Help centre · Getting started
Prepare your first service.
Create your account, review your plan and start your trial through Stripe Checkout. Complete regional setup, then prepare the menu, payments and devices your venue needs. Work through a quiet test before taking live orders.
By Amaan Tanveer, Founder · 23 August 2026 · 6 min read
Use compatible devices you own. There’s no proprietary till to buy or standard setup fee. Integrated cards need a supported reader; other readers work separately, with payments recorded manually. Check printer compatibility before service. Setup also includes the menu, staff access and payment configuration.
From account to first service
Create your account, confirm your email and review your plan. Add your business details, then confirm your free trial in Stripe Checkout. Complete regional setup to open the dashboard. Menu import, Stripe payouts, tables and device registration can follow from Finish setup. Prepare the workflows you need and test them before taking live orders. A setup call is optional; timing depends on the menu, equipment and payment verification. After you start a 30-day Growth pilot or standard trial through Stripe Checkout, review the menu draft, create staff access and test a representative order. Use a payment amount supported by the currency and payment method; check the charge, receipt and kitchen ticket separately from Stripe payout readiness.
Menu import tools and email support are included on Starter. Growth and Enterprise include hands-on migration help, and founding pilot venues receive guided setup. Help can fit around your preparation; a call is optional. See what each plan includes.
Do this before the first live shift
Walk the menu on a phone. A modifier that reads fine in a spreadsheet can be nonsense on a table. Rename items the way guests ask for them. Merge “oat milk”, “Oat Milk” and “oat” into one modifier.
Create staff accounts before the shift. Check that each person can sign in and access the intended venue and device. Configure eligible role permissions, and practise the account recovery process before service.
Print one QR first. Scan it on a phone, check the venue and table, and test the guest order through to the kitchen. Confirm the numbering and print size before producing the rest.
Choose a quiet first service. Keep an agreed fallback available while the team checks ordering, kitchen tickets and payment handling. Test equipment before the cutover rather than assuming compatible devices need no preparation.
What we cannot do for you
Support can help identify a Servio issue and explain what to check with your device, network or payment provider. Stripe identity checks must be completed with Stripe. Payment failures and account access problems are treated as urgent under the published support terms.
Email support@servio.uk with the venue, step and error. Use the menu import article to review your draft and the Stripe article to check payment readiness.
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Common questions
How long does it take to go live?
Timing depends on your menu, equipment, staff preparation and Stripe checks. Signup includes account creation, email confirmation, plan review, business details and Stripe trial checkout. Regional setup then opens the dashboard, with optional service setup tasks. Review and test the workflows you need before the first live service.
Do I need a free trial or the founding pilot?
Starter and standard Growth offer 14-day no-card trials. The founding Growth pilot offers 30 days free, then £109/month for six paid months, then £219/month if you continue, with case-study acknowledgement. The demo is available without an account.
What devices do I need?
Use compatible devices you own. There’s no proprietary till to buy or standard setup fee. Integrated cards need a supported reader; other readers work separately, with payments recorded manually. Check printer compatibility before service. Synchronised data is stored in the platform, but pending offline work remains on its original device until it syncs.