In short
When choosing a QR menu service, check 12 criteria: Kazakh, Russian and English for every item, no app required, update speed, photos and options, table ordering, commission-free delivery, a venue mini-site, analytics, POS integrations, hosting in Kazakhstan, open pricing and menu migration. A red flag is pricing “on request” only.
Choose a QR menu for a restaurant or cafe by 12 criteria: languages, app installation, update speed, photos and options, table ordering, delivery, a mini-site, analytics, integrations, hosting and reliability, the payment model and menu migration. A good QR menu in Kazakhstan covers all twelve, not just “show a PDF via a QR code”. Below is what to check for each point, a comparison table and the questions to ask a vendor before paying.
1. Languages: Kazakh, Russian, English on every item
Article 21 of the Law “On Languages” requires a menu in Kazakh, in the same font size and with an authentic translation (full explainer). Check that every item has separate fields in three languages rather than an “interface language switch” over single-language dishes. On User-QR the dish name, description and options each have three fields and the guest switches the language with one tap.
2. No app to install
Guests will not download an app for a menu. The menu must open in the browser right after scanning, on iPhone and Android, without registration. A useful bonus: adding the menu to the home screen as an icon - for regulars and delivery.
3. Update speed
Ask how long it takes from a price edit to the guest seeing it, and who makes the edits - you or the vendor's manager. If updates go “through a request”, the menu will go stale. The stop-list must switch with one toggle from a phone.
4. Photos, descriptions, options
Photos and ingredients drive the guest's choice. Options matter just as much: portion size, milk type, doneness, sauces. Without option groups the guest writes wishes as text and the waiter asks again. Also check nutrition fields and portion weight - guests ask about them more and more.
5. Table ordering
Distinguish “show the menu” from “take the order”. Self-ordering means the guest picks dishes with options and sends the order, and staff see it in real time with the table number, accept it, mark it served and close it. Ask whether self-ordering can be enabled for only some tables.
6. Delivery and takeaway
If you run your own delivery, it matters where the order goes and whether the service takes a commission. The model “the order arrives in the venue's WhatsApp, no commission” keeps the guest's contact with you. A separate question is whether the delivery link can go into Instagram and onto packaging.
7. A venue mini-site
One link for social media with the menu, opening hours, map and “Call”, “Order”, “Book” buttons saves you a separate website. Check that such a page exists and is indexed by search engines - an extra source of guests from Google and Yandex.
8. Analytics
The minimum: menu views, popular dishes, peak hours. Demand per item and “often ordered together” recommendations are a plus. Separately ask how Meta Pixel is set up if you advertise on Instagram.
9. Integrations with POS and messengers
If you run Poster or another POS, ask whether the menu syncs and whether the guest can see the table bill. Notifications about orders, bookings and feedback should arrive where you already are: Telegram or WhatsApp.
10. Hosting, speed and reliability
Where data and photos are stored, how fast the menu opens on a mobile network, whether there are backups. Local hosting matters in Kazakhstan: the menu opens faster and data does not leave the country. Open a demo menu on your phone over 3G/4G and time it.
11. Payment model and price transparency
There are three models: subscription, commission per order, and “price on request”. A subscription is predictable, a commission grows with your sales, and “on request” makes comparison impossible. Check for a free period without a card and what happens to your data after the subscription ends. User-QR prices are public: Starter at 15 000 ₸ per 30 days or 150 000 ₸ per year, Pro at 18 000 ₸ per 30 days or 180 000 ₸ per year, 14 days of Pro free (pricing).
12. Menu migration and leaving the service
Ask how to upload an existing menu - from Excel, by link from the previous service - and how to export it back if you decide to leave. A service that does not give your data back locks you in.
Comparison table: criterion → what to look at → how User-QR does it
| Criterion | What to look at | How User-QR does it |
|---|---|---|
| Languages | Three fields per item | kz / ru / en for name, description, options |
| No app | Opens in the browser | Yes, plus a home-screen icon |
| Updates | By you, instantly | Admin from a phone, stop-list with one toggle |
| Options and nutrition | Option groups, portion weight | Yes, groups can be copied between dishes |
| Table ordering | Real time, table number | Self-ordering with status tracking |
| Delivery | Where the order goes, commission | To the venue's WhatsApp, no commission (Pro) |
| Mini-site | Indexable page | Taplink page with booking and map (Pro) |
| Analytics | Views, demand, pixel | Yes; Meta Pixel on Pro |
| Integrations | POS, messengers | Poster POS (menu sync), Telegram, WhatsApp |
| Hosting | Local, backups | Kazakhstan, regular backups |
| Payment | Subscription, trial | 30 days or a year, 14 days of Pro free |
| Migration | Excel, by link, export | Excel and by link; export on request |
Red flags
- Prices only “on request” and after a manager's call.
- The menu is updated via a support request.
- No Kazakh version on items - only an interface translation.
- A commission on every delivery order.
- Data and photos stored outside Kazakhstan without backups.
- No way to export the menu when leaving.
Questions to ask the vendor before paying
- Are there separate Kazakh, Russian and English fields on every item?
- How fast will a guest see a changed price and who makes the edits?
- Does a table order arrive with its number in real time?
- Where does a delivery order go and is there a commission?
- Where is the data stored and how often are backups made?
- What happens to the menu after the paid period ends?
- How do I migrate the menu from Excel or another service and export it back?
Key takeaways
- Judge the full guest journey - languages → menu → order → delivery - not “a QR code with a PDF”.
- The language law makes three fields per item a mandatory criterion, not a bonus.
- A transparent subscription and a free period without a card let you verify everything in practice.
- Local hosting and data export protect you from vendor lock-in.
Want to test the criteria on a live product? Sign up for User-QR: 14 days of the Pro plan free, menu migration by link and WhatsApp support. Venue format matters - see the breakdown for a restaurant, cafe, coffee shop and bar.