Frequently Asked Questions

General FAQ

Restaurant Patrons

For Restaurant Owners

Costs FAQ

What is ChowNow?
ChowNow is a software company that provides mobile, Facebook, and web solutions for online ordering in the restaurant industry. Through utilizing new age technology, ChowNow is able to provide businesses with the ability to increase their traffic and revenue with inexpensive and easy-to-use tools while maintaining the highest standards of service, professionalism, and reliable results.
How does it work?
When you subscribe to ChowNow, our developers will upload your current menu to our system within 24 hours. Within 48 hours, we will deliver to you a tablet device that will receive all orders from our system. You can also use this device to respond to the orders and tell your customers how long until their meals are available for pickup or, in the case of delivery, how long until their orders will be delivered to their selected addresses. You can also opt to receive notifications by fax, email and our proprietary web software. You add our Facebook application to your Facebook page. The application takes less than one minute to install. As soon as it is installed, your customers can click the "Order Now" button on your Facebook page and they can submit orders to you. We will enter an iOS submission to the App Store. This takes approximately 2 weeks to be approved. Upon approval, your branded app can be downloaded from the App Store from any iPhone or iPad. Your customers can download you app onto their devices and order from you.
What cities do you serve?
Because ChowNow operates in a self-service model, restaurants in any U.S. city can receive ChowNow's services.
How much does it cost?
The ChowNow suite of applications is available at a subscription rate of $89/month. There are optional add-on features that are considered premiums and may have additional costs attributed to them if you opt to add them into your system.
How do I pay my monthly bill?
During our signup process you will be asked to complete your company's credit card information. Your card will be charged on a monthly basis as long as you maintain the ChowNow service.
Is there a charge per transaction?
Our credit card processing partner, Citibank/First Data charges 2.75% plus 15 cents per transaction, for processing credit cards. The cost of processing an American Express card is 3.5% plus 15 cents. This is the cost of a "card not present" transaction (a transaction processed when the credit card is not in your store. These are most online transactions.) Compare it to the current cost of running a credit card in your store. The Citibank/First Data charge is a substitution for that charge.
Who is Citibank/First Data?
Citibank/First Data is the largest credit card processor in the United States. This company processes transactions for very small merchants as well as Amazon.com and Walmart.
What is a "Card Not Present" Transaction?
A "card not present" transaction is a transaction processed when the credit card is not in your store. These are most online transactions. Credit companies assign as slightly higher cost to these types of transactions.
How soon will I recieve my money?
When you sign up for a ChowNow account, you will form a relationship with Citibank/First Data. If you have a bank account with Citibank, you may receive your money within 24 - 48 hours. If you have a bank account with a bank other than Citibank, you may receive your money within 48 - 72 hours. Citibank/First Data provides the restaurant with the entire amount of each transaction. Then, one time, at the end of each month, Citibank/First Data ACH swipes the aggregate fees for that month from the restaurant account, as is standard procedure in the merchant credit processing business.
There were items missing from my order and I want the bill to be adjusted.
First, contact the restaurant and discuss the issue with them. Should you like us to get involved we will. Please reply to your order confirmation email (confirmation@chownow.com) letting us know that what items were missing and we will update the order for you.
Why are the prices on your web site are different than the menu in the restaurant?
If you see any price discrepancies on our online menu, let us know! Contact us and include the restaurant name, address, and the spotted error so that we may contact the restaurant and update their online menu.
Does ChowNow cost anything extra?
Not for the consumer! Aside from delivery fees that may be charged by the restaurant, you will not incur any charge beyond the price of your order.
Is your site secure? How will I be sure?
Of course! ChowNow uses all the security standards necessary to keep your information safe from outsiders along with safeguarding all of our own physical data. In addition to that, ChowNow operates with the highest level of PCI compliance through a partnership with First Data/Citibank in order to maintain PCI regulations.
How do I resolve a problem with an advance order?
If you placed an order scheduled in advance, because your order has not yet been sent to the merchant, ChowNow will make available the restaurant's contact information if needed. Not only that, but customers have the option of receiving their delivery at a later time while being sent a reminder at the halfway mark between when the order was placed and its estimated arrival time.
I did not receive an email order confirmation.
You should receive an email order confirmation within 6 minutes of placing your order. If you did not receive your email confirmation, then please first confirm that you are receiving outside email and that your confirmation has not ended up in a spam folder in your email. If the problem persists, then it could be that your email address was input incorrectly. In any case, please contact us by emailing service@ChowNow.com or calling our customer service at (888) 707 - CHOW. You can check the status of your order by clicking on Order History link in the ChowNow task bar in the upper-right of the screen.
I have a confirmation from the restaurant, however they claim to have no record of my order.
If you have an email confirmation, then the restaurant did indeed receive your order. Please contact ChowNow immediately by replying to your order confirmation or by calling our customer service at (888) 707 - CHOW.
Can I save my credit card information to expedite placing orders?
Yes, simply log into the ChowNow site and click on My Account in the upper right of the screen. There you can enter your credit card information and click Save. When placing an order using credit card, then your credit card information will automatically populate at check out. Please note that this information is secure and encrypted.
Can I change my order after I place it?
Maybe. If the restaurant has already started preparing your order, they may not be able to change it. Rule of thumb: the sooner you let us know that you want to change your order, the more likely it is that we can get that order changed. If you end up changing or cancelling your order, please notify ChowNow by responding to your order confirmation email.
