# UPI payments for restaurants: QR codes, links and reconciliation

> How restaurants can accept UPI, why a UPI QR is not proof of payment, and how to keep clean records at the end of the day.

## How UPI works for a restaurant

When a guest pays by UPI, the money moves from their bank account to the UPI ID you gave, usually within seconds. The guest sees a success screen; you see a credit in your bank or UPI app.

## QR code, link or "open UPI app"?

- **A QR code** is easiest at a counter, where the guest scans it from another phone.
- **A link or "open UPI app" button** is easiest on the guest's own phone, because it opens their UPI app with the amount filled in.

## A UPI QR is not proof of payment

The QR or link only starts a payment. Nothing in it proves the payment went through. The reliable ways to know are:

1. Check your bank or UPI app for the credit and match the amount.
2. Use a payment provider that confirms the payment to your system automatically.

Ask guests for the UPI transaction ID so matching is quick, and never complete an order on a screenshot alone.

## Keeping clean records

- Record every payment with its method (UPI, cash, card) and how it was confirmed.
- Keep an append-only ledger so a payment cannot be quietly edited later.
- Total the day by method and compare it with your bank and cash drawer.

## Where DineMate fits

DineMate sends UPI payments straight to your own UPI ID and does not hold your money. It records every payment in a ledger that cannot be rewritten, notes whether it was verified manually or by a provider, and will not let an order be completed until its payment is verified or collected.