How to Recieve BTC at my Restaurant

[BearKing55]

I have a lot of questions,   mainly because I won't be the Cashier handling the transaction each time. (we're open 24 hours). www.GilliesConeyisland.com

but to handle them one at a time:

1. I keep hearing that you should change your receiving address but don't have to if anonymity is not a concern, and considering I'm pretty well known business -report things properly and pay taxes etc, being anonymous doesn't serve me much advantage I don't figure.

SO I figure I can just have a printed address and/or QRcode by the cash register for customers to pay to BUT half the time I hear you just need let customer have your address so they can send BTC to you YET the other half of the time I hear the receiving address has to be made up to be for a SPECIFIC Dollar/btc AMOUNT.


So I'm confused, does this mean my receiving address may or may not? have a dollar amount requested OR demanded? as part of it??

CAN the customer just scan or type it and then enter the dollar amount???

I know I'm missing something here and need to understand it before I go to the next step

HELP

[BlockChainLottery]

Short answer, it can have both.
QR code is just a representation of a string. That string can just contain the address or the address and the amount of BTC.
It depends on the software of the smartphone how the string is constructed and/or red.

[chandrew]

Coinbase.com/merchants would be a good place to start

and the site looks like it was made in the early 1990's 

[RodeoX]

Another consideration may be your accounting strategy. You could generate an address per customer in one business, while an address per transaction makes more sense in another.
I would think a restaurant could work fine with a basic QR at the register. If you do carry-out you may also want to have the address handy on the website. Using just the address like this means employees need little training to transact and are not themselves handling bitcoins. A customer pays to the provided address, the waitress checks a site blockexplorer.com to see the transaction. The wallet itself does not have to be online. It can be sitting in your safe deposit box.

[BearKing55]

Another consideration may be your accounting strategy. You could generate an address per customer in one business, while an address per transaction makes more sense in another.
I would think a restaurant could work fine with a basic QR at the register. If you do carry-out you may also want to have the address handy on the website. Using just the address like this means employees need little training to transact and are not themselves handling bitcoins. A customer pays to the provided address, the waitress checks a site blockexplorer.com to see the transaction. The wallet itself does not have to be online. It can be sitting in your safe deposit box.

THANKS, that is my next question............

you say "check a site blockexplorer" Like I've any idea how.

I've been to them, but it seems to be lots of irrelevant numbers, often flying by.

is the waitress supposed to get some number, or address from the customer once they pay???
is does MY wallet have some kind of identifier that she punches in to see what has just transpired?

THANKS!!

[SlidingHorn]

Another consideration may be your accounting strategy. You could generate an address per customer in one business, while an address per transaction makes more sense in another.
I would think a restaurant could work fine with a basic QR at the register. If you do carry-out you may also want to have the address handy on the website. Using just the address like this means employees need little training to transact and are not themselves handling bitcoins. A customer pays to the provided address, the waitress checks a site blockexplorer.com to see the transaction. The wallet itself does not have to be online. It can be sitting in your safe deposit box.

THANKS, that is my next question............

you say "check a site blockexplorer" Like I've any idea how.

I've been to them, but it seems to be lots of irrelevant numbers, often flying by.

is the waitress supposed to get some number, or address from the customer once they pay???
is does MY wallet have some kind of identifier that she punches in to see what has just transpired?

THANKS!!

Every transaction creates a unique transaction ID that is posted to the block.  Just paste the transaction ID into the search bar, and view the transaction there.

[mindfulmojo]

I just wanted to say hello...

I live by Port Huron, MI... If you start taking bitcoin I will make the hour trip to come eat there! 

I used to go to swim meets in Mt. Morris when I was High School...

[BearKing55]

Another consideration may be your accounting strategy. You could generate an address per customer in one business, while an address per transaction makes more sense in another.
I would think a restaurant could work fine with a basic QR at the register. If you do carry-out you may also want to have the address handy on the website. Using just the address like this means employees need little training to transact and are not themselves handling bitcoins. A customer pays to the provided address, the waitress checks a site blockexplorer.com to see the transaction. The wallet itself does not have to be online. It can be sitting in your safe deposit box.

THANKS, that is my next question............

you say "check a site blockexplorer" Like I've any idea how.

I've been to them, but it seems to be lots of irrelevant numbers, often flying by.

is the waitress supposed to get some number, or address from the customer once they pay???
is does MY wallet have some kind of identifier that she punches in to see what has just transpired?

THANKS!!

Every transaction creates a unique transaction ID that is posted to the block.  Just paste the transaction ID into the search bar, and view the transaction there.

I greatly appreciate trying to help,

Problem is, I still have no idea where to find this "unique transaction ID that is posted to the block"

LIKE I said those numbers on that block just go flying by super fast and even if they didn't, I've no idea what they mean nor which one is mine, or the transaction that just happened.

sorry to be so ignorant on this, but I have not ever done this and everyone always answers me like I know SOME thing.

again, My thought was, I could post my wallet address or QR code for it,
without a quantity requested (cause it's always different for each customer), letting the customer enter how many btc
then a Customer will send to that address, from their smart phone or from one of the many notebooks many of them bring in to use my WIFI.

so you're telling me there is a "unique transaction ID", that part I get,
HOW and WHERE DO I GET TO BE ABLE TO SEE IT??? to then enter it into the BlockChain,
THIS I NEED TO KNOW. 

