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Overview

Discounts are applied from the Bill View by tapping Discount (or Manager Override for restricted staff). The Discount Modal supports:
  • Percent (e.g. 10%) or Flat (e.g. K25) mode
  • Quick-value chips: 5% · 10% · 15% · 20%
  • Live preview: Subtotal → Discount → New Total
  • Supervisor PIN field (conditional — appears only for restricted staff or when the discount exceeds the free-limit ceiling)
  • Remove Discount button (clears the current discount)
Discounts can target the entire bill (Bill View → Discount) or a single line item (edit the item → Discount).

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Bill-Wide vs Line-Item Discounts

Bill-wide discounts are simpler and easier to audit. Use line-item discounts for genuine per-item promos (“Buy one, second half price”).

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Percent vs Flat

  • Percent — safer for large or split bills; scales automatically if items are added later.
  • Flat — best when a specific kwacha amount is agreed (“Take K50 off for the wait”).
The modal lets you toggle mid-entry; the preview updates live.

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The Supervisor PIN Gate

Every user role has a free-discount ceiling (set in Settings → Roles & Permissions — see Roles & Permissions):
  • Waiter — often 0% (must always ask)
  • Cashier — e.g. up to 5%
  • Supervisor / Manager — up to 100%
If the requested discount exceeds the current user’s ceiling, DishInk shows a Supervisor PIN field. Enter any supervisor’s PIN to authorise. The override is logged with the supervisor’s name and appears on the Batch Invoice under Manager Overrides.
Manager-authorised discounts also show on the ZRA Smart Invoice as a distinct line under the standard Discount field. See ZRA Integration.

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Step by Step

1

Open the bill

Pick the session in Active Tables. The Bill View shows.
2

Tap Discount

(Or Manager Override if you’re a restricted role.)
3

Pick Percent or Flat

Toggle at the top of the modal.
4

Enter the value

Use the quick chips (5/10/15/20 for %) or type into the field.
5

Watch the live preview

  • Subtotal — the pre-discount total
  • Discount — how much is being taken off
  • New Total — what the customer will pay
6

Enter Supervisor PIN (if prompted)

Only appears if the discount exceeds your role’s ceiling.
7

Confirm

Tap Apply Discount. The Bill View updates and the discount prints on the receipt.
Discount modal placeholder

Discount Modal with 15% selected and live preview.

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Removing a Discount

Open the Discount Modal again and tap Remove Discount at the bottom. If a supervisor authorised the original discount, removing it also needs the same authorisation level (configurable in settings).

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Tips & Best Practices

  • Prefer percent for anything above K200 total — it’s cleaner in audit logs.
  • Train front-of-house to use the 10% quick chip for common loyalty regulars instead of typing “K35” each time.
  • Bulk-discount your own staff meals via a Category Rule in Menu Management, not per-bill discounts. See Pricing.
  • When a customer haggles, call the manager over rather than sharing PINs. PIN-sharing muddies accountability and audit trails.

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Common Mistakes

  • Applying the same discount twice — a bill-wide 10% + a line-item 10% stack multiplicatively. The live preview will show the true final; check it before tapping Apply.
  • Discount without a reason — configure your role to require a note in the Manager Override modal so audits show why. See Roles & Permissions.
  • Trying to discount a paid bill — you can’t. Issue a partial refund instead. See Refunds.
Last modified on July 19, 2026