How to Start a Bar Tab on the Handheld

Starting a bar tab on a Salido Handheld device allows staff to securely capture and pre-authorize a customer's credit card at the beginning of service. This process ensures a valid payment method is attached to the check upfront, increasing service speed when the guest is ready to close their bill.

Instantly capture and pre-authorize a credit card with a single swipe, dip, or tap during check creation.
Securely store card details so you don't need the physical card when closing the tab.
Maintain service flow by providing the flexibility to retry declined cards or bypass pre-authorization to open a standard check.

Prerequisites:

In order to start bar tabs on a Handheld, the following configurations must be active in the Bridge:

Is Tippable: The Revenue Center assigned to the Handheld must have the Tippable setting enabled.
Start Tab with Card: This feature must be enabled in the Terminal Settings for the specific device.
Amount to Pre-Authorize: A specific dollar amount must be defined (e.g., $20.00) to verify the card's validity and temporarily hold funds.

Starting a Bar Tab on the Handheld

1. If logged out to the PIN screen, enter your PIN and tap OK

2. Open the check:

To open a check on a specific table from the floor plan, tap that table, confirm the check details, and proceed to Step 3
To open a check without a specific table, tap the + button, confirm the check details, and proceed to Step 3

3. Swipe, dip, or tap the guest's card

4. If the card is processed successfully, a success message will appear. If declined, tap to retry with another card or proceed without the bar tab function