The Catering Packaging Fee gives CaterPay Customers a flexible way to add an additional fee to catering orders based on their business needs

Overview

The Catering Packaging Fee is an optional fee you can apply to catering orders based on how the order is being paid. Unlike CaterZen’s standard service fee, this fee gives you more control. You can choose the percentage, which payment methods trigger it, and which locations it applies to. 

This feature is only available for Customers processing payments through CaterPay.


The fee is designed to give you flexibility when recovering packaging, prep, operational, or other business-related costs. Because laws and regulations can vary by state, you should consult your legal or financial advisor if you have questions about how to label or use fees in your area.


Important: The Catering Package Fee is a module that must first be enabled by the CaterZen team before it will appear in your account settings. You will not be able to complete Step 1 on your own. If you would like to use this feature, please contact the CaterZen Support Team and request that the Catering Packaging Fee module be enabled for your CaterZen/CaterPay account.

Table of Contents

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


Setting Up the Catering Packaging Fee

Step 1: Contact CaterZen to Enable the Module

Before you can configure this feature, the CaterZen team must enable the Catering Package Fee module for your account. This feature is only available to Customers using CaterPay. Once the module has been enabled, a new settings area will appear in your Admin panel.


Step 2: Access the Fee Settings

  • In the Manager area, go to Admin.
  • Under Global Settings, click Catering Packaging Fee.
  • You'll see two sections. The first — Customize Labels — is covered in a separate article. Focus on the second section for now.


Step 3: Set the Fee Percentage

  • In the fee configuration section, enter the percentage you want to charge in the Catering Packaging Fee field.
  • This percentage applies to the order subtotal before tax and tip.

Tip: This is a single, account-wide fee percentage. You can set one rate that applies across all applicable orders.


Step 4: Configure Payment Options

  • Below the fee percentage, you'll see a list of all available payment options — both default options and any custom payment types you've created across all locations.
  • By default, all payment options are selected (meaning the fee applies to all of them).
  • Uncheck any payment types where you don'twant the fee to apply.
    • For example, if you don't want to charge the fee on House Account orders, uncheck that option here.

Important: Payment option settings are account-wide — you can't assign different payment options to different locations. You choose which payment types trigger the fee first, then decide which locations it applies to in Step 5.


Step 5: Assign Locations

  • Use the Assign Locations section to choose which of your locations this fee applies to.
  • If you only want the fee active at specific locations, select those here.

Important: Location assignment works in combination with your payment option settings — it's all-or-nothing per location. You can't configure unique payment option rules per location at this time.

Working with Custom Payment Types

If you add a new custom payment type after the Catering Packaging Fee is already configured, here's how the two stay in sync:

  • When creating a new custom payment type (under your location's payment settings), you'll see a new field: Add Catering Packaging Fee.
    • This shows the fee number (currently "1") and the current fee percentage in brackets, so you know what you're enabling.
  • You can check the box at that point to enable the fee for this payment type immediately.
  • Alternatively, head back to Admin > Global Settings > Catering Packaging Fee — your new payment type will appear there automatically, and you can enable or disable it from that screen.

Tip: The two places speak to each other. Enabling or disabling the fee from the Global Settings screen and from within the custom payment type settings will always stay in sync.

FAQ

Q: Who can use the Catering Package Fee?
A: This feature is only available to Customers who process payments through CaterPay.


Q: Can I enable this feature myself?
A: No. The CaterZen team must first enable the module for your account before you can configure it.


Q: Can I set different fee percentages for different locations or order types? 

A: Not currently. The Catering Packaging Fee is a single, account-wide percentage. You can control which locations and payment methods it applies to, but the rate itself is the same across all of them.


Q: What's the difference between the Catering Packaging Fee and the standard service fee? 

A: The standard service fee applies broadly to orders. The Catering Packaging Fee is triggered specifically by payment method, giving you more control over when and where it appears. The two can coexist on an order.


Q: Where does the fee percentage show up? 

A: The percentage is visible to you and your team in the back end when creating or editing an order. Customers only see the dollar amount and the fee label on their ticket, invoice, and quote — not the percentage itself.

Conclusion

With the Catering Packaging Fee enabled and configured, you are ready to apply a flexible fee to your catering orders based on the payment methods and locations you choose. This gives you more control over how and where the fee is used so it fits your business needs. Next, you may want to customize the fee label so Customers see wording that fits the type of order they are placing. See Customizing Catering Packaging Fee Labels by Order Type

Support

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


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