How to switch billing software without stopping service.

Before you start: what to export

Many billing systems let you download your data as an Excel or CSV file from their reports or menu section. If you cannot find the option, ask your current provider’s support. Get these before you change anything:

• Menu: every item with its price, category, GST rate and short code. Note which items have portions (Half/Full) or add-ons.
• Customer list: names and phone numbers, and any money regulars owe you.
• Bills and GST reports: for the current month and the financial year so far. Your accountant will need them.
• Bill details: your GSTIN, FSSAI number, bill address and the footer text you print.

Do not edit the files after downloading. Opening and re-saving them in Excel can change phone numbers and item codes.

Step 1: Pick the day

Choose your slowest day of the week, and switch between two shifts, for example after lunch service. Avoid weekends, festivals and the last days of the month, when GST filing and stock counts are due.

Step 2: Set up the new system next to the old one

You do not have to stop anything. In Venditas, this is what setup looks like:

1. Sign up at venditas.in/pos. The first 30 days are free.
2. Add your menu. In Setup → Menu, import your CSV file (columns like Name, Category, Price, Veg, Code and GST are picked up). Excel files need to be saved as CSV first. You can also paste a list like “Paneer tikka - 280”, or start from the sample menu and change it.
3. Add portions and add-ons for the dishes that need them, like Half and Full, or extra cheese.
4. Fill in bill details in Setup → Bill & tax: GSTIN, FSSAI, address, GST rate and your UPI ID for the payment QR. Read GST on restaurant food if you are unsure of your rate.
5. Add your tables the way captains call them, like T1 or Garden 4.
6. Add your staff with a role and their own PIN: manager, counter, captain or kitchen.
7. Pair your devices. Each phone, tablet or counter computer gets a code from Setup → Devices.
8. Connect the printer and print a test bill and a test KOT. On Android, Bluetooth receipt printers work through the RawBT app.

Step 3: Train each role in ten minutes

Do not train everyone on everything. Show each person only their screen:

• Captains: open a table, add dishes, send the KOT. See the captain ordering app.
• Kitchen: read tickets on the kitchen screen and mark dishes ready.
• Counter: print the bill, take payment, close the day.
• Managers: discounts, cancellations and the watch list.

Staff can pick English, Hindi or Marathi screens for themselves.

Step 4: Run one slow shift on both

On a quiet shift, put every order into both systems. At the end, compare the totals. Anything that does not match usually means a price, a GST rate or a missing portion in the new menu. Fix it now, while the old system is still there.

Step 5: Switch between two shifts

• Close the day on the old system and keep its day-end report.
• Count the cash in the drawer and start the day on the new one with that opening cash.
• Move the KOT printer and the counter screen over, and tell the team the old system is now read-only.
• For the first shift, keep the owner or manager on the floor to answer questions.

Step 6: Keep the old system for a few weeks

Do not cancel your old subscription the same day. Keep it until you have downloaded every report you need and your accountant has filed the month’s GST. Then cancel.

Common mistakes

• Switching on a busy night. A new screen on a full Saturday makes every small problem look big.
• Wrong GST rate on a few items. Check the GST report after the parallel shift.
• One shared login for all staff. Give each person their own PIN, so every cancellation has a name. See why this matters.
• Forgetting the printer. Test a bill and a KOT on the real printer before the first shift.

If you would rather not do it yourself

Choose the Venditas setup service (₹2,999 one-time) when you sign up. Send us your menu on WhatsApp as photos, a PDF or an Excel file. We add your menu, tables, bill details, staff logins and printer, and train your staff, while you keep running service on your old system. Setting it up yourself stays free. See pricing for what Venditas costs after the free 30 days.

Venditas cannot import customer lists yet. Keep your export: customers are added in Venditas as you bill when a phone number is entered.