the temporary bill or it is printed.