Organize tickets by category

[tywebb04]

This is the most mind boggling omission from Square. They've been around long enough now to have this very simple basic feature available. It's almost unbelievable it hasn't; been done. I read posts about this from 2020!! still nothing... It is really simple. Square has categories for items. All we need is them to be grouped that way when you create a ticket. We need a ticket to print by category order. So, NOT multiple tickets printed. NOT different stations or coursing...those are actually HARDER to achieve than the simple functionality that still doesn't exist. I want to print one ticket, and all the drinks are together, then all the round sandwiches, then all the deserts etc. NOT just like items, just print items belonging to the same category together on the ticket. It's really amazing that it just doesn't do that by default as it makes so much sense and they already have the categories functionality built into the system! Please explain why it's 6 years since others opened this very request and it hasn't moved??

[pieous]

I’ve been asking for this for years. Imagine how helpful it would be to anyone who picks items from an order or makes items to order. Mind boggling that you can’t do this. 

[MAXSDELI]

YES! THIS!

I just happen to see this post pop up in my email and this is exactly something we need! Just today we received a $450 order, the ticket was at least 4 feet long and the salads were mixed in with the sandwiches, sides, drinks, etc. 

A printed ticket by category would organize orders intelligently, by category, making it much easier to delegate in the kitchen, prep stations. 

@kpay1 as I no longer know who to tag

[dimo10]

I think i have asked for this in the past, never got beyond "why would this be helpful?" from Square and that was the last i heard about it.

[tywebb04]

I found a post about this from 2020! Seriously, all the other stuff they have added since then and this would be so easy to do, I'm still honestly surprised it wasn't part of their first version of the POS system. It doesn't seem like they are even thinking about adding it or have attempted it....It's almost annoying enough to start exploring alternatives.

[MAXSDELI]

 

I just found out how to organize order tickets by Category in the Printer Settings however, I can’t seem to figure out how to rearrange the categories to print in the order we want them to. 

In addition, the above tickets were printed from different devices and look completely different. The one on the left was printed from our Register (gen 1) and the one on the right, from an iPad Pro. The one on the right prints the GUI number instead of the Category name, not sure why this is happening?

@whomever-reads-these @kpay1 

[Dcollins]

I've been following this thread for a while because the "tickets print in the order items were rung in, not by category" problem is one I've heard from a lot of kitchens, and I think there's a real way to solve it — but I want to be upfront about the tradeoff before anyone gets excited, and honestly get a read on whether it's a tradeoff you'd actually accept.

Here's the constraint: Square doesn't let third-party apps reformat or reorder its native printed ticket. There's no hook for that. So the only way to get a ticket that's grouped the way the kitchen actually works — Apps first, then Salads, then Mains, then Desserts, modifiers tucked under each item — is to take the order data from Square and print it from a printer that the solution controls directly, rather than from Square's built-in ticket printer.

In practice that means: Square stays exactly as-is for taking orders, payments, and printing customer receipts. Nothing changes there. But the kitchen ticket would come out of a separate (or reconfigured) printer that pulls the order, regroups it by category in whatever course order you define, and prints it the way you want. The good news is this can work with no extra computer or software sitting in the back — a cloud-capable kitchen printer (the common Star and Epson models support this) just checks in for print jobs on its own.

Before I go further building this out, the questions I'd genuinely love answers to from the folks in this thread:

1. Would you be open to your kitchen tickets coming from a dedicated printer instead of Square's native ticket printer, as long as Square itself didn't change for your front-of-house and receipts? That's the core tradeoff and I want to know if it's a dealbreaker.
   
   

2. What kitchen/ticket printer(s) are you running today (brand and model if you know it — e.g. Star TSP100, Epson TM-m30)? That tells me whether your existing hardware could just be pointed at this, or whether it'd need a specific model.
   
   

3. What would your ideal ticket categories actually look like? Apps -> Mains -> Desserts? Even more detailed breakdown of categories e.g. Soups -> Salads -> Burgers etc as mentioned in previous replies?
   
   

4. Is this painful enough that you'd switch your kitchen printer setup over it, or is it more of a "nice to have"?

If there's appetite here, I'm happy to keep this group posted as it comes together. Just trying to make sure I'm solving the problem the way you'd actually use it rather than the way it looks good on paper.

