Leaving time-based discounts such as an afternoon coffee deal or a late-night menu to the cashier's memory causes two problems: they are forgotten during a rush, and they carry on out of habit after the hours end. In RoxPos the discount is set up once as a rule and applied by itself to items added on the chosen days and hours. The idea is the same as in our restaurant automations guide: hand the repetitive work to the system.
How do you set up a time-based rule?
- Days: pick any days of the week; every day, weekdays only or the weekend only also work.
- Time range: both the start and the end time are included. If the end is earlier than the start, the range runs past midnight.
- Scope: a rule applies either to categories or to individual products; choosing a category covers every product in it.
- Rate: the discount is entered as a percentage (greater than 0, less than 100). There is no fixed-amount discount on this screen.
- Active / Off: pause a rule without deleting it and switch it back on when its season returns.
Rules live under Settings ▸ Preset Discounts ▸ Time-Based Rules and can be managed from both the web panel and the mobile app. Each branch has its own rules. Because a rule is a business setting, the cashier does not need a separate discount permission. Saving and deleting a rule are recorded in the activity log.
The discount is written when the item is added
The server checks the rule at the moment an item is added, using the branch's local time. If a rule starts at 19:00, a beer added at 18:59 goes on at full price and one added at 19:01 at the discounted price. The end time is valid until the end of that minute: a rule ending at 18:00 still applies at 18:00:59. An item added inside the range keeps its discount even if the bill is paid after the hours end, and an item added before the range starts does not become discounted later.
The same price on the POS screen, on mobile and in the QR menu
While a rule is active, the product tile on the POS screen shows the old price crossed out next to the discounted one, and the cart shows the item's discount rate. Prices are recalculated at the start of every minute, so the tile returns to its normal price by itself when the range ends. The web panel, the mobile app and the QR menu use the same calculation, and an order a guest places from the QR menu is written with the same rule. For pay-first QR orders the price is fixed at the moment it is quoted, so the amount paid and the bill never drift apart. Orders from food delivery platforms are not affected.
For products with extras chosen in product details, every rule has an option: Also discount product detail extras. When it is off (the default), only the product price is discounted and an extra syrup or shot is charged in full. When it is on, the total including extras is discounted. Even if the extra is chosen later, the item is calculated with the same rule.
Preset discount or time-based rule?
| Topic | Time-based rule | Preset discount |
|---|---|---|
| Who applies it? | The system, automatically | Staff, by choosing it |
| When? | When an item is added on the chosen days and hours | When adding a product or on the payment screen |
| Permission | No cashier permission needed | Requires discount permission |
| Best for | A discount that repeats every week at the same hours | A one-off discount for a specific situation |
The two never collide: a rule is not applied to an item that already has a manual discount or is on the house, so discounts do not stack. If several rules cover the same item, the highest rate wins. The amount taken off by a rule appears in the Discount total of your reports together with other item discounts, not on a line of its own; complimentary items stay in their own field. We explained that part of the report in the end-of-day report article.
Three example rules
- Afternoon coffee: weekdays 15:00–18:00, 20% off the Coffees category, for the quiet hours between lunch and dinner.
- Lunch menu: weekdays 12:00–14:30, 10% off only the menu products you pick. Choosing products instead of a category leaves the other dishes out.
- Late night: Friday and Saturday 23:00–02:00, 15% off snacks. The part after midnight belongs to the day the range started: Saturday 01:30 is covered as the tail of Friday night, while Friday 01:30 is not, because it is the tail of Thursday night.