How to choose delivery order software: a checklist for restaurants and cafés
An owner searching for "delivery order software" usually has one question in mind: how do I handle orders from the phone, the platforms and pickup in one place, without mistakes? This post covers what delivery software must do and gives you a checklist to use while choosing.
Is delivery software the same as a POS?
Ideally, yes. When delivery runs in a separate program, menu, stock and revenue split across two systems. When dining room and delivery share one POS, the kitchen works from one queue and the day closes in one report. For choosing a POS in general, see our guide to choosing a POS system for a café.
7 must-have features
1. Platform integration
If orders from platforms like Yemeksepeti do not land on the till automatically, the software is not managing delivery, it is only keeping records. Ask whether the integration reports accept, reject, ready and handover back to the platform. Read how the Yemeksepeti integration works.
2. An order alert you can't miss
A new order should appear on every screen and keep sounding until it is accepted. An order waiting silently in a separate tab is an order lost at peak time.
3. Automatic kitchen tickets by station
An accepted order should reach the kitchen and the bar on separate tickets, with its notes. The delivery ticket should carry the order code, delivery type and the address when needed. For printers, see our thermal printer guide.
4. Order status tracking
Which order is being prepared, which is waiting ready, whose rider has arrived — all visible at a glance. A late order should change colour.
5. Menu and stock sync
A sold-out item should also close on the platform, and a price change should be made in one place. Otherwise the menu is updated twice and sooner or later the two disagree.
6. One end-of-day report
Delivery and dining-room sales should sit in the same report, split by payment type: cash, card and the amount the platform collected online, in separate columns.
7. Data protection
A delivery order can include the customer's name, phone and address. Ask how long the software keeps that data and how it is erased; data kept longer than necessary is a liability.
A checklist you can tick off during a demo.
Questions to ask during a demo
- Can you show me a real test order, from arrival to handover?
- What happens if an order arrives while the cashier is on the reports screen?
- If the platform cancels the order, what reaches the kitchen?
- Can I set it up myself, or do I need support?
- If I have several branches, how are orders separated?
- What is included in the monthly fee, and which plan includes the integration?
Count the real cost
The monthly fee is not the only cost. Missed orders, mistyped tickets, maintaining two menus and time spent reconciling at close are costs too. Factor them in when comparing prices. You can see ari adisyon's plans on the pricing page.
Switching: from your current setup to new software
Don't change delivery software in the middle of a busy season. Pick a quiet week and switch step by step:
- Set up the menu in the new system and check every price.
- Connect the printers; print a test ticket at every station.
- Run a thirty-minute rehearsal with the team: order arrives, accepted, marked ready and handed over.
- Turn on the platform connection and handle the first real order together.
- At the end of the first week, compare the end-of-day report with the old method.
In ari adisyon each of these steps is done from the Management screen; details are on the how it works page.
Differences for cafés, restaurants and small businesses
- Café: Delivery orders are usually small and quick. Sound, one-tap accept and the bar ticket matter most.
- Restaurant: Orders are larger and prep time varies. Per-station tickets, realistic prep times and busy mode stand out.
- Several branches: Each branch's orders must land only on its own till, and reports must split by branch.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a separate computer for delivery software?
Not with a cloud system; your existing till computer or a tablet is enough. See our hardware page for options.
Can phone orders go into the same place?
The cashier enters phone orders as a tab and they join the same kitchen queue and end-of-day report. Platform orders are never keyed in by hand; they arrive through the integration.
Does the integration cost extra?
In ari adisyon the Yemeksepeti integration is included in the Enterprise plan. The platform's own commissions and fees depend on your Yemeksepeti contract.
Conclusion
Good delivery software stops delivery from being a separate job: orders meet the dining room at the same till, in the same kitchen queue and in the same report. Walk through the checklist above during the demo; every "no" comes back as a problem at peak time.