[ChickenRacer]

For me the issue is whilst this is super important, ours would want to be based on Modifier, not Category. Our entrees/starters, are probably 60% approx. come out first, but about 40% with mains. So even though they are categorised as an entree, we have a modifier where we tell kitchen when they are to come out.

If it was modifier based, I would definetely invest in making this happen in both our venues.

[Dcollins]

This is really helpful — and honestly it makes the feature better rather than harder. What you're describing is coursing/fire-timing, and the fact that you already drive it with a modifier ("comes out with mains" vs. "comes out first") is exactly the kind of real-world detail I was hoping someone would raise.

So to answer directly: yes, this can absolutely be modifier-based, not just category-based. The plan would be to let each venue choose what the kitchen ticket groups and sequences by — category, a specific modifier (like your "course"/"timing" modifier), or a combination where the category sets the default order but a modifier can override it. Your 60/40 entrée split is a perfect example: the item stays an entrée, but the modifier decides whether it fires in course one or with the mains, and the printed ticket reflects that.

The order and its modifiers both come through from Square, so building it modifier-aware doesn't really add complexity — it just means the "group by" rule is something you configure rather than something I hardcode.

A few follow-ups so I build it to how you actually run service:

1. How do you have that timing modifier set up today — is it one modifier list with options like "fire now / fire with mains," or separate modifiers per item?

2. On the ticket itself, would you want clear section headers (e.g. FIRST / WITH MAINS) with the items grouped underneath, or more of a flag/marker next to each item?
   
   

3. Do you ever need more than two timing buckets (e.g. a third "dessert/hold" course), or is it essentially first-vs-with-mains?

If you're open to it I'd genuinely value a quick look at how your modifier is structured — that'd let me make sure the very first version handles your setup out of the box.

[ChickenRacer]

We are a pretty basic old school pub, so we don't stick to a gap per se, its up to the Chefs/Cooks, depending upon other meals and timings etc. 

For me perfect world, it would be "Out First" and "With Mains" as header, then grouped by item categories (ie steaks with steaks(and in a perfect perfect world, in reverse order of how cooked ie Well Dones first), schnitzels with schnitcels etc). 

we would need a dessert option for one venue

[Dcollins]

Your "Out First / With Mains, then grouped by category, then Well Dones first" is honestly the clearest spec anyone's given me — that's exactly the multi‑level setup I'm building toward, and the Dessert bucket for the one venue is no problem since the buckets are configurable per site.

You mentioned you'd invest in making this happen across both your venues — I'd genuinely love to take you up on that. I'm putting together a small group of founding venues who get to shape the first version, lock in founder pricing, and have their exact modifier setup built in from day one. Both your venues would be a perfect fit, especially since you've clearly already thought through how your line actually runs.

Could I drop you a private message to walk through the details and grab a look at how your "cooking"/doneness modifier is structured in Square? That'll let me make sure the very first build sorts Well Dones first the way you want, rather than alphabetically.

[pieous]

I think if you could add sort buttons somewhere that you apply a printing order number to. Assign numbers to categories so they print in any order that you want. If I had 10 categories, I would place a 1,2,3, etc next to the category that I want printed first, 2nd, 3rd, etc. it’s not rocket science and square should be able to do it very simply. It would be also be helpful to small distributors who are pick packing and shipping orders. Organize by where the goods are stored in the warehouse. I’ve been wanting this for 10 years - requests always fall on deaf ears 

[MAXSDELI]

So it’s clear that Square can organize Tickets by categories however, we still can’t choose the order in which they print, am I correct? 

@pieous @Dcollins 

Does the numbering system work? Has anyone tried this?

[Dcollins]

I would definitely defer to pieous for his expertise here as I am on a developer side and do not have any first hand usage experience with Squares actual day-to-day functions.

From what I have read and understood in this thread, yes you are correct, you can not choose the order that they print in. 

As far as the numbering system, if anyone has attempted it I would love to hear how their experiences where, what worked and what didn't.

Maybe pieous has tried this?

[Dcollins]

@ChickenRacer @pieous this is exactly the kind of detail that makes or breaks the feature — thank you both.

So as I understand it, What you're collectively describing is multi-level sorting rather than one fixed rule, and that's very buildable.

