Markinson

It's been a big start to 2025, and we’ve been hard at work building and releasing your most requested features. This month has seen a major new feature release – Zeller Bill at Table – as well as several other exciting enhancements and updates to help you get paid more smoothly when using Zeller POS Lite . Read on to learn more about what’s new at Zeller this April. Accept cash payments with Zeller POS Lite. While card transactions are by far the preferred payment method for most Australians, we’ve now enabled you to also record physical cash sales when you’re using Zeller POS Lite from Zeller Terminal or App. To record cash as the tendered option in a transaction, simply select the items to be sold as usual, and then select “cash” as the tender for payment. Key in how much has been paid in physical cash, and provide customers with an itemised receipt. If your customers choose to tip with physical cash (e.g. “You keep the change”), this can now be recorded too. The option to record cash sales in Zeller POS Lite is controllable by site, and turned off by default. Simply activate this option in ‘Settings’ on both Zeller Terminal 2 and Zeller App . Also, watch this space – more features related to how you manage and report cash payments are coming soon! Process 100% discounts on items sold with Zeller POS Lite. Applying a discount to an item sold using Zeller POS Lite is now even easier, as we’ve added the ability to offer a 100% discount (or a $0 sale) in the event you’re supplying a giveaway, offering a free gift with purchase, or issuing warranty receipts. By being able to record items discounted by 100% with Zeller POS Lite on your terminal or Zeller App, you’ll benefit from clearer inventory reconciliation and a much more accurate view of your total items sold in any time period. Present the bill and accept payment tableside seamlessly with Zeller Bill at Table. Restaurants can now present diners with itemised bills displayed directly on Zeller Terminal 's large digital screen, and then instantly accept payment tableside. Zeller Bill at Table allows customers to settle their bill quickly, split payments effortlessly and tip with ease, making for happier diners and faster table turnover. In fact, Zeller Bill at Table is proven to help restaurants turn tables up to 73% faster from bill request to out-the-door. As Ben Hickey from The Roosevelt in Sydney  said, “More covers means more revenue". Learn more about Zeller Bill at Table here . Enhanced site management from Zeller App. Merchants with multiple business locations can now manage their sites directly from within Zeller App, including site-specific features such as surcharging, GST, tipping, receipt and terminal customisation. This makes it easier for you to make instant changes to site settings – for example, enabling tipping for a pop-up restaurant, or switching off tipping prompts when the lunch rush hits – when you’re on the go, rather than having to log into your Zeller Dashboard from a desktop computer. Smarter item management with Zeller Invoices. Time-saving functionality that was originally developed for Zeller POS Lite (and proved very popular) has now also been added to item management on Zeller Invoices. This includes improved handling of attributes and discounts, plus new support for item modifiers, too. The navigation of Zeller Invoices has also had a refresh, with a sleek new side menu that allows you to browse or create items, complete with unit price, quantity, and description. You can also now toggle GST on or off, apply discounts, and reorder items on your invoice via drag and drop, making it easier than ever to create and send customised invoices that help you get paid faster. Try out these new features today. To test these new additions, simply log in to your Zeller Dashboard , or try them out with Zeller POS Lite from Zeller Terminal or App. If you have ideas for other features, send them through to us at feedback@myzeller.com . We love to hear what our merchants would like to see from us, and are proud to say that the majority of this month’s releases have been developed and launched based upon feedback we’ve heard from you.

