Clover Scan to Order is Clover’s built-in QR code ordering feature, so if you run your restaurant on Clover you already have access to it. So why do some Clover merchants choose Ogent for QR ordering instead? And when is Clover Scan to Order the right choice?
We believe the fairest way to answer that is to show you both sides. Here is where Ogent genuinely does more — and where Clover is honestly the better fit. If you are new to QR ordering, our complete guide to setting up QR code ordering is a good place to start.
Where Ogent has the advantage over Clover Scan to Order
1. Different menus and pricing for different ordering channels
Clover runs on a single menu that syncs across the POS, the online ordering page, and QR ordering. That sync is convenient, but it means every ordering channel shows essentially the same menu. Per Clover’s public documentation, their standard setup does not support running separate menus per channel.
Ogent is built around multi-portal menus. You can offer one menu (and one set of prices) to on-site guests and a different one to online customers. Simple, everyday use cases become possible:
- Show alcoholic beverages only to guests ordering on-site, not on your public online menu
- Run online-only specials to drive pickup and delivery volume
- Price dine-in and off-premise items differently
2. More ways to fulfill an order
Clover Scan to Order supports table service and a standard counter/pickup flow. Ogent supports every format a modern venue actually uses:
- Pickup at counter
- Delivery to the table
- Chargeable delivery to on-site locations — room service, poolside service, delivery to a lane, bay, or seat
If your venue is a resort, bowling alley, golf course, brewery, food hall, or event space, this is the difference between a QR menu and a genuine ordering system built for how your guests sit, play, and move.
3. Built-in text notifications on order status
Ogent automatically texts your guests as their order status updates — no extra apps, no additional hardware, no setup. Some of our customers tell us this feature alone is why they use Ogent.
On Clover, order-ready text notifications are typically achieved through third-party apps from the Clover App Market or through Clover’s separate venue product, rather than as a built-in part of standard online or QR ordering.
Where Clover Scan to Order has the advantage
A fair comparison cuts both ways. Here is where Clover is genuinely stronger, and why.
1. Payments and reporting live natively inside Clover
Because Clover Scan to Order runs on Clover’s own payment and reporting stack, every QR order flows into the same dashboard, batch, and reconciliation as your in-person sales. There is no third-party payment integration to configure and no separate report to cross-check — settlement, tips, and sales data all live in one place. If keeping every ordering channel inside a single, unified reporting system matters to you, Clover’s native setup is genuinely convenient.
2. Open tabs and staff-modified orders
Clover Scan to Order with Running Tabs lets guests order multiple rounds and pay once at the end of the meal, and staff can add items to an open order. Ogent does not support open tabs — every Ogent order is placed and paid in one step.
This is a deliberate design choice: pay-per-order means no walkouts, immediate settlement, and a flow that works in counter-service and open-seating venues. But for a fine-dining restaurant where servers manage the order throughout the meal, Clover’s approach fits better, and we think you should know that.
3. Clover Dining table assignment
Ogent does not currently integrate with the Clover Dining app, so orders placed through Ogent cannot be assigned to tables configured in Clover Dining. If your floor management runs on Clover Dining, that is a real limitation to weigh.
So which one is right for you?
Choose Ogent if your venue has open seating, counter service, or on-site locations to deliver to, and you do not have service staff taking orders at the table. Breweries, food halls, resorts, bowling alleys, golf courses, stadiums, cafes, and fast-casual restaurants get flexibility from Ogent that a single-menu, table-oriented system cannot match — and it works alongside the Clover POS you may already own.
Choose Clover Scan to Order if you run a fine-dining or full-service restaurant where servers manage tabs, course the meal, and add to open orders. Clover’s built-in feature is designed for exactly that.
We would rather you pick the right tool than just pick us. If your venue sounds like the first group, we would love to show you Ogent in action.