Group Tabs enables guests order together on a shared digital tab, without leaving cards behind the bar or spending time waiting to order. Everyone orders from their own device, in real time, on one shared tab.

What is a group tab?

How is the card charged?

How to close a group tab
  

What is a group tab?

A Group Tab lets multiple guests order together on a single digital tab in me&u.

• Two ways to pay: 
  • Pay at end: the tab owner sets a spend limit and we place a pre‑authorisation for that amount. Everyone orders against the tab and the tab owner settles the final amount in one payment when the tab is closed
  • Pay as you go: the tab owner can set a spend limit and every order is charged to the card as they are placed.
• The tab owner can share the tab via invite link or QR, see who ordered what and how much, and increase or decrease the tab limit as needed. Increasing the limit on a pay at end tab may place another hold on the card.
• Venues can access a new “Group Tabs” page in Manage (Manage → Orders → Group Tabs). This page shows open, closed and all tabs - whether it was a pay at end tab or a pay as you go tab and if the tab is still open or closed. Related orders link back to their tab, and show the individual order invoice and the tab invoice.

Why venues and guests love group tabs

For venues

• Confidence in every checkout
  Every Pay at End tab is secured with a pre-authorisation, reducing unpaid tabs and walkouts. Temporary holds may remain visible on guest bank statements until their bank releases them.
• More time for service
  Guests place their own orders. Staff spend less time building tabs and checking limits.

For guests

• Boost sales, reduce friction
  Guests can keep ordering without queueing at the bar.
• Track who ordered what
  See group spend in real time and know when a tab is nearing the spend limit.
• Secure by design
  Keep your card with you, no handing it over to start a tab.

How is the card charged?

Pay at end:

When the tab is opened, a pre-authorisation hold is placed for the tab limit. If the tab limit is increased, a new hold may be placed. 

When the tab is closed, the final tab amount is captured as a single payment  Any unused portion of the hold is released immediately by our payment provider

👉  What guests may see on their bank statement  👈

• A pending transaction for the pre-authorisation 
• A final charge for the settled tab. 
• In some cases, both may appear at the same time

Although me&u releases unused funds straight away, banks control when pending amounts disappear. Depending on the bank, this can take up to 7 business days. This is a normal banking process and does not mean you’ve been charged twice. 

You can read Commonwealth Bank’s explanation of pending transactions and pre-authorisations here: What are pending transaction?

Pay as you go:

• When opening the tab, a card is requested to be saved against that tab
• The card is then charged for every order as it is placed on that tab, resulting in multiple payments on the card.

When is my card charged with the final tab amount?

This is for Pay at end tabs~

• If you manually close your tab, the final tab amount is charged immediately
• If you don’t close the tab, it will automatically close after 3 hours of inactivity, and the final amount will be charged against the original pre-authorisation

Although the charge is processed straight away, your bank controls when it appears on your statement. Depending on the bank, the final charge and the release of any unused pre-authorisation funds may take up to 7 business days to fully reconcile.

Why are there multiple payments?

Each order placed on a Pay as you go Group Tab is charged individually to the saved card. This means you’ll see one payment per order on your card statement.

There is no pre-authorisation for Pay as you go tabs, and no final “tab total” charge as the payments are taken as each order is placed.

Why does it look like I was charged twice?

This is for Pay at end tabs~

When you open a Pay at End Group Tab, there is temporary pre-authorisation hold for the tab limit. When the tab is closed, the final tab amount is charged once.

While your bank is processing the release of the pre-authorisation, you may temporarily see:
    •    the pending pre-authorisation, and
    •    the final completed charge

This is a normal banking process and does not mean you’ve been charged twice. Depending on your bank, the pending hold can take up to 7 business days to clear.

Want the pending amount to be released sooner?

You can contact your bank and ask whether they’re able to manually remove the pre-authorisation hold. Please note that some banks can action this request, while others are unable to; the outcome depends entirely on the bank.
 

How to close a group tab

• For Pay at end tabs: 
  1. click on 'Manage my tab' on the venue's menu page, 
  2. review the total, 
  3. then choose a payment method to settle the tab in one transaction. 
  4. If you forget to close your tab, the system will automatically capture the pre-authorisation amount after 3 hours of inactivity.
• For Pay as you go tabs: 
  1. click on 'Manage my tab' on the venue's menu page and close the tab. 
  2. No additional payment is needed as charges have already been taken per order. You can simply close your me&u tab to stop new orders from coming in.

If you'd like to understand how to use group tabs (setup, management, viewing order) see this article: How to use group tabs

If you have any questions about your group tab, you can reach us at support@meandu.com