Hold & Recall Orders
Sometimes a customer needs to step away, grab a forgotten item, or wait for someone else. Instead of voiding the entire cart and starting over, you can hold (park) the sale and recall it when the customer is ready. This keeps the line moving and prevents lost work.
Before You Begin
- You must have items in the cart before you can hold an order.
- A cash drawer session must be open on your register.
- Held orders are scoped to the current cash drawer session. Only the register with that session open can see and recall these held orders.
Held orders create stock reservations that temporarily reduce available stock.
Holding an Order
Step-by-Step
- Build the cart as you normally would -- add products, set quantities, attach a customer, and apply any discounts.
- Tap the Hold button in the cart pane. This opens the Hold Order modal.
- Enter a name for the order. This is how you will identify it later. Use something descriptive, such as:
- The customer's name (e.g., "Sarah M.")
- A table or location (e.g., "Table 5")
- A description (e.g., "Waiting for ID")
- Tap Hold Order to confirm.
The cart clears immediately and is ready for the next customer. A success toast confirms the order has been parked.
What Gets Saved
When you hold an order, the following data is preserved:
| Data | Saved? |
|---|---|
| All line items (products, quantities) | Yes |
| Item-level discounts | Yes |
| Order-level discounts | Yes |
| Attached customer | Yes |
| Payment information | No -- payment has not been collected yet |
| Manual items | Yes |
If multiple orders are held at the same time, generic names like "Order 1" make it hard to find the right one. Use the customer's name or a clear label so any cashier can identify it quickly.
Keyboard Shortcut
On desktop, you can press Enter after typing the order name to confirm the hold without tapping the button.
Recalling a Held Order
Step-by-Step
- Tap Recall at the bottom of the cart panel. The Recall Held Order modal opens showing all currently held orders.
- Review the list. Each held order shows:
- The order name you assigned
- Who created it and when
- The number of items and estimated total
- A detailed breakdown of each line item, including any discounts
- Tap the order card to select it. The card highlights to indicate your selection.
- Tap Recall Order to load it into the cart.
The held order's items, quantities, discounts, and customer are restored to your cart. You can continue editing the order or proceed to payment.
The Recall button only appears when your cart is empty. You must complete or clear your current cart before recalling a held order.
Order Details at a Glance
The recall modal provides a rich preview of each held order:
| Detail | Description |
|---|---|
| Order name | The label you entered when holding |
| Created by | The cashier or manager who held the order |
| Time | When the order was originally held |
| Item count | Total number of line items |
| Total | Estimated order total (pre-tax) |
| Line items | Each product with quantity and price |
| Discounts | Any item-level or order-level discounts applied |
Deleting a Held Order
If a customer does not return or the order is no longer needed, you can delete it instead of recalling it.
Step-by-Step
- Tap Recall at the bottom of the cart panel to open the Recall Order modal.
- Find the order you want to remove.
- Tap the trash icon on the right side of the order card.
- A confirmation dialog appears asking you to verify the deletion.
- Tap Delete to permanently remove the held order.
Once a held order is deleted, it cannot be recovered. If you are unsure whether a customer will return, leave the order held rather than deleting it.
Common Scenarios
Customer Steps Away Mid-Sale
A customer realizes they forgot their wallet. Instead of voiding:
- Tap Hold, name it "Forgot Wallet - Mike".
- Serve the next customer in line.
- When Mike returns, open Recall Order, select his order, and complete the sale.
Multiple Held Orders
You can hold as many orders as needed. They all appear in the recall list sorted by time. Each order is independent -- recalling one does not affect the others.
Held Order With a Customer Attached
If you attached a customer before holding, the customer association is preserved. When recalled, the customer will be attached automatically, and their loyalty discounts will apply.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Hold button is grayed out | Your cart is empty. Add at least one item before holding. |
| "Please enter a name" error | The order name field cannot be blank. Type a name to identify the order. |
| Recalled order has missing products | A product may have been deactivated or deleted since the order was held. Remove the missing item and add a replacement if needed. |
| No held orders found | No orders have been parked on this register's current session. |
Best Practices
- Clear held orders regularly. Do not let orders sit for hours. If a customer has not returned within a reasonable time, delete the held order.
- Use the customer's name. This is the fastest way to find the right order when recalling.
- Check held orders before closing. At the end of a shift, review the recall list and clean up any stale orders.
- Communicate with your team. If you hold an order and leave for a break, let the next cashier know so they can handle it when the customer returns.
What's Next?
- Sales History -- View and manage completed sales from the POS
- Voiding Sales -- Cancel a completed sale that should not have been processed
- Making a Sale -- The complete end-to-end sales workflow