orderdistant.co.uk

What It Is

OrderDistant.co.uk is a cloud-based contactless ordering system designed for restaurants, bars, and fast-food pickup scenarios. Instead of the traditional QR-code or app-based flow, customers send a table short code to a designated number. The system then replies with a personalized menu link, allowing customers to order in their mobile browser and choose either online payment or pay-on-site.

Core Features and Integrations

The product emphasizes being “Cloud Based” and “Mobile First.” Merchants only need to add their menu and set up tables to start using it. Orders are transmitted in real time to one or more browser-based order display screens, with filtering by menu category and order status, making it suitable for kitchens and bars to handle food and drink orders separately. For payments, it integrates with Stripe and supports credit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay; SMS functionality is powered by Twilio; the privacy policy also mentions Google Analytics and reCAPTCHA. The website clearly states that no additional hardware is required—only a laptop or tablet as a display screen—but it does not describe deep integration with existing ePOS/cash register systems. Instead, it says the product remains independent of existing systems.

Pricing and Trial

Plans are based on a monthly subscription plus an online order surcharge. Delivery costs £15/month and includes 2 tables and 150 menu items; Essential costs £30/month and includes 40 tables and 150 menu items; Plus costs £40/month and includes 80 tables and 300 menu items. The online order surcharge for the first two tiers is 0.0075% plus Stripe fees, while Plus is 0.0025% plus Stripe fees. All plans include a 7-day free trial, but payment information is required to start the trial. If not canceled, the first month is charged automatically, and the terms state that digital products are non-refundable.

Security, Compliance, and Service Assurance

The privacy policy references GDPR and lists rights such as access, deletion, rectification, data portability, and withdrawal of consent. COVID-related venue visit records include phone number, time, and venue information, are retained for 60 days, and are shared only for public health tracing purposes. However, the terms of service also state that service is provided on a “best endeavours” basis and advise merchants to always maintain a backup ordering system, which suggests limited information around SLA and business continuity guarantees.

Pros, Cons, and Best Fit

Its strengths are low deployment barriers, no need for customers to download an app, no dedicated hardware requirement, and support for online payments and SMS pickup notifications. Its weaknesses include a lack of information on team permissions, APIs, self-hosting, advanced reporting, and POS integration. It is best suited for small dine-in restaurants, bars, cafés, and pickup-focused merchants, but less suitable for restaurant groups that need deep POS, inventory, membership, and multi-location management.

Access from China and Alternatives

The site does not disclose its accessibility from mainland China, and because it depends on overseas services such as Stripe, Google, and Twilio, real-world availability, payment activation, and SMS deliverability all need to be tested. Chinese merchants will usually be better served by evaluating local alternatives such as 二维火, 客如云, 美团餐饮系统, and 有赞餐饮.