Can I have the ChowNow site remember my user name and password?
The website will automatically remember your username, but not your password. For security reasons you will be asked to enter your password each time you enter the site.
How does a pickup order work?
The ordering process is the same as a standard ChowNow delivery order - select your starting address (where you'll be picking the order up from), choose from the restaurants available for pickup, add items to your order from the menu (no need to worry about delivery minimums!), checkout and then go get your food (that means no delivery tip necessary!). Important: You will need to bring your ID when picking up your order.
How do I change my Password?
After logging in, go to My Account, in the upper right of the screen. Enter and confirm your new username and/or password, and click Save.
Who should I call if there is a problem with my order?
The restaurant is the best initial contact for order inquiries. If your order is late or the restaurant made a mistake in fulfilling your order, please contact them directly. The restaurant's phone number is provided with your email confirmation and on the Restaurant page of the website. Of course, ChowNow customer service representatives are always standing by to help. We can have the restaurant adjust the charge on your credit card, resend the missing item, or credit you for a future order. You may contact them through email by replying to your order email confirmation or by calling (888) 707 - CHOW.
How do I change my credit card information?
To change your credit card info, you need to go into My Account and click the delete credit card link, and then enter the new information.
How do I get a new password or user name?
Go to ChowNow.com and enter your email address and click Email Me My Password. Your password will be emailed to you instantly. If you are still have trouble, then please email info@chownow.com or call us at (888) 707 - CHOW.
How can I get my business registered?
If you're interested in signing your company up for ChowNow, please click on our application link to fill out an order form or call us at (888) 707-CHOW
Do you offer ongoing support?
100% - our goal is to help you successfully implement and use an online ordering system through phone or Instant Messaging support
Are there any limits on how many menu items I can have?
No limits on anything.
How do I accommodate large groups who want to order through ChowNow but desire to be billed separately?
Cake. Through ChowNow's application, if customers want to be grouped together in a bill but pay separately, our system allows for the restaurant to group the customers together while also dividing the cost however many ways is desired. In a sense, our system splits the bill for the group while maintaining the tidiness of a singular charge for the restaurant to assess.
How can I update my menu?
Please fax menu changes to (310) 382-2097 or email to support@chownow.com. All menu updates will be administered in the order that they are received. Please allow up to 48 hours for any menu changes to be made. For minor menu changes or to confirm that we received your changes or to request a change, you can email ChowNow, send an instant message, or call us at (888) 707-CHOW. Restaurant admins may also make changes to menu items anytime within the ChowNow Dashboard. These changes appear on the customer ordering apps in real-time.
Do you offer support for multiple locations?
Yup, it's not a problem whether you have 1 or several locations, ChowNow's system can support all of your locations.
I want my customers to pay online, is this possible?
Yes, ChowNow only allows customers to pay online. The benefits of this include an improved efficiency not only for restaurants, but also for customers as well.
What if my monthly bill is incorrect?
If you feel your bill is incorrect, you may send an instant message, email, or call our customer service at (888) 707-CHOW.
How can I market my website and online ordering system?
One of the first steps you can do is to advertise within your current marketing i.e. include a short statement of your new online ordering on menus, signs in-store, business cards, along with any other marketing materials you have. Along with that, we recommend you to train your staff to become familiar with our online ordering system in order to market it to customers. Furthermore, we can provide a marketing package that includes advertising tools such as table tents and window stickers. ChowNow also offers advanced features for $19 a month.
What do you recommend to prevent fake orders?
All of our orders require a prepaid payment method. This eliminates the opportunity for an individual to produce a "fake order" as well as guarantees that all orders that come through to a restaurant have been paid for in advance.
Do I need a computer or an Internet connection at my restaurant?
ChowNow provides restaurant clients a tablet powered by Sprint that is complete with a data plan. A power source is the only thing required. The tablet rings and blinks upon the arrival of a customer order. Therefore, a separate computer as well as an Internet connection is not required.
How can I temporarily turn off online ordering?
You can do this simply from the tablet provided to you by ChowNow. Not only that, but any changes made on the tablet directly correlate with our website as well as all Iphones, Ipads, Android, and Facebook applications.
Can your ordering system match my website's colors?
ChowNow provides primary themes designed to roughly capture a restaurant's branding.
How can I pay my bill?
ChowNow sends a monthly bill through Chargify.com which has an automatic recurring charge. All that is needed by the restaurant is a credit card number to be input.
I don't have a website, what should I do?
We recommend purchasing a domain in order to increase the marketing power of your restaurant. If you would not like to, ChowNow also offers to set up a Facebook page for your restaurant, free of charge as well as complete with ChowNow's online ordering services.
I already have a website, how do I add online ordering to it?
if you already have a website, connect us with your web designer and we can input an "Order Online" link to your existing site.
How do I change my Password?
After logging in, go to My Account, in the upper right of the screen. Enter and confirm your new username and/or password, and click Save.
What does joining ChowNow cost?
ChowNow charges restaurant clients $89/month plus $199 one-time setup fee. Advanced features are an additional $19/month. First Data/Citibank also charges a 2.75% rate with 15 cents per transaction to the restaurant. There is no double charge and a restaurant may already be paying that amount for credit card use by customers.
Is there a minimum order or delivery charge?
ChowNow allows each restaurant the option to establish their own minimum and/or delivery charge. A customer will not be able to complete their checkout until they have met a restaurant's particular minimum before sales tax and any delivery charge is added.