Flux gives catering companies fast card payments, hosted fields for online orders and deposits, and settlement that keeps cash moving instead of stuck for a week.
Why catering companies choose Flux
Fast settlement
Card payments settle in one to two business days so you can cover payroll and inventory.
Online orders and deposits
Take deposits and online orders through hosted fields that keep card data off your systems.
Volume pricing
High-volume catering companies can move to custom pricing as monthly volume grows.
How catering companies get paid
Catering Companies lead with cards for speed at the point of sale, add hosted online payments for orders and event deposits, and settle quickly through Flux.
A typical Flux setup for catering companies
Catering money moves in stages: a deposit when the date is secured, sometimes a progress payment when the menu locks, and a balance due before service, adjusted for final headcount. Each stage is an invoice payable by card or ACH. Social clients usually pay by card; corporate clients and planners tend to pay large invoices by ACH from accounts payable, which settles in 1-3 business days and suits five-figure totals.
The calendar is lumpy: wedding season stacks spring through fall, corporate work spikes in December, and January is quiet. With no monthly fees on qualifying card volume, minimums, or contracts, the quiet months cost nothing. Deposits arriving months apart from balances reconcile cleanly because every invoice syncs to QuickBooks against the event, and caterers running consistent volume can move from the flat 2.9% plus 30 cents to custom interchange-plus pricing.
What catering companies should watch
Cancellations are the defining risk because everything is booked far ahead and paid card-not-present. A deposit charged in March for a September wedding can be disputed after the relationship sours, and the card networks will ask for your paperwork. Put the cancellation schedule on every invoice, get the agreement signed before the deposit is charged, and keep menus, emails, and tasting notes attached to the event file.
Final headcounts move, so invoice the balance only after the guarantee is confirmed rather than issuing credits afterward; refunds on large card payments are slower to explain than a corrected invoice. Steer genuinely large balances toward ACH, and if you pass the card fee through to clients where surcharging rules allow, disclose it on the proposal, not just the receipt. Tips for staff belong on the final invoice as a line item, agreed in advance.
Simple, transparent pricing
Flux charges a flat 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction, with volume discounts for higher-volume catering companies and the option to pass the fee to the customer at checkout where local surcharging rules allow. No setup fees and no contracts. Accounts processing under $100,000 a year in card volume may be subject to a $20 monthly account fee.
Frequently asked questions
How do catering companies accept payments with Flux?
Catering Companies accept credit and debit cards, ACH bank transfers, and stablecoins through one Flux integration, with drop-in hosted fields that keep card data off your own systems.
What does Flux charge catering companies?
A flat 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction, with volume discounts for higher-volume merchants and no setup fees or contracts. Accounts processing under $100,000 a year in card volume may be subject to a $20 monthly account fee. You can also pass the processing fee to the customer at checkout where local surcharging rules allow.
How fast do catering companies get their money?
Card payments settle in one to two business days and ACH in one to three business days. Stablecoin payments go to your wallet instantly.
Can one event be billed as a deposit now and a balance later?
Yes, each stage is its own invoice against the same event: deposit at booking, an optional progress payment, and the balance once the final headcount is guaranteed. Clients can pay any stage by card or ACH, and QuickBooks keeps them tied together.
Should we push large invoices to ACH or card?
Corporate clients usually prefer ACH because it fits accounts payable and settles in 1-3 business days. Social clients often want a card. Both run through the same account; on five-figure balances, many caterers offer ACH first and keep card as the convenient option.
A client cancelled and is disputing the deposit. What decides that?
The paperwork: a cancellation schedule printed on the invoice, an agreement signed before the deposit was charged, and the email trail showing the planning work delivered. Disputes on event deposits are won on documents, not on who is right in spirit.
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