Order Statuses

Every order in OKeep moves through a defined set of statuses from the moment a customer places it until it is completed or cancelled. This page explains each status, how transitions work, and what they mean for your staff and customers.

Status Overview

Status	Color	Description
Preparing	Yellow	The order has been placed and your team is working on it
Ready for Pickup	Blue	All items are prepared and the order is waiting for the customer
Closed	Green	The customer has received the order -- it is complete
Cancelled	Red	The order was cancelled and will not be fulfilled

Status Lifecycle

The normal flow of an order follows this path:

Preparing  -->  Ready for Pickup  -->  Closed
    |                |
    v                v
Cancelled        Cancelled

• Preparing is the initial status every order starts with when a customer places it.
• From Preparing, staff mark the order as Ready for Pickup once all items are prepared.
• From Ready for Pickup, staff mark the order as Closed once the customer has received it.
• An order can be Cancelled from the Preparing or Ready for Pickup states.

No "New" or "Pending" status

Orders enter the system directly as Preparing. There is no separate acceptance step -- once a customer submits an order, your kitchen or counter can begin working on it immediately.

Status Transitions

The table below shows which transitions are allowed, and who typically triggers them.

From	To	Who triggers	Notes
Preparing	Ready for Pickup	Kitchen / counter staff	All items are prepared
Preparing	Closed	Staff	Skips the ready stage (used when serving directly to the table)
Preparing	Cancelled	Staff	Optional cancellation reason can be provided
Ready for Pickup	Closed	Staff	Customer has picked up or received the order
Ready for Pickup	Preparing	Staff	Returns the order to the kitchen (e.g., an item needs to be redone)
Ready for Pickup	Cancelled	Staff	Rare, but possible if the customer leaves

Closed orders cannot be reopened

Once an order is marked as Closed or Cancelled, it cannot be moved back to an active status. If a mistake was made, a new order must be created.

What Each Status Means

For Staff

Status	What to do
Preparing	Prepare all items in the order. If a preparation time was set, a countdown timer is visible on the order card. Orders that exceed their estimated time are flagged as urgent.
Ready for Pickup	Notify the customer or deliver the order to their table. The customer receives a push notification on their phone.
Closed	No further action needed. The customer's loyalty points are awarded at this point.
Cancelled	No further action needed. No loyalty points are awarded.

For Customers

Status	What the customer sees
Preparing	"Your order is being prepared" with an optional estimated time
Ready for Pickup	"Your order is ready!" -- they receive a push notification
Closed	"Order completed" -- loyalty points appear in their account
Cancelled	"Your order was cancelled"

Customer Notifications by Status

Status Change	Push Notification	In-App Update
Order placed (→ Preparing)	No (confirmation shown at order time)	"Order confirmed"
Preparing → Ready for Pickup	Yes -- "Your order is ready!"	Status updates in real time
Ready for Pickup → Closed	No	"Order completed" + points badge
Any → Cancelled	Yes -- "Your order was cancelled"	Status updates with cancellation notice
Preparation time set	No	Estimated time appears
Preparation time nearing end	No	Timer shows urgency in customer app

info

Push notifications require the OKeep mobile app with notifications enabled. Customers using the browser-based ordering (customer web) see real-time status updates in their browser session but do not receive push notifications.

Visual Indicators in the CRM

The CRM uses consistent color coding across all views (Orders Dashboard, Kitchen Display, and order detail modals) so that staff can identify the state of an order at a glance.

Order Status Colors

Status	Dot / Badge Color	Card Border
Preparing	Yellow	Default border (light)
Ready for Pickup	Blue	Default border (light)
Closed	Green	Not shown on Kitchen Display
Cancelled	Red	Not shown on Kitchen Display

Urgency Indicators (Kitchen Display)

Condition	Border Color	Icon	Meaning
On track	Default	None	Preparation is within estimated time
Urgent (2 min or less remaining)	Yellow	Yellow warning triangle	Time is almost up -- prioritize this order
Overdue (past estimated time)	Red	Red warning triangle	Order has exceeded its estimated preparation time

warning

Overdue orders erode customer trust. If orders are regularly going overdue, consider adjusting your estimated preparation times to be more realistic, or staffing up during peak hours.

Payment Status Colors

Payment Status	Dot Color
Pending	Yellow
Partially Paid	Orange
Paid	Green
Cancelled	Red

Payment Statuses

In addition to the order status, each order also tracks a separate payment status:

Payment Status	Color	Description
Pending	Yellow	Payment has not been received yet
Partially Paid	Orange	Some but not all of the order total has been paid
Paid	Green	Full payment received
Cancelled	Red	Payment was cancelled

Payment status is independent of order status -- for example, an order can be Preparing and already Paid (if the customer paid online), or it can be Ready for Pickup and still Pending (if paying by cash on collection).

Updating Payment Status

You can change an order's payment status from the order detail modal:

1. Click on the order card to open the detail modal
2. Select the new payment status from the Payment Status dropdown
3. Click Update Payment

This is a separate action from changing the order status -- you can update them independently.

