How can we help you?

To create a Cafe Buddy account, go to the Sign In page and click Create Account. The registration process has three steps:

1. Account Details — Enter your username, password, email address, mobile number, and birthday.
2. Verify Email — A 6-digit OTP will be sent to your email. Enter it to confirm your address.
3. Business Information — Fill in your full name, business name, business address, and social media or website links.

After submitting, your application will be reviewed by our team within 24–48 hours. You'll receive an email notification once your account is activated.

All new accounts are manually reviewed by our admin team before activation. This process typically takes 24–48 hours on business days.

You will receive an email at your registered address when your account is approved or if we need additional information.

Cafe Buddy uses two-factor authentication (2FA) on every login to protect your account and your business data. After entering your username and password, a one-time 6-digit code is sent to your registered email.

This ensures that even if someone else knows your password, they cannot access your account without the OTP.

OTP codes expire in 10 minutes. If yours expires before use, click Resend Code on the login screen.

On the Sign In page, click Forgot password? and follow these steps:

1. Enter your registered email address.
2. Check your inbox for a 6-digit reset code (valid for 10 minutes).
3. Enter the code, then create and confirm your new password.

Accounts are suspended for one of the following reasons:

• Overdue subscription payment — your monthly invoice was not settled by the due date.
• Violation of Terms of Service — unusual or prohibited activity was detected.
• Manual suspension — requested by the account owner or triggered by admin review.

To reactivate your account due to a billing issue, settle your outstanding balance and send proof of payment to [email protected]. Reactivation is processed within 24 hours of confirmation.

For other suspension reasons, contact [email protected] to appeal.

Go to Settings → Business Information in your Cafe Buddy dashboard. The profile is divided into three sections:

• Account-Registered Details (Locked) — Business Name, Business Address, Owner name, and Birthday are pre-filled from your registration and cannot be edited directly. These are grayed out.
• Contact Details — Requires OTP — To change your Email Address or Mobile Number, click the Change → button beside the field. A 6-digit OTP will be sent to the new email or mobile for verification before the change takes effect.
• Website & Social Media Links — You can add unlimited links (Facebook, Instagram, website, etc.). Click + Add Link to add a new row and × to remove any link. These save when you click Save Changes.

Your updated business name and address will appear on printed order slips.

Account deletion is handled by our support team. Email [email protected] from your registered email address with the subject Account Deletion Request and include your business name.

The Dashboard shows today's performance at a glance — four stat cards at the top display:

• Total Sales — sum of all confirmed orders today
• Gross Profit — sales minus discounts and cost of goods
• Order Count — number of confirmed orders today
• Cash Drawer Balance — current running total across all payment methods

Below the stat cards is a Low Stock Alert panel (if any ingredient is below its threshold) and a full table of every transaction placed today — order number, time, cashier, items, payment method, and status.

Yes. Each transaction row in the Dashboard has a Void button on the right. Click it and enter a reason — the order is immediately voided. Voided orders remain visible in the table but appear faded with a Voided badge and the reason shown.

The Dashboard is fixed to today only — it shows real-time totals and today's transactions as they come in. It is designed for monitoring your shift as it happens.

Daily Sales lets you select any date range (last week, last month, a custom period) and also includes a product performance breakdown showing which menu items sold the most by quantity. Use Daily Sales for reviewing history and spotting trends.

If any ingredient in your Stocks module has fallen at or below its Alert When Below threshold, it appears in the low stock panel on the Dashboard. This lets you spot restocking needs without having to open the Stocks module separately.

Click the item name in the alert panel to jump directly to that ingredient's stock card in Stocks & Inventory.

Cafe Buddy costs ₱89.00 per month, billed on the 27th of every month. There is one plan that includes all features — no tiers, no upgrades, no hidden fees.

Your subscription covers unlimited orders, all modules (New Order, Kitchen Display, Cash Drawer, Analytics, Stocks, Menu Builder, Staff Accounts), receipt printing, and customer support.

Invoices are generated on the 27th of every month. The due date is 3 days after the billing date (i.e., the 30th of the same month).

You will receive an email notification when your invoice is ready. Late payments may result in temporary suspension of your account.

After receiving your invoice email, transfer ₱89.00 to our payment account, then send proof of payment and your invoice number to [email protected].

Our billing team will confirm receipt and mark your invoice as paid within 24 hours on business days.

