One of them is the shift of ordering food to more online and less of dining in.

Until a vaccine is found, the sight of snaking long queues and packed restaurants likely won't be back anytime soon.

But food has always been at the hearts of all of us. In fact, some may even consider it a Singaporean hobby. We talk about our lunch during breakfast and our dinner during our lunch. It is our way of life and we will find ways to satisfy our cravings.

Deliveroo Singapore found out that “69% of consumers in Singapore order from food delivery apps at least once a month”. Additionally, 47% of users in their 30s are more likely to order at least thrice a month.

This is a trend that will continue to rise post-pandemic and here are some ways you can prep your restaurant with an online delivery system.

Available Online Platforms For Your Business

Online food delivery platforms such as GrabFood, Deliveroo and foodpanda are the 3 of the most popular options today. However their steep commissions may hurt your margin and make losses for some of the operators instead.

Those wanting more control over their costs can choose to host their own eCommerce or online ordering site. Here are some platforms that can help your restaurant be present online:

Aigens

Also a platform used by many major brands across the island, namely Burger King and Genki Sushi, Aigens can credit its success to its simplicity in use and premium features. From supporting major e-payment platforms to even allowing customers to order ahead, the features that Aigens offer can definitely bolster your business.

What we like about it:

- Customer relationship management (CRM) tools included

- Supports all major e-payment platforms

- Supports food delivery

Butleric

Amongst the Top 5 brands at the Alibaba@create organised by Alibaba Cloud, this Singaporean company aims to “serve businesses with various needs and give consumers the experience they have been longing for.” They also integrate with the F&B procurement platform, Zeemart, which means you’ll have a clear view of your inventory levels, updated in real-time as orders flow in.

What we like about it:

- A.I. tailored product recommendations for customers

- Availability of marketing strategies

- Access to experts’ opinion and tips on ecommerce

DinePlan

If you’re looking for a platform that allows you to have it integrated within one business day and works both online and offline, we recommend you use DinePlan. While they are free, they also do have a selection of premium features that you can use to expand your business’ productivity at affordable prices.

What we like about it:

- Offline access

- Virtually no occurring maintenance or downtime

- Facebook-based ordering app included

Foodzaps

Locally-founded POS systems company Foodzaps boasts a Gold award for the Best Innovative Infocomm Product (Digital Service) from the Singapore Information Technology Federation (SITF). The Android POS app comes with a starter package for free, but also offers other extravagant packages at unbelievably affordable prices.

What we like about it:

- They offer an internet menu when you opt for the ‘Full Course’ package

- They release regular updates for their software

- SMS ordering that’ll allow customers to order directly from their phones

GooglePay

Targeting food merchants in coffee shops and hawker centres, GooglePay Menu Discovery is a feature developed exclusively for the Singaporean GooglePay market. They created this in hopes of making the discovery of local eateries easy while helping them minimise their business disruptions.

What we like about it:

- Menu upload is free

- Does not require full integration with Google to use, just a registration via their form

- Exclusive to the Singapore’s market for now

- No commission costs- Simple signup

NinjaOS

With their mission to bridge the gap between consumers who are predominantly online and brick-and-mortar F&B businesses, NinjaOS allows you to accept delivery, takeaway, dine in, catering and make reservations.

What we like about it:

- 200 menu items capacity

- Lalamove delivery integrated within the platform

- Integration for Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool

- SME GoDigital Pre-Approved, which allows for an 80% claim for the qualifying costs

Oddle

An all-in-one solution that has all the essentials is harder to come by. Hence, Oddle’s online ordering system that includes a frontend menu, backend store with menu customization and sales reports is a lifesaver. According to client reviews of the Oddle online ordering system, a key life-saving feature is the funneling of all orders onto the online ordering system which then autoroutes orders to designated stores.

What we like about it:

- You’re able to request for delivery drivers

- Multiple payment options for customers (even including cash on delivery)

- Pre-designed menu layout

- Menu items performance analysis

TL;DR

Here’s a quick comparison of all the options listed above:

Payment Options

Sure, allowing for online revenue traffic for your business may be a good thing. But what payment options should you offer to your customer?

That’s where we’ll share with you other payment options that you may consider adopting for your business.

Braintree

As a PayPal service, Braintree allows for access to 130+ currencies in more than 40 countries and regions, meaning that chances are, your customer may pay you in whatever card they might be using.

What we like:

- Owned by PayPal

- Credit card portable

eNETS

A product of NETS, the organisation that operates Singapore’s national debit scheme, now has an internet-based payment platform.

What we like:

- Accepts Direct Debit in Singapore and all major credit cards and currencies

- Popular payment option for the local market

GrabPay

An e-wallet founded by homegrown company Grab, this feature of the Grab app allows users to use PayNow to top up their GrabPay wallet. Partnering with e-payment companies such as Ayden and Stripe, it is guaranteed to be a safe way to make transactions.

What we like:

- No onboarding or joining fees

- You can view daily settlement reports via the GrabPay Merchant app

- Best Fraud Prevention Innovation 2016 by Florin Awards Asia

Paynow - UEN

This widely available payment platform or peer-to-peer funds transfer service can be used by the nine participating banks in Singapore – Bank of China, Citibank, DBS/POSB, HSBC, ICBC, Maybank, OCBC, Standard Chartered, and UOB.

What we like:

- Universal with SGQR code

- Government-supported

- Free for a limited time

Stripe

Used by organisation giants such as Grab and Amazon, Stripe’s payment options are built to allow the reach of a global audience with their checkout conversion. They also integrate the latest technologies with their innovative platform.

What we like:

- Accepts majority of cards such as Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, JCB, Diners Club cards and Bitcoin

- Supports mobile wallets such as Apple Pay, Google Pay and AliPay

Conclusion

The platforms that are available for you to host your business and the payment gateways that you may use are aplenty.

While these steps may be intended for use during the circuit breaker period, this doesn’t mean that your e-commerce site has to shut down after the circuit breaker period ends. It might just be the first step of many that will one day turn your business into a multi-million dollar franchise.