Closing unpaid orders

If you attempt to close an order that is not marked as Paid, the system shows a confirmation warning. You can still close it, but this ensures you do not accidentally mark an order as complete before collecting payment.

Common Payment Scenarios

Scenario	Order Status Flow	Payment Status Flow
Customer pays online, then picks up	Preparing → Ready → Closed	Paid from the start
Customer pays cash at counter	Preparing → Ready → Closed	Pending → Paid (when cash collected)
Customer pays by card at table	Preparing → Ready → Closed	Pending → Paid (when card processed)
Customer cancels before paying	Preparing → Cancelled	Pending → Cancelled
Split payment (partial)	Preparing → Ready → Closed	Pending → Partially Paid → Paid

Changing Order Status in the CRM

From the Orders Dashboard

1. Click on an order card to open the detail modal
2. Select the desired status from the Order Status dropdown
3. Click Update Status

You can also use the quick-action button on each card to advance to the next logical status without opening the modal:

• Preparing cards show a Mark Ready button
• Ready for Pickup cards show a Deliver button

From the Kitchen Display

Kitchen order cards have large, prominent action buttons:

• On Preparing cards: a Ready for Pickup button
• On Ready for Pickup cards: a Deliver Order button, plus a Return to Cooking button if an item needs more work

Setting Estimated Preparation Time

When an order is in Preparing status, you can set an estimated preparation time in minutes. This:

• Shows a countdown timer on the order card
• Helps the customer know when to expect their order
• Flags the order as urgent when 2 minutes or fewer remain
• Flags the order as overdue when the time has elapsed

tip

Set preparation times based on the most complex item in the order. A simple coffee order might be 3--5 minutes. A multi-course meal might be 15--25 minutes. Be slightly generous with your estimates -- it is better to be ready early than to have an overdue order.

Delivery Modes

Each order has a delivery mode that affects how it should be handled:

Mode	Description	Staff Action When Ready
Pickup	The customer will come to the counter to collect their order	Call the order number or wait for the customer to arrive
To Table	Staff will deliver the order to the customer's table	Bring the order to the service point listed on the card

The delivery mode is shown on order cards and in the detail modal, helping staff know whether to call the customer or bring the order to them.

Order Warning Flags

Staff can flag an order with a warning to indicate a problem (e.g., missing ingredient, customer complaint). Warning flags:

• Add a visual indicator to the order card
• Can be configured to sort flagged orders to the top of the Kitchen Display
• Are resolved by toggling the flag off once the issue is addressed

This feature is available through the configurable Dashboard system. See Kitchen Display for setup details.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I revert an order from Closed back to Preparing?

No. Once an order is Closed or Cancelled, it is final. These are terminal states. If a mistake was made (wrong items, wrong table), create a new order with the correct items. This protects the integrity of your order history and loyalty point calculations.

What happens to loyalty points if I cancel an order?

No points are awarded. Points are only calculated and credited when an order reaches Closed status. Cancelling an order at any point before closing means zero points for the customer.

If an order was already closed and you realize it should have been cancelled, the points have already been awarded and will remain in the customer's account. For manual adjustments, use the points management tools in the CRM.

Can a customer cancel their own order?

Customers cannot cancel orders directly from the app. Only staff can cancel orders through the CRM. If a customer wants to cancel, they need to contact your staff (in person, through the in-app chat, or by other means) and a staff member performs the cancellation.

How do I handle a partial order (some items ready, some not)?

OKeep tracks order status at the order level, not the item level. The entire order moves through statuses together. If some items are ready and others are not, wait until all items are prepared before marking the order as Ready for Pickup.

If your workflow requires delivering items as they are ready, you can mark the order as Ready for Pickup when the first batch is done, deliver those items, and then use the kitchen display to track remaining items informally.

What does "Return to Cooking" do?

This moves an order from Ready for Pickup back to Preparing. Use it when an item needs to be remade -- for example, a customer rejects a dish or a quality issue is found after the order was marked as ready. The kitchen display will show the order again in the active preparation list.

How long are cancelled and completed orders visible?

The Orders Dashboard shows the most recent completed orders (up to 8) and cancelled orders (up to 4) in their respective sections. Older orders are still accessible through the Orders table view, which supports searching and filtering across your full order history.

Best Practices

• Update statuses promptly -- this keeps customers informed via push notifications and ensures accurate tracking in the CRM
• Use preparation time estimates -- they help the kitchen prioritize and give customers a realistic expectation
• Watch for urgent/overdue indicators -- orders that are past their estimated time get highlighted in red on the Kitchen Display
• Review cancelled orders periodically -- look for patterns that might indicate menu issues, stock problems, or training gaps
• Keep payment status accurate -- update payment status as soon as payment is received, especially for cash orders
• Use warning flags for problem orders so the entire team is aware of issues without needing verbal communication
• Train staff on the status flow -- every team member should know the four statuses and what triggers each transition

Related Pages

• Receiving Orders -- how orders arrive and how to manage them
• Kitchen Display -- the at-a-glance view optimized for kitchen staff