I'm picturing this as layers you define yourself:

ChickenRacer, your perfect ticket would be:

• Layer 1 – section headers by timing: OUT FIRST / WITH MAINS (and a third bucket like DESSERT for the venue that needs it — buckets are configurable per venue, so that's no problem).
  
  

• Layer 2 – grouped by category inside each section: steaks with steaks, schnitzels with schnitzels.
  
  

• Layer 3 – sorted within a category: by another modifier, so Well Dones print first. Totally doable since the doneness comes through as a modifier on the item.

pieous, that's the same engine seen from the config side — you'd assign a priority number to each category (1, 2, 3…) and tickets print in that order. Add or reorder the numbers and the output reorders instantly, no code, no waiting on anyone's roadmap. And you're right that it generalizes beyond kitchens — sequencing a pick list by where stock sits in the warehouse is the identical "assign an order, print in that order" idea. (10 years of asking and getting nowhere — I hear you. That's exactly why I'd rather just build it.)

So the shape that handles all of you is: you choose the layers (modifier or category at each level), set the order/priority for each, and the ticket comes out grouped and sorted that way every time.

Two things that'd really help me nail the first version:

1. ChickenRacer – how is the doneness set up in your Square modifiers (one "Cooking" list with Rare/Medium/Well Done options)? If I can see the structure I can make sure the within-category sort orders it correctly rather than alphabetically.
   
   

2. For everyone following: how many timing buckets and how many categories are we realistically talking about at your busiest? I want the ticket to stay readable on a standard kitchen roll, not turn into a wall of headers.

Keep it coming — this is shaping up to be genuinely useful.

[ChickenRacer]

Depending on the meal, we have a fair few Modifiers.

I am not in front of my till, but from memory

Dietary

Have here or Takeaway

Steak Cookedness (not a word) and in order from Very Well Done to Blue

Sides (they get a choice of 1 or 2 of a set of 4 sides)

Extra Sides (for those that want extra)

Sauce/Gravy (some meals come with a free sauce)

Extra Sauce/Gravy

[Dcollins]

Really helpful breakdown, thanks. The "choose 1 or 2 of 4 sides" and the free-sauce-included-but-extra-costs distinction are exactly the cases that trip up a lot of setups — and the steak doneness needing to display in a real order (Blue → Very Well Done) rather than alphabetically.

The way I think about organizing tickets by category is to treat each of those as its own modifier group with its own selection rules, then let the kitchen view group by those categories so the line sees doneness and sides clearly. How are you finding your current till handles the "1 or 2 of 4" limit — does it enforce the max, or is it on staff to catch it?

[MAXSDELI]

I tried numbering the CATEGORIES and running a test order, didn’t work. 

Any updates on this @tranguyen 

[MAXSDELI]

In regard to organizing Categories, it occurred to me that the categories were printing in alphabetical order so, after trying the numerical idea (didn’t work) it occurred to me to alphabetize the categories. It appears to working as seen here. 

I’m not certain if this helps any of you but it is making a difference for us (still testing). 

It’s also possible that you guys already know this or figured it out for yourself, either way, I thought I’d share for anyone who may benefit. 

@Dcollins @pieous @tywebb04 @ChickenRacer @dimo10 @tranguyen 

 

[MAXSDELI]

 

NOTE: the previous post shows Tickets that are printed from our Square Registers (gen 1).

I get a different result when using my iPad Pros, some categories still out of order but I’m fairly certain it’s a setting issue or a printer setting that I’m overlooking. Here’s an example of an online order we received (printed from an iPad Pro) and as you can see, it prints the Categories out of order, despite the alphabetical delineation. 

 @tranguyen is anyone at square monitoring these posts? With the utmost respect, I used to enjoy a lot more interaction with Square, this no longer seems to be the case…

[tranguyen]

Hey @MAXSDELI and everyone, sorry I missed the notification on this!

Our team is much smaller but we are still actively monitoring the Community.

From looking into this, it appears that is a bug affecting order ticket printout at the moment. The screenshot you shared is really helpful but to make sure the team can investigate this properly, I just want to check a few things:

• Do you have a screenshot of the printer profile settings? It'd be great to see how it the Sorting Items section is currently configured
• Is the iPad running the latest iOS and also the latest Square POS app as well? 

For this particular issue, I know there was some work on this