Overview

Delivering seamless payments and accurate tax handling is vital to keeping your catering business running smoothly. In this article, you’ll learn how to:

By following these steps, you’ll streamline billing, reduce manual data entry, and ensure accurate tax handling.


Requesting a Customer to Store a Credit Card on File

**Explore our Interactive Click-through Guide here or follow the steps below**


Navigate to the CRM tab

  • In the main menu, click CRM.

     

Find your customer

  • Use the search box to locate the customer’s name, then click their name link.

      

Open the Credit Card section

  • Click the Credit Card icon in the client record.

    

Send the card‑on‑file request

  • From the Dropdown, click Send Card On File Request Email.

  

Choose location                  

  • If you have multiple locations, choose the specific location where the card should be stored. You’ll see a confirmation banner: “Card request email sent.”

     

Customer Credit Card Upload Process

Customer receives email

  • With a secure link to add their card on file. Click "Add Credit Card" to open the portal.

     

Enter Card Details

  • The customer will enter their first and last name, credit card number, expiration date, billing zip code and security code.

  • Click "Add Card On File"


Notifications & Verification

  • The system emails your designated recipients when the card is saved.

  • In the CRM record, the new card appears under Credit Card Profiles for (Your Customer) (e.g., “VISA ***1111 Exp: 02/2027”).

  •  Important: When a Customer uploads a card on file, it is only stored in their CRM profile — it does not automatically attach to any order. You’ll need to manually assign the stored card to the specific order you want to charge.


Notification setup (optional): 

To ensure your team receives upload confirmations:

  • Go to Admin → Store Notifications → Email Notifications.

  • The first email listed for each location will receive the "New Card On File added for (Customer)" emails.

Marking a Company Tax‑Exempt

**Explore our Interactive Click-through Guide here or follow the steps below**


Open the client record

  • In CRM, search for the Customer/Company and click their name.

Switch to the Company tab

  • Select the Company sub‑tab.

Enable tax‑exempt status

  • Locate Tax Exempt and toggle from No → Yes.
  • Enter the customer’s Tax Exempt ID Number.
  • Enter an Expiration Date if desired.
  • Click Save.

    

  • Once marked, all new orders will automatically calculate at 0% tax.

  • If a specific order should be taxable, you can manually reapply the sales tax during order entry by unchecking the Tax-Exempt Box.

  • To attach a copy of the customer’s tax‑exempt documents to their CRM record, see CRM - Uploading Documents to a Customer Record

Best Practices

  • Confirm customer email address before sending the card‑on‑file request to avoid bounce‑backs.

  • Limit request links’ validity (e.g., 7 days) for security—remind customers if a link expires.

  • Regularly review stored cards: delete expired or duplicate cards in the Credit Card Profiles section.

  • Maintain audit logs of tax‑exempt changes: note who enabled/exempted and when.

  • Train team members on how to override tax rates for special orders to prevent service interruptions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What if the customer’s card request email bounces?

A: Verify the email address in the CRM record, update if needed, and resend the request.


Q: How do I delete or update a stored card?
A: In CRM → Credit Card Profiles, click Delete on the card you wish to update and enter new card information.


Q: Can I set tax‑exemption for specific orders only?
A: Yes—after marking a company tax‑exempt, you can manually re‑add tax on any order via the Override Tax button in the order entry screen.

Conclusion

By using these CRM Financials features, you’ll:

  • Accelerate payment collection with secure, self‑service card storage

  • Reduce data‑entry errors and enhance PCI compliance

  • Automatically apply 0% tax for exempt customers, with easy manual overrides when needed

Support

For additional help, refer to the CaterZen Support Center or contact our CaterZen Support Team.

Not a CaterZen customer yet? Discover how our catering software can streamline your business—click here to learn more!