Billing Software for Catering owners

Catering Billing Software

Catering invoicing handles deposits + headcount-adjusted finals + corporate net-30 + dietary upgrade billing. Each event has its own billing rhythm based on client type + payment terms.

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7 days free · No credit card · Built in Florida

Smarfle CRM. Catering Recurring Billing
Next 30 days

$8,420

Active subscriptions

47

Upcoming auto-charges

Acme Office Park

Monthly maintenance

$485

in 3 days

Riverside Apartments

Quarterly service

$1,200

in 12 days

Downtown Plaza

Monthly recurring

$320

in 18 days

West End Hotel

Bi-weekly contract

$680

in 5 days
Auto-charge enabled · Stripe Connect0.5% platform fee

Real Smarfle UI · Live data from your catering CRM

Why generic billing software fails catering owners

Generic billing tools weren’t built for catering. Smarfle was.

Generic billing software

What everyone else gives you

  • Recurring billing requires Stripe + Zapier + a spreadsheet
  • No way to save customer cards for future auto-charge
  • Failed payments don’t auto-retry or notify the customer
  • ACH for big invoices means logging into 3 different tools

Smarfle for Catering

Built for your actual workflow

  • Headcount changes between deposit + final aren't billed correctly
  • Corporate clients pay net-30 + AR aging is invisible
  • Dietary upgrade billing not tracked separately
  • Built specifically for catering businesses
Step-by-step

How catering billing works in Smarfle

From the first touch to the closed loop. No missing pieces.

  1. 1

    Customer signs up for recurring service

    Via portal subscribe button or office-generated first invoice. Card saves to Stripe Customer.

  2. 2

    Auto-charge runs on schedule

    Daily cron processes recurring invoices, charges saved cards off-session. catering owner sleeps; revenue lands.

  3. 3

    Failed cards trigger retries + emails

    Stripe auto-retries 3-4 times. If all fail, customer gets an email link to update their card. No manual chase.

  4. 4

    Customer gets receipt + invoice instantly

    Each successful charge fires a receipt email + creates a Paid invoice in Smarfle. Aging report stays clean.

  5. 5

    Owner sees monthly recurring revenue

    Subscription dashboard shows what's coming next 30 days. Cashflow forecasting actually possible.

Where catering billing breaks down

The friction every catering owner recognizes.

✕

Headcount changes between deposit + final aren't billed correctly

Event quoted at 80 guests = $4,400 (10% deposit = $440). Final headcount 95. Without auto-recalculation, you miss the additional $825 + the increased deposit.

✕

Corporate clients pay net-30 + AR aging is invisible

Corporate clients pay 30+ days after the event. Without AR aging visibility, you don't know who's overdue until you're chasing.

✕

Dietary upgrade billing not tracked separately

Wedding contracted 'plated chicken or beef'. Bride adds 'vegetarian option +$8/head' for 15 guests. Without dietary upgrade tracking, the $120 doesn't make it to the final invoice.

The math for catering owners

Cut AR by 80% on recurring revenue

Auto-charge saved cards for recurring service contracts. Failed payments auto-retry + email customer. The chasing-payments task disappears.

<24h

AR cycle (recurring)

70%+

Failed payments recovered

5-8h/wk

Hours saved chasing

Based on typical catering operations. Your numbers may vary.

Features powering catering billing

Each one a deep-dive in its own right.

Recurring billing on auto-pilot

Set up monthly, quarterly, or annual service plans. Customer signs up once, Smarfle bills the same card every cycle, no manual invoicing required.

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Save card on file

Stripe Customer + saved payment method per client. After their first payment, future charges run off-session. No link to click, no card to re-enter.

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Auto-charge saved cards

Daily cron auto-charges saved cards for recurring invoices. Owner gets confirmation email when payment lands; client gets a receipt. Failed cards trigger an email asking the client to update.

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Stripe Connect (your account, not ours)

Money goes straight to your bank via Stripe Connect Express. We charge 0.5% platform fee on top of Stripe's 2.9% + 30¢. ACH for invoices over $1k drops to 0.8% (cap $5).

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Catering Billing Software CRM questions

Final headcount confirmed week of event. Invoice auto-recalculates with new per-head + equipment + staff. Final invoice sent for review + payment.
Yes. AR aging dashboard shows every corporate invoice with payment status (current, 0-30, 30-60, 60+). Trigger reminder emails automatically.
Dietary upgrades log as separate line items (e.g. '+$8/head vegetarian × 15 guests'). They roll into the final invoice automatically + visible to the client.

Try Catering Billing Software free

7 days to test the full platform with your real catering workflow. No credit card.

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