Go to Settings → Subscription in your Cafe Buddy dashboard. The right side of the page shows your complete invoice history including the date billed, amount, date paid, reference number, and status (Paid or Pending).

You can filter invoices by date range using the date filter at the top of the invoice table.

Yes. You can cancel your Cafe Buddy subscription at any time by emailing [email protected]. There are no long-term contracts or cancellation fees.

Cancellations take effect at the end of the current billing period. No refunds are issued for partial months.

If your invoice is not settled by the due date, your account may be temporarily suspended. You will still be able to log in but will see a suspension notice with instructions to settle your balance.

Once payment is confirmed, your account is reactivated within 24 hours. All your data (orders, menu, staff) is preserved during suspension.

Go to Menu Builder in the sidebar and click + Add Menu Item. For each item you can:

• Set the item name and category.
• Add one or more options (e.g. Small, Medium, Large — or Hot, Iced) each with its own price.
• Link ingredients from your stock to each option for automatic deduction when orders are placed.

You can also manage categories by clicking Edit Categories in Menu Builder.

Go to Settings → Tax Settings to configure VAT. You have two options:

• Non-VAT — No VAT is applied to orders. Simple mode for non-VAT registered businesses.
• VAT — Choose between:
  • VAT on Top of Price (Exclusive) — VAT is added on top of the selling price. Receipt shows: VAT Base → Add VAT → Amount Due.
  • VAT Already in Price (Inclusive) — VAT is already included in the selling price. Receipt shows: Total Sales (VAT Inclusive) → Less VAT → Net of VAT → Amount Due.

The default VAT rate is 12% but can be adjusted in Tax Settings.

In the New Order screen, the order slip on the right side has a Discount amount input field below the item list. Type the discount amount (in pesos) and the total will automatically update.

Discounts are recorded in the transaction history and reflected in the Net Income Statement under Analytics.

Cafe Buddy supports three payment modes:

• Cash — Enter the cash tendered amount; change is computed automatically.
• QR Code — Your uploaded QR code is shown. A Transaction Reference Number is required before confirming.
• Debit / Credit Card — A Transaction Reference Number is required before confirming.

Each payment mode has a separate balance tracked in the Cash Drawer module. You can settle QR and Card balances to your bank anytime using the Settle QR or Settle Cards buttons.

After confirming payment, a popup appears asking if you want to Print Order Slip or Skip. Clicking Print opens your browser's print dialog with the receipt pre-formatted for an thermal printer.

The receipt includes:

• Your business name and address (from Settings)
• Order number, date/time, and cashier name
• All ordered items with quantities and amounts
• VAT breakdown (if VAT is enabled)
• Payment mode, cash tendered, change (for cash), or reference number (for QR/Card)

Any thermal POS printer connected to your device should work. Set your printer to paper width: in your OS print settings.

Order numbers follow the format DDMMYY-XX (e.g. 190325-01 for the 1st order on March 19, 2025). The counter resets to 01 each day.

Test Mode (toggled in the topbar) appends the word "Test" to order numbers (e.g. 190325-01 Test). Use this when training staff or testing the system without affecting real records. Switch to Live Mode for actual operations.

Orders are automatically sent to the Kitchen Display the moment payment is confirmed — not when the order is placed, but after the payment step is completed.

This ensures the kitchen only prepares orders that have already been paid for, avoiding wasted preparation for cancelled or unpaid orders.

Each order in the Kitchen Display goes through two steps:

1. Queued — The order just arrived. Kitchen staff clicks Prepare to acknowledge it. The status changes to In Progress (shown with a pulsing amber dot).
2. In Progress — The order is being prepared. Once ready, kitchen staff clicks Serve Order. The order is removed from the queue and logged in Kitchen History.

The Kitchen History log (accessible via View History) records the sent time, the time Prepare was clicked (start), the time Serve Order was clicked, and the total prep time in minutes (measured from Prepare click to Serve Order click — not from order sent time).

Yes. Cafe Buddy is browser-based, so you can open it on any device — a tablet, a second monitor, or a phone — and navigate to the Kitchen Display module. It works on any modern browser.

For dedicated kitchen setups, we recommend a wall-mounted tablet or an old phone/tablet logged into a Kitchen role staff account, which only has access to the Kitchen Display module.

Yes. Go to Kitchen Display → View History. Every served order shows the time it was sent to the kitchen, the time preparation started, the time it was served (when Serve Order was clicked), and the total prep time in minutes — measured from clicking Prepare to clicking Serve Order.

