Frequently Asked Questions

TableBell is a QR-based guest call system for restaurants and cafés. Guests scan a QR code on their table and tap once to call staff. Staff see live color-coded alerts on a dashboard that updates in real-time. No app download needed — works on any smartphone.

Sign up for free at tablebell.app, add your tables in the dashboard, download the QR codes, print them, and place them on your tables. The whole setup takes about 5 minutes.

No special hardware needed. Any device with a browser works as the staff dashboard — a phone, tablet, or computer. Guests just need a smartphone to scan the QR code.

Yes! The free plan supports up to 3 tables with full real-time alerts, QR code generation, and sound alerts. No credit card required.

A guest scans the QR code on their table with their smartphone camera. A simple page opens showing a "Call Staff" button and quick options like Water, Bill, and Napkins. They tap once — no account, no app download, no friction. The request appears on the staff dashboard instantly.

Staff open the dashboard URL on any device. When a guest makes a request, a colored box appears showing the table name, request type, and waiting time. The longer a table waits, the more urgent the color — from gray to yellow to orange to red. Staff tap the box to clear it when done.

The color system shows urgency based on waiting time: Gray = just arrived (under 30s), Yellow = 30 seconds, Amber = 1 minute, Orange = 1.5 minutes, Red = 2 minutes or more. This lets staff prioritize at a glance without reading times.

When a guest scans a QR code, a 2-hour session is created server-side. This session allows them to make requests during their visit. After 2 hours, the session expires and they need to rescan the QR code to start a new session. This prevents abuse from saved URLs.

Yes. The dashboard works on any number of devices simultaneously. All staff see the same live requests in real-time.

Go to your dashboard, add your tables, then click on any table to download its QR code as a PNG image. Print it and place it on the table.

No. Each QR code contains a permanent unique token for that table. You print it once and it works forever. Sessions rotate automatically every 2 hours in the background — you never need to reprint.

Sessions expire after 2 hours. If someone tries to use a saved URL after the session has expired, they see a message asking them to scan the QR code at the restaurant. This prevents abuse from people who saved the URL during a previous visit.

Currently QR codes are generated as standard black and white PNG images. Custom branded QR codes are on our roadmap.

Free (3 tables, $0), Premium (20 tables, $19/mo), and Premium+ (unlimited tables, $39/mo). All paid plans include a 7-day free trial.

Yes! Premium and Premium+ both include a 7-day free trial. You enter your card details but are not charged until the trial ends. You can cancel anytime before the trial ends.

Yes. You can cancel your subscription at any time from your dashboard. Your plan remains active until the end of the billing period.

We accept all major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) via Stripe. All transactions are secure and encrypted.

Your table limit increases immediately. Any tables you add beyond the free limit become active right away. Your existing QR codes continue to work without reprinting.

Yes. TableBell works on any smartphone with a browser — iOS (Safari), Android (Chrome), and all modern browsers. No app download required for guests.

No. Guests never need to create an account or download anything. They just scan the QR code and tap.

Alerts appear on the staff dashboard in under 1 second. TableBell uses Supabase Realtime for instant push notifications to all connected staff devices.

Yes. The staff dashboard plays a notification sound when a new request comes in. Staff can toggle sound on/off at any time. Tap anywhere on the dashboard page first to unlock audio on your device.

Yes. The guest page works in any language — it uses simple icons and minimal text. The dashboard and landing page are available in English and Japanese.