Master Your Savings: Item-Level vs. Order-Level Discounts in NX POS 🏷️✨
Discounting items and checks accurately keeps your margins healthy and your guests happy! In NX Restaurant POS, every discount you configure in the Portal includes an Application Type: Item or Order.
This guide breaks down the differences between Item-Level and Order-Level discounts, when to use each, and how they appear to your staff and guests! 🚀
What is the Short Version? 🤔
- 🍔 Item Discounts: Take money off one or more specific items on the check.
- 📜 Order Discounts: Take money off the check as a whole, without altering any individual item's price.
Most everyday discounts you already use—like a happy hour drink promo, a manager comp on a steak, or an entrée coupon—are Item discounts. Order discounts are designed for situations where an item-based discount doesn't quite fit (such as redeeming loyalty rewards or giving a flat dollar comp across a table's check).
1. Item-Level Discounts 🍔
An item-level discount reduces the specific price of one or more dishes or drinks. The discount displays directly under that specific item on both the POS screen and the printed receipt.
When to Use Item Discounts 💡
Use an item discount when a comp is naturally about a specific item on the table:
- "Take $5 off the steak."
- "10% off all drinks for Happy Hour."
- "This burger is free because it was prepared incorrectly."
The One Rule to Remember!
An item can carry only one discount at a time. If a guest's burger is already discounted by a promo, a second item discount cannot be applied to that same burger. It must be applied to another item or it will fail.
2. Order-Level Discounts 📜
An order-level discount reduces the total balance of the check itself. It does not sit on top of any single item; instead, it appears as its own dedicated line alongside Tax and Tip in the discount section of the guest check and receipt.
When to Use Order Discounts 💡
Use an order-level discount when the savings are about the guest's overall visit rather than a specific plate:
- 🎁 Loyalty Rewards: This is the primary reason Order-level discounts exist! When a guest redeems reward points or a promo reward, they just want $5 or 10% off their visit—they don't care which item it comes off of. Even if every item on the check is already discounted, an order-level reward will never fail because it doesn't need a single item to land on!
- 💵 Flat Comps on Whole Tables: "Take $10 off this table's check" for service recovery, regardless of what items were ordered or whether individual dishes carry existing discounts.
Side-by-Side Comparison ⚖️
| Feature | Item-Level Discount 🍔 | Order-Level Discount 📜 |
| What It Discounts | One or more specific items | The check as a whole |
| Where It Displays | Line directly under the discounted item | Its own line in the check's Discounts section |
| Blocked by Existing Discounts? | Yes — an item cannot take a second discount | No — it targets the check total, so it always applies |
| Typical Use Cases | Comping a dish, Happy Hour, dish-specific coupons | Loyalty rewards, whole-check table comps |
| Tax Calculation | Recalculated on the individual discounted item | Spread proportionally across the check's tax so total tax adjusts correctly |
How to Configure Discounts in NX Portal ⚙️
Setting up discounts in your manager portal is quick and easy!
- Navigate to Discounts:Access portal settings.
Log into NX Portal and go to Configuration ➔ Discounts. - Set Application Type:Choose discount behavior.
When creating a new discount or editing an existing one, locate the Application Type dropdown and select either Item or Order. - Save and Apply:Save your changes.
Click Save. (Note: All existing discounts created prior to this feature are automatically set to Item unless manually changed).
Staff Workflow Note: Cashiers apply Order-level discounts using the exact same button and picker on the POS screen as any other discount. The only difference is where the discount displays on the screen!
Quick Reference Guide: Which One Should I Pick? 🎯
| If the discount is for... | Choose... 🛠️ |
| One dish, one drink, or "this specific order was wrong" | Item |
| A percentage off an entire category (e.g., all drinks during happy hour) | Item |
| A loyalty point or promotional reward redemption | Order |
| "Take $X off this whole table's check" regardless of what was ordered | Order |
| A coupon that must apply even if items already have discounts | Order |
Troubleshooting & Need Help? ❓
- 🔴 Discount fails to apply to an item?
- Check if the item already carries a discount! An item can only take one item-level discount. Switch the discount to an Order-Level discount if you need to apply additional savings across the check.
- ❓ Unsure how tax was calculated on an Order Discount?
- Order-level discounts do not touch item prices directly; instead, the system automatically spreads the savings proportionally across the check's tax calculation so the guest pays the exact right tax amount!
- 💬 Still Need Assistance?
- Reach out to NX Restaurant Support or consult your venue administrator for quick guidance on configuring your discount rules! 🌟