Prep time is measured from when the kitchen staff clicks Prepare (not from when the order was sent) to when they click Serve Order. This gives an accurate measurement of actual preparation time, not waiting time.

This helps you identify bottlenecks, measure kitchen efficiency, and plan staffing during peak hours.

The Claim Monitor is a real-time order status board designed for front-of-house staff to track Self-ordering QR orders. It shows two columns:

• Preparing — orders the kitchen has started cooking (status: In Progress)
• Ready — orders that are fully cooked and waiting for customer pickup

It is separate from the Kitchen Display. The Kitchen Display is for kitchen staff to manage cooking. The Claim Monitor is for front-of-house staff or a customer-facing screen to show order readiness.

The Claim Monitor refreshes automatically every 3 seconds — no manual refresh needed. When kitchen staff clicks Serve Order in the Kitchen Display, the order moves from the Preparing column to the Ready column within seconds.

A live clock is displayed at the top of the screen so staff can see elapsed time at a glance.

Yes. Cafe Buddy is browser-based, so you can open the Claim Monitor on any device — a wall-mounted tablet, a smart TV browser, or a spare phone. It works on any modern browser with no extra software or app to install.

For a dedicated setup, we recommend creating a staff account with only Claim Monitor module access, so the device is locked to that screen without exposing other modules.

Once a customer has picked up their order, tap Dismiss to remove it from the Ready column. This keeps the board clean and ensures only orders still waiting for pickup are shown.

The Cash Drawer tracks every payment received and every cash movement in your business. It maintains separate running balances for three payment methods:

• Cash — physical cash collected from customers
• QR — digital payments received via QR code
• Card — debit or credit card transactions

At any moment you can see exactly how much cash is in your physical drawer, how much is sitting in digital payments, and the combined total across all methods.

Every confirmed order is automatically logged in the Cash Drawer with its payment method. The module shows three separate balance cards at the top and three filterable tabs — Cash, QR, and Card — so you can view the movement log for each payment type individually.

Each log entry shows the type (Cash Payment, QR Payment, Card Payment, Cash Removal, or Additional Cash), the staff member who processed it, the amount, the linked order reference, and the running balance after that entry.

Settle means you have transferred the accumulated digital payment balance to your bank account. Recording a settlement resets the QR or Card running balance to zero and creates a log entry with the timestamp and performer.

Yes. Use the Cash Removal entry to log expenses, change fund reductions, or any cash taken out of the drawer. It is recorded in the log with a timestamp, performer name, and an optional note — and it reduces the cash balance accordingly.

You can also add Additional Cash (e.g. petty cash top-ups) which increases the cash balance without being tied to a sale.

Yes. Use the From and To date pickers to filter the log by date range. The owner can also filter by individual staff member to see one person's transactions. Staff members automatically see only their own entries.

Daily Sales shows your complete transaction history with columns for order number, date and time, cashier, items, order type (POS or QR), status, total, discount, VAT, and payment method.

At the top, four summary cards show Net Revenue, Total Discounts, Cost of Goods Sold, and Gross Profit for the selected period. Below the transaction table, a product performance section shows your top-selling items by quantity with visual bars.

The Dashboard is fixed to today only — it shows real-time totals and live transactions as they come in during your current shift.

Daily Sales lets you select any date range (last week, last month, a custom period) and includes a product performance breakdown showing which items sold most by quantity. Use Daily Sales for reviewing history, comparing periods, and spotting trends.

Use the From and To date pickers at the top of the Daily Sales page, then click Filter. The transaction table and all summary stat cards update to show only that period. Click Clear to remove the filter and show all transactions.

Go to Analytics (not Daily Sales) and click Export CSV in the top right. This downloads a CSV file containing your full transaction data — order number, date, cashier, items, sale amount, discount, COGS, and gross profit — that can be opened directly in Excel or Google Sheets.

The export respects any date filter currently applied in Analytics, so you can export a specific period by setting the date filter first.

FIFO (First In, First Out) is a costing method where the oldest stock is used first. In Cafe Buddy, each time you restock an ingredient at a new price, that purchase is recorded with its own price per unit.

When an ingredient is consumed (from a sale), the system uses the oldest purchase price first. This gives you a more accurate cost of goods sold compared to using a single average price.

You can see the purchase history of each ingredient (date, price per unit, quantity) directly on the stock card in the Stocks module.