Learn how to successfully pivot your menu to takeaway. The introduction of social distancing and caps on the number of in-restaurant diners has forced many restauranteurs, bars, and cafés to heavily rely on takeaway and delivery services in order to survive. Where takeaway used to refer to fast-food staples such as pizza or fish and chips, in recent years it has evolved to become so much more. From finish-at-home meals through to pre-mixed cocktails, the options are endless. Thanks to the pandemic, even some of Australia’s most exclusive fine dining institutions have had to pivot to takeaway in order to stay in business. For the staff at Seville Estate, it's been a way to keep spirits high. “It’s the best way to help people keep busy and employed — staff retention is incredibly important for us, especially in this climate," says Dylan McMahon, General Manager at Seville Estate. "Doing Seville at Home was a great way for staff to stay connected, with each other and with our customers. It’s been good for morale, as well as the business.” Put simply, takeaway is a good alternative to traditional service — one that keeps customers happy, cash flowing into your business, and staff busy. Considering pivoting your dine-in menu to takeaway? Here are six considerations to make your offering a success. 1. Make your menu visually appealing When a customer dines in, they can rely on their senses; following their eyes and nose to select the right meal for them. However, with takeaway, customers don’t get that first glimpse. Instead, it’s the menu that has to sell them on your offering. For this reason, your menu must do justice to your food. This is where it pays to invest in quality food photography. Good imagery makes the best first impression for takeaway customers. More often than not, browsing images on Facebook and Instagram is how they decide who gets their business. After all, the camera eats first. These days, choosing where to dine often comes down to aesthetics — and this is particularly true when dealing with takeaway. The benefit to you is that, if you can translate the taste visually, you will likely see higher rates of upsizing and impulse buying. To get your menu in people’s hands, we recommend you serve up at least two high-quality food images to your socials each week — and make sure they best resemble the meals that will be delivered to customers (or you could face disgruntled diners). If you're offering a weekly special, make sure customers can see what it looks like. 2. Write clear and enticing menu descriptions While it pays to have delicious imagery, it’s just as important to paint a tasty picture with words. Not just because they can disclose ingredients you can’t see in the pictures, but because it can pre-empt customer enquiries about dietary requirements — making the order experience more seamless. When dining in person, a customer can quickly ask a waiter for information about a dish. With takeaway, the customer doesn’t have this luxury — which is why it’s best to make your menu as descriptive as possible. List all of the ingredients and allergy warnings so customers can feel confident placing an order with you. When other eateries don’t extend the same courtesy, you may find you quickly become the takeaway venue of choice. Another way to bring more clarity to your menu is by creating clear food categories. These will pave a clearer path to purchase because people can quickly find what they’re looking for, whether it’s a dessert, meal deal, drink or side. Some venues are more creative with their categories, and include things such as the length of time it will take to cook, or spice level for example. 3. Recreate dining out experiences As Australians, we have always celebrated our rich and vibrant food scene by eating out. It’s an immersive experience that treats our senses to great flavours, irresistible scents, good company, and buzzing atmospheres. It’s also something many have sorely missed during the pandemic — and recreating these experiences is something that could help you win more business from nostalgic diners. One way you can tap into the love of communal experiences is by shaping set menus designed to be enjoyed together. Not only will this bring a refreshing novelty to your offering, but you can include a strategic combination of meals with high-profit margins — allowing you to capitalise on various themes. You might, for example, consider a Sunday Dinner dining pack — or a picnic pack, to be enjoyed outdoors, as restrictions ease. Consider what small but strategic adjustments you could make to your menu to recreate communal experiences. 4. Offer dishes that travel well While it’s important to have a delicious offering, it’s just as important to ensure that what you’re promising your customers accurately reflects what they’ll be eating. For example, if a customer orders a beautifully intricate dessert complete with chocolate smears and a scoop of gelato — that’s what they’ll expect. It’s up to you to get the gelato into their hands without melting. To ensure your final product doesn’t disappoint, you should either choose dishes that can hold their shape in transit or provide instructions and materials for assembly at the other end. It’s also important that you have the right insulated carry bags and boxes on hand to keep meals at their optimal temperatures. Cold dishes are a common drawback of takeaway so, where possible, make sure foods can be wrapped securely to trap heat and stored in quality packaging that won’t disintegrate or compromise the quality of your meals while your delivery driver is out making the rounds. Of course, if diners are picking up, the logistics are less of a concern. 5. Determine the perfect delivery method The important thing to remember is that when it comes to transporting your deliveries, you have a choice as to how it’s done. You may choose to partner with major food delivery services, however delivery fees can into profit margins.  Alternatively, you could offer delivery yourself — or only offer pickup. Should you choose to integrate your own delivery service, it’s important that you’re aware of the liability, tax implications, safety requirements, payment options, and COVID-safe measures required — because there are a lot. If you decide to offer pickup only, you’ll benefit from the cost savings of sidestepping delivery. Plus, your meals will be fresher when they reach your customers.  