Guides & FAQ
The rest of these docs explain each part of Sidedoor on its own. The guides here start from a question you have - “How do I take a deposit for big groups at the weekend?” - and walk through every setting involved, in the order you’d set them, with the outcomes drawn out as flowcharts.
Guides
Section titled “Guides”Understanding payments on a bookingDeposits and pre-orders, how one can pay for the other, what Pending, Captured and Deposit mean, and the life of a deposit.
Automatic deposits for larger groupsSecure bookings above a party size you choose, on the days you choose - plus no-shows and recommended settings.
Choosing a payment setupCard on file or Capture, pre-orders, declined cards and four worked set-ups.
Reducing no-shows with confirmations and depositsAsk guests to confirm, save a card or take a deposit, free tables nobody confirms or pays for, and handle no-shows and declined cards.
Running pre-orders from start to finishBuilding the menu, how guests order and pay, changing orders, prep, the night itself and no-shows.
Seasonal set menus with an optional pre-orderA festive or seasonal menu for a date range, as its own experience, with a pre-order guests can skip, add-ons and a card-on-file deposit.
Hybrid events - tickets that come with a tableSell a ticket that also books a table, with anything included in the price, and keep the ticket and its table in step.
Quick answers
Section titled “Quick answers”Frequently asked questionsShort answers on deposits, no-shows, minimum spend, cancellations and payments, each linking to the guide or setting that covers it.