Restaurant vouchers: how to encourage direct orders

The difference is strategy. A good voucher is not a random discount; it has a clear purpose.

It may aim for more direct orders, more collection, more repeat orders, more orders on quiet days, larger baskets or more regular customers.

A voucher should answer three questions: what should the guest do, what benefit do they get and why is it good for the restaurant?

Many guests order out of habit through the same route: phone, marketplace, Google, the first visible link or a spontaneous visit.

If your restaurant has its own ordering page, you want guests to know and use it.

A voucher can trigger the first step into that channel. If the flow is easy and the food convinces, the chance of a second direct order rises.

For many restaurants, the most important voucher is for the first direct online order. The benefit should apply only in your own ordering channel so guests understand the behaviour you want to encourage.

Collection can be economically attractive because no driver is needed and the kitchen can plan more easily. A small collection voucher can reduce phone pre-orders and make the process smoother.

Not every promotion belongs on the weekend. If Friday to Sunday are already strong, discounts may simply cost margin. Quiet days are often more interesting.

A minimum order value can keep a voucher economical. The aim is to lift the basket slightly, not make the threshold unrealistic.

Not every voucher has to reduce the price. A free drink, dip, sauce, dessert, side or coffee can feel attractive to guests and be easier for the restaurant to calculate.

A guest has just ordered and is happy. This is the right moment to invite the next direct order through a QR code on packaging or a flyer with a clear time-limited code.

Regular guests can be guided towards your own online ordering route. The tone should feel appreciative, not like a loud anonymous discount campaign.

A voucher works especially well when shown with a QR code. The guest sees the benefit, scans, lands on the ordering page, enters the code and orders directly.

Vouchers can show which channel works. Use different codes for Google, packaging, flyers, Instagram, collection and first direct orders so you can compare results weekly.

Many codes look attractive at first but often confuse guests. Start with one main promotion, measure it, then test the next.

A voucher should be simple, but its conditions must still be clear: online only, direct orders only, collection only, minimum order value, validity period, not combinable, certain products or certain days.

A voucher should encourage orders, not blindly give away margin. Check average basket, cost of the benefit, product margin and whether the promotion supports more orders, better orders, collection or quieter days.

Avoid discounts without a goal, discounts that are too high, too many codes, permanent discounts, complicated conditions, using discount as the only message and vouchers for reviews.

For first direct order: 5% off the first direct online order - code: DIRECT5. Or: free drink on orders over €20 - code: THANKS.

For collection: 5% for collection customers - code: PICKUP5. Or: free drink on collection orders over €20 - code: COLLECT.

For quiet days: Monday 5% on direct orders - code: MONDAY5. Or Tuesday free dessert on orders over €25 - code: TUESDAY.

For larger orders: €5 off orders over €40 - code: FAMILY5. Or free dessert on orders over €30 - code: DESSERT.

For repeat orders: thank you for your order - order direct next time. Code: AGAIN5. Or loyalty benefit for guests who order directly - code: LOYAL.

First 10 minutes: decide what the voucher should achieve: first direct order, more collection, a quieter weekday, larger orders or repeat orders.

Next 10 minutes: write the voucher so everyone understands it immediately, including code, validity and where it can be used.

Last 10 minutes: place it where guests see it, then test the code yourself.

With Ordentino, restaurants can create their own vouchers and use them for direct orders.

The flow becomes clear: create voucher, share QR code or order link, guest orders online direct, voucher is redeemed at checkout, order arrives in the restaurant.

That makes vouchers part of a strategy for more direct orders rather than just another discount.

Vouchers can help restaurants win more direct orders, but only when used deliberately.

A good voucher is simple, understandable and commercially sensible.

Used well, vouchers become a tool for stronger direct customer relationships.