Of course, when lockdown measures are in place, this means customers outside of your local area can't support your business. Some eateries have explored creative solutions to this conundrum — the most popular of which is 'hot suburb' delivery, whereby orders are placed in advance and then delivered to a specific area in one go. This expands the reach of your business, and opens it up to new customers. Whatever you decide, it’s extremely important that you communicate the COVID-safe measures you have in place to ensure the smooth and safe transfer of meals, helping people feel confident in ordering with you. 6. Make the transaction seamless There’s nothing worse than going through the ordering process only to find that a venue is cash-only on delivery or pickup. Do your customers a favour and make your payment process effortless — that way you’ll leave them satisfied and increase the rate of conversion in the process. With Zeller Terminal , you have three options: Carry it with you and take payment upon delivery. Manually enter card details to complete payment over the phone. Take contactless, curbside payment upon pickup. Zeller Terminal is a fully mobile EFTPOS machine, which can be connected to the internet via WiFi, personal hotspot or SIM Card . Now that you’re across all the ways you can optimise your takeaway offering, sign up to our Zeller Business Blog to cash in on valuable insights sent straight to your inbox. Ready to get started with Zeller? Sign up for free

First opened in 2022, Awaken Pilates and Yoga is a boutique fitness business that has already grown to three locations across Perth’s northern corridor – Yanchep, Ashby, and Mindarie. Founded by husband and wife duo Matthew and Gemma Taylor, the studios offer a mix of reformer Pilates, mat Pilates, yoga, meditation, and infrared sauna. We sat down with Matthew to learn the story behind the business and how Zeller has been able to play a small but positive role in its impressive growth. Building a boutique fitness community. “My wife and I have been involved in the fitness industry for almost 20 years now,” Matthew explains. “About three years ago, we started Awaken, a chain of boutique Pilates studios. We do everything from reformer Pilates to yoga and meditation, so we’re a fitness and wellbeing business.” Beyond instructor-led classes, Awaken offers 24/7 access so members can train independently. “We’re one of only a few in the country who do it,” Matthew says. “People get a 24/7 tag just like a gym. We’ve got screens set up where they can do on-demand classes, and the sauna is 24/7 as well.” At its core, Awaken aims to help members build a stronger connection with themselves, physically and mentally. “What we’re trying to achieve with the members is getting them to fall in love with fitness and focus on themselves,” Matthew says. “We’ve seen over the years how powerful it can be to have a positive relationship with yourself from a wellbeing perspective.” Making retail sales effortless with Zeller POS Lite. While most of Awaken’s revenue comes from membership fees billed weekly through their CRM system, retail sales (like grippy socks, apparel and protein powder) also provide an important secondary revenue stream to the business. Managing these sales efficiently, however, was a little tricky – until Awaken introduced Zeller POS Lite across all three studios. “A lot of our instructors are contractors who work across different studios.” Matthew explains. “So we needed a system that was super intuitive with no real training involved. Zeller POS Lite couldn’t be simpler. When someone wants to buy socks or some protein, the instructor just clicks on an image and it comes up straight away on the machine. They don’t have to work the computer or any sort of complicated point-of-sale system.” Stretching sales while reducing admin. The simplified sales process has made instructors more confident in processing transactions, leading to an increase in retail purchases. “Having that visual point-of-sale system on the EFTPOS machine itself just makes it a lot easier,” Matthew says. “Because it’s so easy to use, we find that the instructors are much more confident in selling the product for us instead of avoiding it because they don’t know how to use the machine or they don’t know the pricing of the product.” When the end of the month draws near, Zeller POS Lite’s in-built reporting function proves very useful. “We utilise the reporting function to gain a deeper insight into how our retail products are performing, what products are resonating with our members and where to better invest in our product offering for the future at each studio. This allows us to maximise the efficiency of our product management and also helps drive our marketing with relation to our retail products,” explains Matthew. Switching from Commbank to Zeller. Before switching to Zeller, Awaken used Commonwealth Bank terminals, but the fees and complex pricing structure quickly became a frustration. “I would never set up another business with a traditional bank again, because you’re paying a monthly fee and then all of your costs on top of that when you go above a certain amount. It actually is just a lot easier to have something like Zeller, which takes a little percentage on each transaction and has a nice, easy portal to navigate.” Beyond transaction fees, Matthew also found the process of upgrading or canceling bank terminals unnecessarily difficult and expensive. “They make it so hard for you,” he says. “You’ve got to pay for someone to collect it and all this sort of stuff. There’s fees and charges all the way through the journey.” A flexible, scalable solution. With transparent pricing, ease of use and a seamless experience for both instructors and members, Zeller POS Lite has helped Awaken eliminate banking frustrations while streamlining their operations. “We’ve got it sectioned into three categories – merchandise, casual sales, and supplements,” Matthew says. “It’s so simple for the instructors to navigate that, it works perfectly.” By choosing Zeller POS Lite, Awaken Pilates and Yoga has found a flexible solution that strikes the perfect balance between simplifying sales, empowering staff, and supporting business growth.