TIMERS:
BILL BY THE MINUTE,
AUTOMATICALLY
Timers are Union's built-in solution for anything billed by the clock: pool tables, karaoke rooms, pickleball courts, private bays, game consoles, etc. Add a timer as an item, start it at check-in, and Union tracks the time and calculates the charge automatically. No stopwatch. No manual entry.
Watch this quick walkthrough to see how Open and Set timers run on the POS, from starting the clock to the charge landing on the check automatically.
Watch in Wistia →Pick the timer that matches how you bill.
Open Timer
- Counts up, staff end it manually
- Best for pool tables, walk-up karaoke, open-ended bays
- Rounds to the nearest 1, 5, 10, 15, 30, or 60 minutes, your choice
Set Timer
- Counts down, ends itself automatically
- Best for fixed blocks, like a 30 minute room or a 15 minute bay
- Charge is locked in up front, no partial credit
Grace Period
Either type can include a few free minutes before billing starts, for the guest settling in. Optional, and skipped by default.
- → Add it to a check like any other item, then tap Start Timer.
- → Live on the table layout and check tiles, so staff see what's running at a glance.
- → A Set Timer turns orange, then red, as time runs low.
- → The Timers screen lists every timer venue wide, filterable by employee or status.
- → Ending a timer locks in the charge automatically.
Guests see it too.
A running timer right on their tab, so there's never a surprise at close-out.
- → The same clock your staff see, right on the guest's tab in Union Mobile.
- → Guests can't close out from their phone mid-session. Union Mobile sends them to a server to end the timer first.
- → The timer line reads the same on the check, Pay-at-Table, and the receipt.
My employee from last night just came to me to tell me the new timer was awesome. She loved how at the end of the night just closing the tab ended the timer as well, so that was not an extra step she needed to take. She really enjoyed that!
Go to Item Management
Open Item Management, then Add New and select Timer as the item type.
Name it and choose Open or Set
Give it a display name and a Sales Subcategory, then pick a Timer Type. This choice is permanent, so match it to how the activity is actually billed.
Set your rate, billing unit, and rounding
Rate: the dollar amount charged per minute (Open) or per session (Set).
Billing unit: fixed at 1 minute for Open Timers, or a dropdown for Set Timers.
Proration: Open Timers only, choose how the final charge rounds.
Add a grace period
Optional. Gives guests 1 to 10 free minutes before billing starts, so there's no charge for the time it takes to settle in.
Skip this if the activity should start billing the moment the timer is started.
Check the Charge summary, then publish
Confirm the plain English Charge preview matches what you intend to bill, then select Save and Publish to the POS.
Staff see the new item, and the Timers screen, right away. Nothing else to configure.
Questions venues ask about Timers.
Setup & Pricing
What's the difference between an Open Timer and a Set Timer?
An Open Timer counts up and runs until staff end it, so it fits open-ended play like pool tables. A Set Timer counts down from a fixed duration and ends itself, so it fits booked blocks like karaoke rooms. You choose the type when you create the item, and it can't be changed later.
How is an Open Timer charged?
You set a per-minute rate and choose how time rounds: to the nearest 1, 5, 10, 15, 30, or 60 minutes. Nearest minute is the default. For example, at $0.10 a minute, a 40 minute game comes to $4.00.
Do happy hour and other pricing events apply to timers?
Yes. Pricing events adjust the timer's rate, and the rate locks in the moment the timer starts. A session that starts during happy hour keeps the happy hour rate for the whole session, even if it runs past the window. A session that starts before the window doesn't pick up the discount.
How do timers show up in reporting?
Timer items report like any other item, with a quantity of 1 per session. Total minutes live in the Inventory Depletion report. Open Timer revenue is counted when the timer ends, so a session that's still running won't show in Net Sales yet. Tip: give your timer items their own sales subcategory so time-based revenue is easy to track.
During Service
A guest wants more time on a Set Timer. What do I do?
Add another Set Timer item to the check. A running Set Timer can't be extended, so each block of time is its own item.
What happens if a timer ends during the grace period?
There's no charge. Ending a timer before the grace period is over bills $0.00, even for a Set Timer that shows its full price as a preview.
A timer was started or ended late. Can staff fix it?
For Open Timers, yes. Long-press the timer on the check, tap View Timer, then edit the start or end time, and the charge recalculates. Staff need the Edit Timers permission, or a manager can approve with their PIN. Set Timers can't be edited, so use a void, comp, or discount instead.
Can I void, comp, or discount a timer?
Yes. An Open Timer needs to be ended first, since its final charge isn't known until then. A Set Timer can be adjusted while it's still running.
Do timers keep running if the internet drops?
Yes. Timers run on the device's clock, so going offline doesn't affect them. Checks and activity sync once you're back online.
Closing Out
What happens when staff close a check with a timer running?
For an Open Timer, staff get a prompt to end the timer and close the check in one step. For a Set Timer, they can end it and take payment, or close the check and let the timer keep running, which works well when a guest pays up front.
Can guests close their own tab in Union Mobile while a timer is running?
No. Union Mobile lets them know a timer is still running and asks them to see a server, so every session is ended and billed by your staff.
What if an Open Timer is still running at end of day?
It stays open. End of Day leaves that check open, and the timer carries into the next day until someone ends it. Set Timers and ended timers clear automatically.
The Timers screen is available on iPad POS. Timer items can't have modifier groups.
Ready to turn it on?
Head to Item Management in your Manager Portal to set up your first timer.
Go to Item Management →