When adding a stock item, you can set an Alert When Below threshold (e.g. alert when Sugar drops below 50 grams). When the quantity reaches or goes below that threshold:

• A Running Low badge appears on the stock card.
• A ! badge appears on the Stocks item in the sidebar so you can spot it immediately.

If a cashier tries to add an item whose ingredients are below the needed quantity, a Stock Warning popup appears before the item is added to the order.

When you log waste for an ingredient (via Stocks → Log Waste), the system:

• Deducts the quantity from the ingredient's current stock.
• Calculates the peso value of the wasted stock (quantity × cost per unit).
• Adds it to the Waste / Spoilage total in Analytics.

In the Net Income Statement, the formula is: Net Sales − Waste / Spoilage = Net Income. Tracking waste accurately gives you a more honest picture of your actual net income.

In the Stocks & Ingredients module, each stock card has four action buttons:

• Restock — Add new stock. Enter the total quantity and total amount paid; the system computes the cost per unit automatically.
• Log Waste/Spoilage — Deduct stock for spoilage or loss. The peso value is computed and added to your Analytics waste total.
• Edit — Change the item name, unit, or low-stock alert threshold. Current quantity and cost are read-only and can only change through Restock or Waste.
• Delete — Permanently remove the stock item. A confirmation prompt appears first.

To manage units (add or remove units like sachet, cup, etc.), click the Manage Units button in the Stocks topbar.

Yes — as long as ingredients are linked to menu item options in Menu Builder. When an order is confirmed and payment is completed, the system automatically deducts the exact ingredient quantities used for each ordered item from your stock.

If an ingredient is not linked to a menu item option, no deduction occurs for that item. Make sure all options in Menu Builder have the correct ingredient quantities set.

Go to Menu Builder in the sidebar and click + Add Item. Fill in:

• Item name — the name shown on the POS grid and customer QR page
• Category — e.g. Drinks, Food, Desserts
• At least one variation — a size or type (e.g. Small, Regular) with its selling price

You can also upload a photo and choose a card color for each variation. The item appears immediately on the New Order screen and Self-ordering QR menu once saved.

Inside each menu item, click + Add Variation to create multiple options. Each variation has its own:

• Name — e.g. Small, Medium, Large, Hot, Iced
• Selling price
• Card color — the background color of that option's button on the POS grid
• Photo (optional)
• Ingredient linkages — for automatic stock deduction

When a cashier places an order, they tap the item then select the variation. The correct price is applied automatically.

Inside each variation, expand the Ingredients section. Select a stock item and enter the quantity consumed per serving (e.g. Sugar — 30g). Add as many ingredients as the variation uses.

When a cashier confirms an order, those quantities are automatically deducted from stock. The total ingredient cost is also used to calculate your Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) and gross profit in Analytics.

Yes. Each menu item has an Availability toggle. Set it to Not Available and the item disappears from the New Order (POS) screen and the Self-ordering QR customer menu — but it stays in your Menu Builder list so you can re-enable it at any time.

This is useful for seasonal items, out-of-stock products, or items you want to temporarily pause without losing their configuration.

Click Manage Categories in the Menu Builder topbar to add, rename, or remove categories such as Drinks, Food, and Desserts. Changes apply immediately to both the POS grid and the customer Self-ordering QR page.

Categories are used to group items in the New Order screen — cashiers can tap a category tab to filter the grid and find items faster during a busy shift.

Settings has six sections accessible from the sidebar under Settings:

• Business Information — owner profile, contact details, social links, and business logo
• Tax Settings — VAT on/off, exclusive vs. inclusive, and tax rate
• Staff Accounts — add, edit, or deactivate staff and assign module access per person
• Subscription — invoice history and billing status
• Audit Logs — complete login and logout history for all staff
• Security — register passkeys for biometric login on your devices

Go to Settings → Tax Settings. Toggle between Non-VAT and VAT. If VAT is enabled, choose the mode:

• Exclusive (VAT on Top) — VAT is added on top of the selling price. Receipt shows: VAT Base → Add VAT → Amount Due.
• Inclusive (VAT Already in Price) — VAT is already built into the selling price. Receipt shows: Total incl. VAT → Less VAT → Net of VAT → Amount Due.

The default rate is 12% and can be adjusted to any value. Changes apply immediately to all new orders.

Go to Settings → Security and click Register Passkey. Your device must support biometric authentication — Face ID, Touch ID, fingerprint reader, or Windows Hello.

Once registered, you can sign in on that device using biometrics instead of entering your password and OTP every time. Each device needs its own passkey registration.

