Configure Due Time Settings and Manager Controls in Shift4 Dine

Description: Learn how managers can control Due Time behavior in Shift4 Dine, including requiring Due Time for specific Order Types and Courses, understanding how Due Time interacts with payments and completed tickets, and managing visibility and printing for time-sensitive orders.

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Note: This feature is currently available only for Pilot users.

Availability: Due Time is available for all Shift4 Dine merchants running Shift4 Dine version 1.123.0 or later.

For an overview of how Due Time works on tickets, kitchen printers, and Kitchen Display Systems, visit the Due Time Overview and Usage article.

Prompting for Due Time for Specific Order Types (Manager/Owner)

Managers can require staff to set a Due Time before an order is sent to the kitchen or paid for by enabling Prompt for Due Time on specific Order Types.

This is commonly used for Pickup, Takeout, or other time-sensitive order flows.

Enable “Prompt for Due Time”

1. Navigate to Order Types on the Workstation for Shift4 Dine or Shift4 Dine Customer Hub.
2. Select the desired Order Type (for example, Pickup).
3. Enable Prompt for Due Time.
   
4. Save changes.

What Happens When Enabled

• Staff are prompted to set a Due Time every time they send an order or take payment.
• The prompt continues until a Due Time is set.
• If additional items are added later, the prompt appears again with the previously selected Due Time.

This ensures time expectations are always captured for applicable orders.

Requiring Due Time for an Order Type

In addition to prompting, managers can make Due Time required for specific Order Types. When required, staff cannot send the order to the kitchen or close the ticket without first entering a Due Time. Unlike a standard prompt, the required Due Time screen cannot be dismissed or skipped.

Enable "Require Due Time" on an Order Type

1. Navigate to Order Types on the Workstation or the Customer Hub.
2. Select the desired Order Type (for example, Pickup).
3. Enable Require Due Time.
   
4. Save changes.

Note: Require Due Time follows the same enforcement behavior as Require Ticket Name. There is no manager override; staff must either enter a valid Due Time or cancel the action.

Prompting for Due Time by Course

Managers can configure specific courses to trigger the Due Time prompt when an item from that course is added to a ticket. This is useful when Due Time is only relevant for certain parts of the meal — for example, entrée courses — but not for others, such as beverages or bar items.

Enable "Prompt for Due Time" on a Course

1. Navigate to Courses on the Workstation or the Customer Hub.
2. Select the desired Course (for example, Entrées).
3. Enable Prompt for Due Time.
   
4. Save changes.

How Course-Based Prompting Works

• When a staff member adds an item from a prompt-enabled course to a ticket that has no Due Time yet, the Due Time prompt appears.
• Once a Due Time is set on the ticket, adding additional items from prompt-enabled courses does not trigger additional prompts.
• If items from multiple prompt-enabled courses are added to the same ticket, the prompt appears only once on the first qualifying item.

Requiring Due Time by Course

Managers can also make Due Time required at the course level. When required, the Due Time prompt becomes a blocking step; staff must enter a Due Time before the triggering action (sending items, closing the ticket) can be completed.

Enable "Require Due Time" on a Course

1. Navigate to Courses on the Workstation or the Customer Hub.
2. Select the desired Course.
3. Enable Require Due Time.
   
4. Save changes.

Note: Require Due Time at the course level behaves identically to Require Due Time at the Order Type level — there is no skip or override option. Staff must enter a valid Due Time or cancel the triggering action.

Prompt Precedence: Order Type vs. Course

When both Order Type prompting and Course prompting are configured, the following precedence rules apply:

• If Prompt for Due Time (or Require Due Time) is enabled for the current Order Type, the system follows Order Type rules and does not evaluate course-level prompting for that ticket.
• If Order Type prompting is not enabled, the system evaluates course-level rules and prompts (or requires) based on the courses of items added to the ticket.
• The Due Time prompt is shown at most once per ticket. Once a Due Time has been set — whether via a prompt or manual entry — no further automatic prompts appear for that ticket.

Order Type Prompt / Require	Course Prompt / Require	Result
Enabled	Enabled	Order Type rules apply; course rules are not evaluated
Enabled	Disabled	Order Type rules apply
Disabled	Enabled	Course rules apply
Disabled	Disabled	No automatic prompting

Configuring Due Time Printing Per Printer

By default, Due Time will not print on kitchen tickets when an order is sent with a Due Time set. Managers can enable or disable Due Time printing on specific printers, for example, to prevent Due Time from appearing on bar printer tickets where it is not operationally relevant.

To enable or disable Due Time printing on a specific printer:

1. On the Workstation, navigate to Manager > Settings > Hardware > Printers/KDS.
2. Select the desired printer from the list.
3. Under the Advanced tab, disable or enable Print Due Time.
   
4. Select Save.

Note: This setting is configured per printer. Disabling it on one printer does not affect Due Time printing on other printers. The default value for new and existing printers is off.

Due Time and Completed Tickets

Due Time only displays while a ticket is in the OPEN section of the Orders screen. Once a ticket moves to COMPLETED, the Due Time is no longer visible. This can cause confusion if payment is taken before the order is ready.

Keeping Paid Tickets with Due Time Visible (Recommended Workflow)

If you want paid tickets to remain visible with their Due Time, it is recommended to disable automatic ticket closure.

Disable Auto-Close on Payment

1. On the Workstation, navigate to Manager > Settings > Tickets.
2. Disable Close Ticket Automatically When Paid in Full.
   
3. Tap Save.

How This Changes Ticket Behavior

• After taking payment, staff can choose LEAVE OPEN or DONE.
  
• Selecting LEAVE OPEN:
  • Sets the ticket balance to $0
  • Keeps the ticket visible in the OPEN section
  • Preserves the Due Time countdown
    
• When the order is ready to be completed:
  1. Tap TAKE PAYMENT.
  2. Tap DONE.

This workflow is recommended for pickup and takeout orders where timing visibility is critical.

Operational Best Practices

• Avoid leaving tickets open across multiple business days
• Leaving orders open overnight can cause reporting discrepancies if tills or banks remain open
• Reconciling open tickets should be part of standard end-of-day procedures
• If Due Time is not relevant for bar or beverage orders, disable Print Due Time on bar printers to keep bar tickets clean and avoid confusion for bar staff.
• Use Require Due Time on Order Types or Courses where missing a Due Time would cause operational problems. Reserve the non-blocking Prompt setting for workflows where staff may sometimes legitimately skip Due Time entry. 
• When using course-based prompting, ensure courses are correctly assigned to menu items. Items not assigned to a prompt-enabled course will not trigger the Due Time prompt.

Notes:

• Prompt for Due Time applies only to configured Order Types or Courses
• Due Time visibility is tied to ticket status (OPEN vs COMPLETED)
• The Kitchen Display System always updates the Due Time in real time, regardless of the ticket payment status