Manage Prep Time in Your Merchant Dashboard

Where to find Prep Time settings

Go to:‍

Merchant Dashboard → Order Placement → Prep Time

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Opening & Closing Buffers

Opening and closing buffers let you control when orders can be accepted relative to your store hours.
This helps you avoid early rushes and last minute order pressure.

You can:

• Delay when orders start after opening
• Stop accepting orders before closing
• Apply settings to all locations or override specific ones

How to set Opening & Closing Buffers

Step 1: Set opening buffer

Under When do you want to start taking orders?

1. Enter the number of minutes
2. Select the time unit (minutes/hours)
3. This defines how long after opening orders will begin

Example:
If set to 15 minutes, orders will start 15 minutes after opening.

Step 2: Set closing buffer

Under When do you want to stop taking orders?

1. Enter the number of minutes
2. This defines how long before closing orders will stop

Example:
If set to 15 minutes, orders will stop 15 minutes before closing.

Step 3: Save your changes

Click Save to apply the buffer settings.

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Optional: Add location overrides

By default, buffers apply to all locations.

To customize:

1. Click Add Override
2. Select a location
3. Set different opening and closing buffers
4. Click Save

This lets you run different timing rules per location.

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Fulfillment Prep Time

Fulfillment prep time lets you define how long orders take based on how they are fulfilled.
You can set different prep times for:

• Pickup
• Delivery
• Curbside

You can:

• Set a default prep time for all locations
• Customize by fulfillment type
• Override by location or day of the week

For delivery orders, travel time may vary by up to 30 minutes.

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How to set Fulfillment Prep Time

Step 1: Set default prep time

Under Fulfillment prep time:

1. Select fulfillment options (Pickup, Delivery, Curbside)
2. Choose locations/location
3. Choose days of the week
4. Enter prep time in minutes

This acts as your default rule.

Step 2: Add overrides (optional)

To customize further:

1. Click Add override
2. Select:
   
   • Location
   • Day of week
3. Set prep time for each fulfillment type:
   
   • Pickup
   • Delivery
   • Curbside

Step 3: Adjust prep time per fulfillment type

Each fulfillment type can have its own prep time.

Example:

• Pickup: 10 minutes
• Delivery: 15 minutes
• Curbside: 12 minutes

Step 4: Save your changes

Click Save to apply your prep time settings.

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Category Prep Time

Category prep time lets you assign specific prep times to different menu categories.
This is useful when certain items take longer to prepare than others.

You can:

• Set prep time for specific categories
• Apply rules across all fulfillment types
• Override default prep time for selected items

If a category does not have a prep time set, it will fall back to:

• Order total prep time, or
• Default fulfillment prep time

How to set Category Prep Time

Step 1: Add a category prep rule

Under Category prep time:

1. Click Add Category Prep Time
2. Select one or more categories from the dropdown

Step 2: Set prep time

1. Enter the prep time value
2. Select the time unit (minutes or hours)

This prep time will apply to all items within the selected category.

Step 3: Save your changes

Click Save to apply the category prep time.

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Order Total Prep Time

Order total prep time lets you define prep time based on the total order value.
This helps adjust prep time dynamically for larger or more complex orders.

You can:

• Set prep time based on order amount
• Create multiple pricing intervals
• Automatically increase prep time for larger orders

When combined with category prep time, the highest prep time is applied.

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How to set Order Total Prep Time

Step 1: Add an interval

Under Order total prep time:

1. Click Add interval

Step 2: Define order range

1. Enter a minimum order amount
2. Optionally enter a maximum amount

If no maximum is set, the rule applies to all orders above the minimum.

Step 3: Set prep time

1. Enter the prep time
2. Select the time unit (minutes or hours)

Step 4: Add more intervals (optional)

You can create multiple ranges for different order sizes.

Example:

• $0 to $50 → 10 minutes
• $50 to $100 → 15 minutes
• $100+ → 20 minutes

Step 5: Save your changes

Click Save to apply your intervals.