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• March 17, 2026
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Payments, Tax & Reports — Complete Setup Guide

Payments, Tax & Reports — Your Complete Setup Guide

Before your restaurant can take its first online order you need two things configured: a payment method and at least one tax rate. This guide walks you through both, then shows you how to read your reports.

Payment Gateways

Culina supports multiple payment gateways. You can enable as many as you like and customers choose at checkout.

Online Gateways

• Stripe — Enter your Publishable Key and Secret Key from your Stripe dashboard. Supports cards worldwide and Apple/Google Pay.
• PayPal — Add your PayPal Client ID. Works with any PayPal account or credit card.
• Additional gateways (Razorpay, Paystack, etc.) may be available depending on your plan.

Offline / Cash Payments

Go to Payment Settings → Offline Gateways and enable "Cash on Delivery" or create a custom method such as "Pay at Counter". Customers select it at checkout and pay in person. This is the fastest way to start accepting orders with zero gateway setup.

Testing Your Gateway

Most gateways have a test/sandbox mode. Use it with a test card number before going live. Stripe test card: 4242 4242 4242 4242, any future expiry, any CVC.

Tax Rates

Tax in Culina is flexible — you can have multiple named rates and assign different rates to different menu categories.

Setting Up a Tax Rate

1. Go to Settings → Tax Rates in the sidebar.
2. Click Add Tax Rate.
3. Enter a name (e.g. "GST"), the percentage rate (e.g. 10) and choose the type.
4. Save. The rate is now available to assign to categories.

Exclusive vs Inclusive Tax

This is the most important tax setting to get right.

• Exclusive (Tax Added On Top) — The price shown on the menu does not include tax. Tax is calculated and added at checkout. Formula: tax = price × rate ÷ 100. Example: $10.00 item + 10% GST = $11.00 at checkout.
• Inclusive (Tax Included in Price) — The price shown already includes tax. The system extracts the tax portion for reporting. Formula: tax = price × rate ÷ (100 + rate). Example: $11.00 item with 10% GST included = $1.00 tax, $10.00 net.

Most Australian and UK restaurants use Inclusive. Most US restaurants use Exclusive. When in doubt, check with your accountant.

Applying a Tax to Categories

After creating a rate, go back to Tax Rates and click Apply to All Categories next to the rate you want as your default. This sets that rate on every product category in one click. You can also edit individual categories under Menu → Categories to assign different rates.

Reports

Once orders are flowing, Culina gives you clear financial reports.

Sales Report

Go to Reports → Sales Report. Select a date range and click Generate Report. The PDF includes:

• Orders — Total number of completed orders in the period.
• Subtotal — Revenue before tax (for exclusive tax) or total including embedded tax (for inclusive).
• Tax Collected — The tax portion extracted from all orders.
• Discounts — Total coupon/discount value applied.
• Shipping — Delivery charges collected.
• Grand Total — Everything combined. This is your cash-in-hand figure.

Each order line shows its own subtotal, tax, discount and total so you can audit any transaction.

POS Report

Go to Reports → POS Report for a breakdown of orders placed through the Point of Sale terminal. Useful for end-of-shift reconciliation.

Downloading Reports

All reports export as a nicely formatted PDF. Keep a monthly copy for your accountant — they will love you for it.

Common Questions

What if I have multiple tax rates?

Create each rate separately (e.g. 10% GST and 5% Service Charge), assign them to different categories, and Culina will calculate and display each rate's contribution separately in the cart and on the report.

Can I change the tax type after I have orders?

Yes, but be aware that historical orders retain the tax that was calculated at the time. Only future orders use the new setting.

Do I need a payment gateway for table QR menus?

Yes — even for dine-in QR ordering, a payment method must be configured. Use the offline "Cash" option if you collect payment in person.

Questions? Reach out to Culina support or check the other guides in this blog.