Go to Settings → Subscription. The panel shows all your invoices with their invoice number, billing date, amount, due date, payment date, reference number, and status badge (Paid, Pending, or Overdue). You can filter by status or date range.

Invoices are marked Paid by our billing team after you send proof of payment to billing@cafebuddy.ph with your invoice number.

Go to Settings → Audit Logs. This shows a complete log of every login, logout, and auto-logout event — including the staff name, role, timestamp, and action type. Entries are color-coded: green for Login, red for Logout or Auto-Logout.

The owner sees all staff activity. Staff members can only view their own log entries. Use audit logs to monitor for unauthorized access or to verify shift start and end times.

Go to Settings → Staff Accounts and click + Add Staff. Fill in the staff's first name, last name, username, and PIN. Then select their role:

• Owner — Full access to all modules.
• Manager — Full access except staff management.
• Cashier — Typically limited to New Order and Kitchen Display.
• Kitchen — Typically limited to Kitchen Display only.

You can also manually select which specific modules each staff member can access using the Module Access checkboxes.

The Staff PIN is a 4-digit code assigned to each staff member by the Owner or Manager. It is designed for quick staff switching at the POS terminal without needing to sign out and sign in with a full username and password.

Only the Owner or Manager can set or change a staff member's PIN. Staff cannot change their own PIN.

Go to Settings → Staff Accounts. On each staff row you'll see:

• Deactivate — Disables the account without deleting it. The staff member cannot log in, but their history is preserved. You can reactivate them later.
• Delete — Permanently removes the account. Past transactions recorded under their name are not affected.

Go to Settings → Audit Logs. This shows a complete log of every login and logout event including the staff name, role, timestamp, and action type. Entries are sorted by most recent first.

Use audit logs to monitor for unauthorized access or to verify shift start/end times.

The Net Income Statement in Analytics uses this formula:

1. Total Sales — Sum of all confirmed order totals.
2. Less: Discounts Given — Total discount amounts applied.
3. = Net Sales
4. Less: Waste / Spoilage Value — Total peso value of logged waste.
5. = Net Income

Note that this is a simplified income statement. It does not include rent, utilities, or labor costs — only revenue and direct stock-related deductions that are tracked within Cafe Buddy.

Go to Analytics and click Export CSV in the top right. This downloads a CSV file containing all your transactions with columns for Order #, Date, Served By, Sale Amount, Discount, Net Sales, Cost of Goods, and Gross Profit.

CSV files can be opened directly in Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or any spreadsheet application.

Yes. In Daily Sales, use the From and To date pickers at the top of the page, then click Filter. The transaction table and summary stats (total sales, discounts, cost of goods, gross profit) will update to show only the selected period.

Click Clear to remove the filter and show all transactions.

The Dashboard is designed to show today's performance at a glance — today's sales total, gross profit, number of orders, and cash drawer balance. The transaction table only shows orders placed on the current date.

For historical data across multiple dates, use Daily Sales (with the date filter) or Analytics for a full summary.

The Dashboard transaction counter automatically resets at midnight each day, and the order number counter resets to -01 each morning.

Self-ordering QR lets your customers scan a QR code at the table (or counter) using their smartphone camera and place orders directly from their phone — no app download needed. Orders appear instantly in your New Order module where your staff can accept and process them.

Go to Self-ordering QR in the sidebar. Toggle the Activate Self-ordering switch at the top of the page. When active, customers see your full menu and can place orders. When inactive, they see a friendly "please come to the counter" message.

The sidebar nav item shows a green ON badge when active and a red OFF badge when inactive.

Your customer ordering page is automatically generated as cafebuddy.ph/qr-order/[yourcafename] — created from your business name. This URL is permanent and never changes. You can copy it from the Self-ordering QR module and share it directly, or let customers scan the QR code.

Yes. In the Self-ordering QR module, under Accepted Payment Methods, you can independently toggle Cash on Counter, QR Payment, and Debit/Credit Card. Only the methods you enable will appear on the customer ordering page.

Click Save as JPEG to download a high-resolution standee image (letter-size, 850×1100px) perfect for printing at a photo shop or on a table card. Click Print / PDF to open a print-ready version in a new window — use your browser's print dialog to save as PDF or print directly.

The standee features a designed layout with your café name, "TAP OR SCAN" heading, QR code with the CafeBuddy logo in the center, your URL, and a Self-ordering badge.