--- title: "FAQs | SpotOn Reserve" canonical: "https://help.spoton.com/space/SK/1116667961/FAQs%20%7C%20SpotOn%20Reserve" format: markdown --- ## **SpotOn Reserve Management System** SpotOn Reserve is a comprehensive front-of-house management platform designed for restaurant merchants. It provides tools for managing reservations, waitlists, guest seating, server rotation, and takeout order notifications all from a single system. Guests can book reservations or join waitlists online through a restaurant's website or Google page, and the platform integrates directly with SpotOn Restaurant POS for seamless table and employee management. Available via the Reserve Web Portal, the SpotOn Reserve Host App for iPad, and the SpotOn GoTo mobile app, it offers a complete solution at $150/month per location with no per-cover charges or long-term contracts. This page serves as a central knowledge base covering setup, configuration, troubleshooting, and frequently asked questions. SpotOn Reserve is a new system available to our restaurant merchants. The feature-rich front-of-house management app includes guest seating, server rotation, reservations and waitlists. --- **Quick Links** > Macro (toc) --- ## SpotOn Reserve FAQ #### What is SpotOn Reserve? SpotOn Reserve is a full Front of House Management tool for restaurants to use in managing their reservations, waitlist, guest seating, server rotation and take out order notifications.  --- #### What is the Web Portal URL for Reserve? The SpotOn Reserve Web Portal URL is [https://restaurant.spotonreserve.com/](https://restaurant.spotonreserve.com/) --- #### How does a guest make a reservation or get on a waitlist online? A guest can make a reservation or join a waitlist by providing their mobile number and/or email address by clicking on the “Make a Reservation” or “Join the Waitlist“ or similar buttons on the subscribing restaurant’s website or by visiting the subscribing restaurant’s Google page.  --- #### What happens when a guest makes a reservation or gets on a waitlist online? Each guest that makes a reservation will receive a booking confirmation email (if their email was provided) or a booking confirmation text. Each guest that joins a restaurant’s waitlist will receive a welcome to the waitlist text. --- #### How do I allow guests to make a reservation or join my waitlist from my website? SpotOn Reserve provides restaurants three ways of allowing guests to make a reservation from their website: (1) a weblink, which is a URL web address redirecting the guest to a preformatted webpage branded with the restaurant’s logo, profile picture, hours, menu and amenities; (2) a Software Development Kit (SKD) that the restaurant can use to create an “on-website” experience so that the guest is not redirected away from their site; and (3) an open API, which allows the restaurant to hire a web developer to create a custom reservation experience as part of the restaurant’s website.  --- #### How are guest reservations confirmed? Every reservation booked into SpotOn Reserve will be confirmed automatically, 24 hours before the guest’s reservation time via an SMS text. The guest is given the ability to confirm the reservation by texting back a “1”, or cancel the reservation by texting back a “2”. --- #### Who do I call to make my Reserve system LIVE? Live on Google? There is no need to call, there are checkboxes in the Reserve Web Portal in Settings > Program Settings that enable online reservations and waitlists as well as Google reservations and waitlists. Check the desired boxes and click SAVE. Note: It takes 24 hours for your location to appear on Google, whereas the SpotOn Web Reservation link or widget will be live immediately. --- #### How do the “Reserve” and “Join the Waitlist” buttons get on my Google page? Once your SpotOn Reserve account has been activated, the “Reserve” and “Join the Waitlist” buttons will appear on the restaurant’s Google page within 24 hours automatically. --- #### How does Google know my current wait time? Through SpotOn Reserve’s integration with Reserve with Google, the estimated wait time calculated by SpotOn Reserve’s algorithm is fed to Google in real-time, making it available when guests search Google for your restaurant.  --- #### Can I add a message to my website requesting guests with larger parties call the restaurant? 1. Log in to the SpotOn Reserve Web Portal 2. Go to **Settings > Profile** 3. Click the **edit **(pencil) icon in the **Restaurant Details **box 4. Add the desired message in the **Descriptions** box --- #### How does SpotOn Reserve help me with Contact Tracing? SpotOn Reserve enables a restaurant to record the mobile number of each guest making a reservation or joining the waitlist. If all walkup guests are also added to the waitlist prior to seating, the restaurant will have recorded the phone number, time and date of visit, and table of each guest served. In the case of a Covid-19 incident at the restaurant, all of the guests in the restaurant at the time the infected guest was in the restaurant can be contacted. This saves the restaurant from having to make blanket announcements to the public regarding such an incident.  --- #### Can I be notified when reservations are made? Yes. In Settings > Employees you can set up email notifications to be sent to an admin or manager when a reservation is created. --- #### Can I turn off online reservations or waitlists? Yes. Within the Web Portal, there are multiple ways to restrict and turn off reservations and waitlists. Please see this knowledge base section: [SpotOn Reserve Web Portal](https://help.spoton.com/space/SK/1451361329/SpotOn+Reserve+Web+Portal+%7C+SpotOn+Reserve) for more information. --- #### My take out orders are getting two messages, how do I stop that? The Take Out Notification messaging in Reserve can be disabled by the client by going to the Reserve Web Portal, then Settings > Program Settings > POS Integrations "Send POS take out created and canceled". Then, click SAVE. --- #### What chit printers work with the SpotOn Reserve Host App? Both Epson and StarMicronics Bluetooth printers can be used with the SpotOn Reserve Host App --- #### How do I add a Facebook link? Add only the name portion of the link, i.e., https://www.facebook.com/**BusinessName** --- #### Is there a SpotOn Reserve mobile app? Yes. SpotOn Reserve functionality is available through the **SpotOn GoTo mobile app**, available for iOS and Android devices. The GoTo app allows guests to: - Book reservations - View real-time wait times - Join a waitlist - Manage upcoming reservations There is not a standalone Reserve-specific app. Instead, Reserve features are integrated directly into the SpotOn GoTo app, providing a single mobile experience for guests. --- #### How long does it take to get SpotOn Reserve set up at my restaurant? Once the SpotOn Reserve terms and conditions agreement is signed, payment information, and all of the onboarding documents (such as a logo, profile picture, seating chart, and employee list of servers, hosts and managers) are provided, it takes about 2 hours to process. Once processed, a SpotOn Implementation Specialist will review your configuration setup with you, which takes about an hour.  Though not required, it is recommended that your Host team attend a Host Training session, which takes about an hour.  --- #### **When will my Reserve be set up if I am also having SpotOn Restaurant POS installed, and how long will it take?** Reserve can be set up after the table layout has been programmed in the POS. The Reserve Integration Tool allows tables and employees to be automatically imported from RPOS into Reserve. --- #### **If I am integrated with SpotOn Restaurant POS, why aren’t the table flags showing up?** If you are integrated with **SpotOn Restaurant POS** but the **table flags are not appearing**, it may be related to where the table layout and table settings are being managed. While some actions can be performed directly in the **SpotOn Reserve Web Portal**, it is recommended to manage the **table layout and table settings in SpotOn Restaurant BOH**. Configuring tables in BOH helps ensure greater **consistency and accuracy across both the POS and Reserve systems**, which supports proper syncing of table information and related features such as flags. For best results, review and manage your **table configuration in SpotOn BOH**, then allow the integration to sync those settings with Reserve. Refer to the related articles below for detailed instructions on managing table layouts in **SpotOn Restaurant BOH**. [Table Layouts | SpotOn Restaurant BOH](https://help.spoton.com/space/SK/769327539/Table+Layouts+%7C+SpotOn+Restaurant+BOH) --- #### What do I need to use SpotOn Reserve? The SpotOn Reserve Host App for iPad requires an iPad running iOS 13 or greater. The SpotOn Reserve Web Portal is web-based and requires a browser, such as Chrome (recommended), Safari, Firefox or Edge. The Web Portal does not operate with legacy Internet Explorer.  --- #### I need a new iPad, do you supply them? Unfortunately, we do not offer iPads. --- #### What does SpotOn Reserve Cost? The entire SpotOn Reserve platform (Host App for iPad, Web Portal and Online Reservations) is available for the low, month-to-month subscription rate of $150 per location with a one-time $250 setup fee. There are no per cover charges, no hidden fees, or long term contracts. --- #### Can I use the Waitlist without Table Management? Yes. SpotOn Experiences allows the Waitlist to be enabled without using Table Management. To use the Waitlist without Table Management: 1. Go to **Advanced**. 2. Navigate to **Supported Actions**. 3. Disable **Table Management Enabled**. 4. Disable any other features the location will not be using. 5. Confirm that **Wait List Enabled** is selected. **Tip:** Only enable the Supported Actions that are needed for the location’s workflow. --- #### How can employees receive email notifications for new reservations or reservation changes? Employees can enable email notifications for incoming reservations and reservation updates directly from the SpotOn Reserve Web Portal. To configure reservation email notifications: 1. Log in to the SpotOn Reserve Web Portal. 2. Navigate to **Settings**. 3. Select **Employees**. 4. Open the desired employee profile/card. 5. Under the email notification preferences, select which reservation notifications the employee should receive. 