--- title: "Start an open order" source: https://support.storeconnect.com/articles/pos-open-orders type: article format: markdown site: StoreConnect Support — product and developer documentation for StoreConnect site_index: https://storeconnect.com/llms.txt docs_index: https://support.storeconnect.com/llms.txt note: Append .md to any page or article URL on this site to get its Markdown form. --- # Start an open order Use an open order to keep a sale open on the store while the register moves on to the next customer. The order is saved on the store rather than held on one register, so any register in the store can pick it up, and a memo such as `Table 12` identifies it. An open order is a real **Order** record, so items submitted to it reach the kitchen, bar, or other fulfillment station straight away and the customer pays at the end. ## Before you start - Open orders must be enabled for the store. See [configure open orders](configure-pos-open-orders). - If your store uses fulfillment stations, set up routing first so submitted items reach the right station. See [route fulfillment to a station](pos-fulfillment-station-routing). ## Start an open order 1. At the register, add the items for the sale to the cart. 2. Select **Create order**. The button stays disabled while the cart is empty. 3. On the **Create open order** screen, enter a **Memo** that identifies the sale, up to 80 characters. For example, `Table 12`. 4. Select **Confirm & save**. The order is created on the store and linked to the cart in front of you. The cart header now shows `Memo: Table 12` and the time the order was opened, and the cart's primary button changes from **Create order** to **Submit**. :::note The memo can be renamed to suit your business, so your register may show **Room**, **Job #**, or another label in place of **Memo**. See [configure open orders](configure-pos-open-orders). ::: ## Submit the items Submitting sends the sale to the order on the store. Until you submit, the items exist only on the register. 1. Review the lines in the cart. 2. Select **Submit**. The whole cart is sent, the register clears to a fresh cart, and a message confirms `"Table 12" submitted` with a **Resume** button that puts the order back on the register if you tapped too early. Two things to expect on the order itself: - Each line with a quantity above 1 is split into single-unit lines, so every unit can be tracked and prepared separately. The cart total does not change. - Newly submitted lines that route to a fulfillment station are grouped into fulfillments by fulfillment type, stock location, and station, which is what puts them in front of the station that prepares them. Lines with no station, and delivery lines, get their fulfillments at checkout instead. Submit always sends the whole cart, not only the lines that look new. It is the only action that commits line cancellations, notes, and a customer change, so use it after any edit. Submitting an order that has not changed does nothing. ## Free the register without submitting To put the order down without sending anything, open **Order actions** in the cart and select **Save order & clear cart**. The order stays on the store exactly as it was, the register gets a fresh cart, and any edits you had made stay on the order and come back when it is resumed. ## What changes on a cart linked to an open order | At the register | Plain cart | Cart linked to an open order | |---|---|---| | Primary button | **Create order** | **Submit** | | Cart menu | **Cart actions** | **Order actions** | | Header | Cart total only | Memo and the time the order was opened, with **Edit** | | **Park cart** | Offered | Not offered, the order is already saved on the store | | **Empty** | Offered | Replaced by **Cancel**, which cancels the order | | **Save order & clear cart** | Not offered | Offered | ## Working offline Creating an open order, submitting it, editing its memo, and cancelling it all work while the register is offline. Each change is queued on the device and sent when the connection returns. See [take payments while the POS is offline](offline-sales-at-pos) and [manage POS data sync](manage-pos-data-sync). Resuming an order is the exception: a register that is offline can only continue an order it already holds locally. When the order is ready to be paid, resume it and take payment. See [resume and submit an open order](resume-and-submit-an-open-order). --- ## Follow StoreConnect - [Email Newsletter](https://storeconnect.com/c/lp-newsletter) - [LinkedIn Newsletter](https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7444956928444862464) - [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCngKdP2x8l1wcbAKW3tvU8g) - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/storeconnect) - [X / Twitter](https://x.com/storeconnecthq) ## Popular Links - [Partners](https://storeconnect.com/partners) - [Become a Partner](https://storeconnect.com/become-a-partner) - [News](https://storeconnect.com/articles/news) - [Events](https://storeconnect.com/articles/events) - [Feature Comparison](https://storeconnect.com/how-we-compare) - [Download a free trial](https://appexchange.salesforce.com/appxListingDetail?listingId=a0N3A00000FMkeKUAT) - [Book a Demo](https://storeconnect.com/contact) ## Documentation - [Help documentation](https://support.storeconnect.com/help-documentation) - [AI agents](https://support.storeconnect.com/ai) - [Videos & tutorials](https://support.storeconnect.com/videos-tutorials) - [Developer reference](https://support.storeconnect.com/developer-reference) - [Release notes](https://support.storeconnect.com/release-notes) - [Troubleshooting](https://support.storeconnect.com/troubleshooting) - [Trust Center](https://trust.getstoreconnect.com/) - [Status Page](https://status.storeconnect.com/) ## Contact - info@getstoreconnect.com - US +1 415 745 3230 - AUS +61 2 8365 2308 100 S Ashley Dr, Suite 600-2461 Tampa FL 33602-600 USA Level 22, Sydney Place 180 George Street Sydney, NSW, 2000, AUS ## Machine-readable - [Site index for agents](https://storeconnect.com/llms.txt): curated map of the StoreConnect site in llms.txt format - [Documentation index for agents](https://support.storeconnect.com/llms.txt): full technical and product documentation map Every page and article on this site has a Markdown rendering: append `.md` to its URL. Continue in Markdown: [Help documentation](https://support.storeconnect.com/help-documentation.md) · [Developer reference](https://support.storeconnect.com/developer-reference.md) · [Videos & tutorials](https://support.storeconnect.com/videos-tutorials.md) · [Release notes](https://support.storeconnect.com/release-notes.md) --- StoreConnect Support — https://support.storeconnect.com/articles/pos-open-orders