While credit, debit, and Apple Pay are the easiest and most preferred payment methods, we do have a way for you to accommodate customers who wish to pay with cash, Venmo, or Zelle. These are called external or off-platform payments.
Before you choose to turn these on, it’s important to note that since these payments occur outside of Hotplate, you’ll be responsible for collecting them. That means you might have to chase down customers who forget to bring cash or who don't follow through on sending their Venmo or Zelle payment. (With card transactions, the order isn’t placed until the customer pays!)
To start accepting Cash, Venmo, or Zelle
Go to Settings
Click Checkout
Next to External payments, click Update
Click Update next to Cash, Venmo, and Zelle to enable each of them and provide payment instructions. Be clear in your instructions so that customers know exactly how and where to send payment.
What your customer sees
At checkout, external payment methods will appear right below Card. If a customer picks an external payment, the instructions you wrote are displayed after they hit Pay and land on their order confirmation page.
Once you've received the cash, Venmo or Zelle payment — remember, this happens outside of Hotplate, so you’re responsible for collecting it — click Confirm Payment on the receipt. Careful, as this cannot be undone!
Important things to keep in mind:
Payment Instructions are required! This is where to tell your customers exactly how to pay. For Venmo and Zelle, be sure to include your handle and/or phone number.
You are responsible for collecting and confirming payment from customers.
You can’t refund these orders through Hotplate - you’ll need to issue refunds or resolve any disputes with the customer directly.
Please make sure to hit Confirm Payment on the order receipt for book-keeping and consistency.
External Payment FAQs
How do the fees work?
Payment processing: there is no payment processing fee for external payments, since they take place outside of Hotplate.
Hotplate fee: The Hotplate fee still applies to orders with external payments, but it will be deducted from your payout balance. Customers will still see that fee calculated on their order receipt and included in the amount they owe you.
If you’ve changed the default split of fees, the full Hotplate fee will still be deducted from your payout balance, but the customer will pay you their portion of it. For example:
If your customer pays 100% of the Hotplate fee (default) and the fee is $1 on an order, $1 is taken from your payout balance and given to Hotplate, and your customer pays you $1 in cash, Venmo or Zelle.
If you split the fee 60/40 with your customer, and the fee is $1 on an order, $1 is taken from your payout balance and your customer pays you $0.40 in cash, Venmo or Zelle.
Will Cash/Venmo/Zelle orders earn loyalty points?
Yes, but they'll only earn points once you confirm payment on their order.
Can I turn cash/Venmo/Zelle on for a specific drop only?
Right now, you can only enable external payments for your entire storefront, not specific drops. You can always choose to enable this setting, publish and run a drop, then turn it off after, but you can’t have different settings for drops running at the same time.
What if a cash/Venmo/Zelle customer doesn't show up?
No-shows are no fun! Since these payments happen outside of Hotplate, you’ll be responsible for collecting the payments, and chasing down customers who order but don't show up. Consider adding a note in your Payment Instructions that states you’ll only fulfill orders when payment is received x hours ahead of pickup.
Can I delete a cash/Venmo/Zelle order?
Yes, you can Cancel it to cancel pickup reminders and remove the order ticket. You can choose whether or not to restock the items when you do this.
Can I refund a cash/Venmo/Zelle order with money in my payout tab?
No, since these payments happen outside of Hotplate, you cannot refund it from your payout balance. It's up to you to refund via cash, Venmo or Zelle or resolve any payment disputes.
Can gift cards be purchased with cash/Venmo/Zelle?
No. This is for your protection! Since payments happen outside of Hotplate, it would be too easy for someone to buy a gift card, not send you the money, then use the gift card for a future drop.
Accepting outside payment through manual orders
If you don't want to enable external payments for everyone, you can always create an order [🔗 to How to create an order] and accept cash or another payment method for it outside of Hotplate. The manual order will appear on your Order and Prep tabs, but it will still be up to you to keep track and collect the payment from your customer.