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Using Pay at Table with Lightspeed Payments

With Pay at Table, Lightspeed Payments gives you the ability to print bills and accept payments directly at your customer's table using the Smart Terminal with Printer or Verifone V400m payment terminals.

This feature supports partial payments, allows tips for card payments, and can increase efficiency in your restaurant. You don’t need the POS at the table, and you can use a single device to check out your guests. Additionally, it saves staff time by eliminating the need to return credit and debit cards to customers after payments.


What's in this guide?


Before you begin

You’ll need:

  • A Lightspeed Payments Smart Terminal, Smart Terminal with Printer, or Verifone V400m.
  • The Tables feature enabled in Back Office and orders assigned to tables on your POS.
  • Pay at Table enabled within the Lightspeed Payments integration tile in Back Office. 
  • The newest version of the Lightspeed Restaurant POS (O) app.
Note: The Smart Terminal without a printer can be used for Pay at Table payments, but it does not support printing bills. 

Enabling Pay at Table

To enable Pay at Table:

  1. Log in to Back Office.
  2. Go to the Lightspeed Payments integration tile.

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  3. Toggle on Pay at Table.
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  4. (Optional) If you do not want to accept cash payments for Pay at Table transactions, toggle off the Allow Cash Payments setting.

Once Pay at Table is enabled, sync your POS and update your payment terminals to activate the feature.


Update devices

After enabling Pay at Table, update your Lightspeed Payments terminals to ensure the feature is activated.

To update the Smart Terminals (both models):

  1. Press the Settings button on the terminal.
  2. Select Configuration.
  3. Enter your Admin PIN (5773 by default).
  4. If a configuration update is available, you will see a blue Update button. Press it to update.

To update the Verifone V400m:

  1. Press the Circle button to access the menu.
  2. Select Admin, then choose Config.
  3. Select Update to apply any available updates.

The terminal will download the latest configuration, and Pay at Table will be enabled once finalised.


Finding your reference number

Each staff member has their own reference number, which is required to initiate a Pay at Table transaction.

To find your reference number:

  1. Go to POS.
  2. Tap the ? icon to open the Help & Support menu.
  3. Select Show my Staff Reference.

Your reference number will appear in a green banner at the top of the screen.

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Using Pay at Table to check out

Once Pay at Table is enabled and your devices are updated, you can use it to check out orders assigned to tables. Follow the steps below to complete a transaction:

  1. On the Verifone V400m or Smart Terminal, press the Pay at Table button on the screen (or press the Circle button on the Verifone V400m).
  2. Enter your Staff Reference Number on the terminal.
  3. Confirm your reference number to proceed to the Select Table screen, which will display a list of open tables.
  4. Choose the table for the order.
  5. (Optional) The terminal will ask if you want to print the bill before taking payment. Simply advise Yes or No.
  6. Choose whether to Split Equally, Split Unequally, or Pay Total:
    • Unequally: Allows guests to split the bill by entering specific amounts.
    • Equally: Splits the bill evenly between the number of guests paying.
  7. Once payment is confirmed, the terminal will display any remaining balance so additional guests can pay their share.

After each payment, the POS will update automatically to reflect the amounts paid.

Note: At least one POS register must be active, with the Lightspeed app open. If no registers are active, you will not be able to initiate Pay at Table transactions from the terminal.

Refunding a Pay at Table transaction

Refunding a Pay at Table transaction is the same as refunding any other payment in Lightspeed. You can follow our guide on Refunding a sale on POS for step-by-step instructions. You do not need the customer’s card to be present to issue a refund.


Frequently Asked Questions

Can customers split the bill by product?

No, customers cannot split the bill by product. However, they can split the bill unequally by entering specific dollar amounts.

Can Pay at Table be used while offline?

No, Pay at Table requires an active internet connection to process payments.

Can individuals from a group pay their share now and others pay later?

Yes, guests can pay part of the bill now, and the remaining amount can be settled later.

Can I limit which staff members can use Pay at Table?

Yes, you can restrict access by removing the Finish Sale permission for specific users. However, this will also prevent them from finalising any sales in the POS, not just Pay at Table transactions.

How does surcharging work with Pay at Table?

If surcharging is enabled, surcharges will automatically be applied to each payment amount during Pay at Table transactions.

Do I need to switch between integrated payments and Pay at Table?

No, Lightspeed Payments allows both integrated payments and Pay at Table transactions to be processed on the same terminal.

Why does the terminal show "The entered staff reference number is incorrect” when using Pay at Table?

This occurs when the staff reference number entered does not match our records in the POS. Double-check the reference number in Help & Support → Show my Staff Reference.

Will the payment terminal print a tax invoice for Pay at Table?

Yes, if you are using a Verifone V400m or Smart Terminal with Printer, the terminal will print an itemised bill. For other terminals without a printer, receipts can be printed from the POS.

Will the payments terminal print a customer receipt after accepting a Pay at Table payment?

No, the payment terminal will not print a receipt. However, you can print a customer receipt that records the payment amount/s from your POS History.

What happens if the payment terminal runs out of paper?

If staff attempt to print a bill and there is no paper available, the terminal will show a print success message and proceed with the payment process. Currently, no error message is displayed when the terminal is out of paper.

How can I order more paper for my payment terminal?

You can order more paper rolls for your payment terminal directly from our online store. Simply visit the link to view available options and place your order.

Can I use Pay at Table if my tables have letters in the table names (e.g., B1, B2)?

Yes, Pay at Table supports table names with both numbers and letters.

Can staff customise their staff reference number?

Not currently. However, we’re planning to support this in the near future.

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