Look at the customers phone and write down all those numbers?
give cashier access to my computer while I'm not here, with it's password and the password to my wallet so she can see it come in there?

HELP PLEASE

[BearKing55]

I just wanted to say hello...

I live by Port Huron, MI... If you start taking bitcoin I will make the hour trip to come eat there! 

I used to go to swim meets in Mt. Morris when I was High School...

Hello!
Been fishing in Port Huron and driven thru many times, back when I used to travel to Canada


it'd be great to have you as a customers,

I'd even buy you a meal if you can show me how to accept those bitcoin in a manner my Cashiers can fairly easily understand, that doesn't require me to give out my security to all of them.

[mindfulmojo]

Yeah that would suck... ladies we counted the bitcoin wallet, and it's short again... who gambled at just-dice? lol

I'm not a expert... but I did a quick search.

https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/How_to_accept_Bitcoin,_for_small_businesses

Hope that helps.. 

[hoewer4what]

Best is: print unique address with qr code to every customer (together with BTC amount). Then check this address on http://blockchain.info/ if the transaction shows, you can accept 0 confirmations for small dollar amounts

[Monica80]

May I suggest updating your site?

I am sure there is more than one web developer willing to work for btc in this forum

[fildza]

Another consideration may be your accounting strategy. You could generate an address per customer in one business, while an address per transaction makes more sense in another.
I would think a restaurant could work fine with a basic QR at the register. If you do carry-out you may also want to have the address handy on the website. Using just the address like this means employees need little training to transact and are not themselves handling bitcoins. A customer pays to the provided address, the waitress checks a site blockexplorer.com to see the transaction. The wallet itself does not have to be online. It can be sitting in your safe deposit box.

Yes, that the best suggestion for you

[dwdoc]

I would suggest displaying the same QR code with the same wallet address for every transaction.

Forget about the transaction number.

All you need to do is re-enter your one wallet address into the search box at http://blockchain.info each time to see if a payment has been sent.

Here's an example of one of my wallet addresses (17Uh31wpkLBksxr8ExGvD61eoVfBR3655a) receiving three timestamped 1 bitcoin deposits.




Then you can go here for free advertising:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=373790.msg4000598#msg4000598

[geekeh]

Like dwdoc said except, rather than a new address per transaction why not generate one address per table number? Put a little QR code sign on each table. Then create a static webpage for your staff that lists Table 1 through to Table 25 or however many, each one a hyperlink to that address on the block explorer. When the customer has paid, all you have to do is click on their table number to check if there's a new transaction.
If it's for a significant amount of money you might want to wait for a couple of confirms before you stop keeping an eye on them. Although someone making a sophisticated double spend attack on their smart phone, in a restaurant, seems unlikely.

[d2dtk]

Like dwdoc said except, rather than a new address per transaction why not generate one address per table number? Put a little QR code sign on each table. Then create a static webpage for your staff that lists Table 1 through to Table 25 or however many, each one a hyperlink to that address on the block explorer. When the customer has paid, all you have to do is click on their table number to check if there's a new transaction.
If it's for a significant amount of money you might want to wait for a couple of confirms before you stop keeping an eye on them. Although someone making a sophisticated double spend attack on their smart phone, in a restaurant, seems unlikely.

I was thinking of this idea while I read through all the comments!

[RodeoX]

Ah, here is how you can use blockexplorer.com.
As mentioned, the transaction ID is search-able. So is your receiving address. The transaction ID is more accurate, but what I would do is keep a bookmark to blockexplorer with your receiving address. Look at this random example below:

http://blockexplorer.com/address/1J2nj1QvT4PkE2CohvtAzHFV5xUq8MvXNS

If anyone sends money to the receiving address: (1J2nj1QvT4PkE2CohvtAzHFV5xUq8MvXNS)
You will see that money at blockexplorer. Basically they have a search-able blockchain stored online so that you can reference it.

When the waiter brings the bill and the customer claims to have paid, the waiter simply checks the bookmark to blockexplorer.com and verifies that BTC0.0521 has been sent to that address. It may take a few mins. to be recorded, but not really more than the time it takes to run the card.

[KeyserSozeMC]

I'm glad people are getting more interested.

Hi!

I'm from Serbia, a country not that advanced with tech, especially with bitcoins.

So, I found yesterday a restaurant, here in Serbia, which accepts BTC as a way of payment.

I asked the guy on their fb page about some stuff.

They have a application for Android phones, which charges with restaurant prices via bitstamp.
So, they're getting their BTC at bitstamp.

[BearKing55]

THANKS Much everyone, good advice.

AND more importantly, I think I have it now.

adding one thing, a tablet with just Bitcoin info on it (blockchain, prices, etc)

Can wait to get my first BTC now!!





ooooooooooohhhh, ONE more question
WHICH exchange rate will customers expect to use? seems like everyone is quoting different, sometimes dramatically different, rates at the same time.


I plan on holding them as BTC for future btc purchases rather than turning to cash daily.

[dwdoc]

https://bitcoinaverage.com/#USD is a blended average.