6. Select **Save**. **Tip:** Notification preferences are configured individually for each employee profile. --- #### Why am I receiving the error “Email address already in use” when adding an employee? This error appears when the email address is already associated with an existing employee login within the same Company account. If all locations belong to the same Company, the employee does not need a separate login for each location. Instead, the existing employee profile can be assigned access to additional locations. To identify where the employee is already configured: 1. Copy the employee’s email address. 2. Open the **Admin Tool**. 3. Search for the employee using the email address. 4. Select the employee profile to review the locations currently assigned. **Tip:** Employees can be added to multiple locations within the same Company using a single email address and login profile. --- #### Why am I receiving the error “The section requested is not in the tables assigned” or “The tables being assigned are not located in the section the guest requested” in Upcoming Mode? This error occurs when the reservation or waitlist profile has a section flag assigned that does not match the table you are attempting to move the party to. To move the party to a different section in Upcoming Mode: #### In the Host App 1. Open the reservation or waitlist profile for the guest you want to move. 2. Locate the **Flags Assigned** section on the right side panel. 3. Remove the assigned section flag by selecting it. 4. Select the **X** in the top-right corner to close the profile. 5. In **Upcoming Mode**, drag the party from the current table assignment to the desired table assignment. **Tip:** The assigned section flag must match the destination table’s section before the party can be moved successfully. --- #### How can I see if a guest’s credit card was captured for the No Show Fee? The only way to verify whether a credit card and No Show Fee amount were captured is by reviewing the reservation’s **History**. --- #### What does the Piggy Bank party flag mean? The **Piggy Bank** party flag only indicates that payment has been collected. It does **not** confirm that credit card information has been stored or captured for No Show protection. --- #### OpenTable still appears on Google. How should this be handled? The merchant must contact OpenTable directly to request removal or updates related to Google integrations. Provide the merchant with the OpenTable transition documentation if applicable. --- #### What happens if Auto Assignment is turned off? Auto Assignment can be disabled; however, online reservations will still be assigned to tables automatically. Disabling Auto Assignment may cause: - Incorrect wait time quotes - Inventory tracking issues - Potential overbooking situations **Tip:** Auto Assignment is recommended for locations using online reservations. --- #### What image formats are not supported for Logo or Profile images? The following file formats are not supported: - PDF - PNG --- #### Troubleshooting: How do I create a reservation waitlist when the restaurant is fully booked? In the Web Portal 1. Navigate to **Settings > Party Flags**. 2. Create a custom Party Flag named: - `Reservation Waitlist` 3. Select the blue **Enable** button. 4. Navigate to **Settings > Program Settings**. 5. Enable **Allow name only reservations**. 6. Select **Save**. --- #### In the Host App 1. From the Main Floor View, select the green calendar button in the lower-right corner. 2. Enter: - Reservation date - Party size - Reservation time 3. If the restaurant is overbooked: - Managers/Admins can proceed after the warning message. - Hosts will require a manager override PIN. 4. On the next screen, do not enter the guest’s phone number. 5. Select the blue button in the lower-right corner. 6. Enter only the guest’s first and last name. 7. Select the blue right arrow to continue. 8. Open the reservation profile. 9. Select the green **Dining Notes** button. 10. Enter the guest’s phone number and any additional notes. 11. Assign the party flag: - `RW – Reservation Waitlist` 12. Close the reservation profile by selecting the **X** in the upper-right corner. --- #### On the Day of the Reservation 1. Open the reservation profile when space becomes available. 2. Select the blue **Enter phone number** button. 3. Enter the guest’s phone number. 4. Assign the newly available table to the guest. **Tip:** Reservation waitlist workflows are commonly used to manage cancellations and no-shows during fully booked service periods. --- #### Why are reservations disappearing or being automatically canceled? Reservations may be automatically removed from the active reservation list when the reservation time passes the configured **Minimum time before auto cancel** setting. Once this time threshold is reached, the reservation will be marked as **Auto Canceled**. #### How do I adjust the Auto Cancel timing? 1. Log in to the Web Portal. 2. Navigate to **Settings**. 3. Select **Program Settings**. 4. Locate **Minimum time before auto cancel**. 5. Enter the desired time in minutes. 6. Select **Save**. #### Can an auto-canceled reservation be restored? Yes. Auto-canceled reservations can be restored. To restore the reservation: 1. Locate the canceled reservation. 2. Double-click the reservation entry. 3. Select the green **Restore** button. **Tip:** Increasing the auto cancel time may help prevent reservations from being canceled too quickly during busy service periods. ---