The video tutorial dives deep into the settings available in the Commerce tab of the Prepped Portal, offering step-by-step explanations for each feature. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the settings and their significance:

1. Payment Processor Setup

• Purpose: This setting allows you to connect a payment processor to handle your transactions on the platform.
• Process: To start, you click the “Begin” button located in this section, which will initiate the process of setting up your payment processor. This involves completing an underwriting process with the payment provider, which is typically quick. Once done, you must ensure that the setup redirects back to the portal to finalize everything.
• Importance: This is an essential step, as connecting a payment processor is one of the only two requirements (the other being creating at least one menu item) before you can start selling on the platform.

2. Currency

• Purpose: Here, you can set the currency in which your business transactions will occur.
• Target Markets: While the primary market for Prepped is the USA, vendors from other countries, such as Canada, can also utilize the platform. Prepped has plans to expand into other English-speaking markets such as the UK, New Zealand, and Australia in the future.
• Flexibility: If you’re operating outside the US, this setting lets you easily change the currency to reflect your local market.

3. Minimum Order Subtotal

• Purpose: This feature allows you to set a minimum order subtotal for purchases on your site.
• Usage: For instance, if your business doesn’t find it cost-effective to fulfill small orders (say under $20), you can set this minimum to prevent low-value transactions. This is especially useful if you offer low-priced items like sides or small products that cost less to produce but are not profitable to sell individually.
• Consideration: You can determine this based on the pricing of your products. If all your products are higher-priced, this setting might not be necessary, but it’s crucial if you want to avoid losing money on small, unprofitable orders.

4. Google Analytics Tag

• Purpose: This allows you to integrate your Google Analytics account with your Prepped website.
• Why It’s Important: Tracking your website’s performance is critical for measuring success. By embedding your Google Analytics tag, you can monitor key metrics such as traffic, user behavior, and conversions.
• Recommendation: It’s advised to keep a close watch on these metrics to ensure your site is functioning well and attracting buyers. You can also track specific events like when someone makes a purchase, which helps you understand how well your marketing and website design are driving conversions.

5. Default Product Dimensions

• Purpose: This setting defines the default dimensions of your product packaging, specifically meal containers.
• Standardization: By default, the dimensions of the most common meal prep container are pre-filled. These containers are typically rectangular, with a black bottom and a clear top, and are widely used in the meal prep industry.
• Third-Party Delivery: These dimensions are essential for third-party delivery platforms to correctly batch and calculate the required vehicle space when picking up and delivering orders.
• Customization: If your packaging differs from this default setting, you can manually input the correct dimensions to ensure accurate delivery coordination.

6. Gift Cards

• Purpose: This setting allows you to enable or disable the use of gift cards on your platform.
• Additional Benefit: Beyond just offering gift cards, this feature also supports store credits. In cases where a customer is dissatisfied (e.g., cold food, late delivery), applying store credit can serve as a more professional way to resolve the issue, as opposed to offering a promotion code.
• Professional Approach: Giving a customer store credit directly to their account offers a seamless and polished resolution. This feature is built into the gift card system, meaning it’s best to leave it enabled to handle any customer service issues effectively.

7. Subscriptions

• Purpose: This setting lets you enable or disable subscription-based sales for your business.
• Business Types: Subscription models are typically suited to businesses offering regular meal prep services, where customers order weekly or monthly meal plans. However, some vendors, such as restaurants, may prefer an on-demand model and choose to disable subscriptions.
• Flexibility: The platform is versatile enough to cater to both subscription-based businesses and restaurants that rely on real-time, last-minute orders. This allows businesses to choose a setup that aligns with their operational needs.

8. Pickup Tips

• Purpose: This feature allows you to manage tipping options for pickup orders.
• Controversy: Some vendors find it unusual to allow tipping for orders that customers pick up themselves, while others welcome it as a tip on the quality of the food or service provided.
• Custom Options: The platform allows you to enable or disable tipping for both pickup and delivery orders, providing flexibility depending on your business model.
• Delivery Tips: For delivery orders, the tipping mechanism is designed with the assumption that the tip will go to the courier. However, this setting can be customized further through the next feature.

9. Tip Splitting for Delivery

• Purpose: This feature enables tip splitting between the business and third-party couriers.
• Proportional Distribution: The tip is split proportionately based on the revenue generated from the food and the delivery service. For example, if the food subtotal is significantly higher than the delivery fee, the business will receive the larger share of the tip, and vice versa if the delivery service carries more weight.
• Fairness: This ensures that businesses receive an appropriate share of the tip when they provide high-value food orders, while couriers are fairly compensated for longer or more difficult deliveries.
• Flexibility: You can choose whether or not to enable this feature, depending on how you want tips to be distributed.

10. Gift Card Expiration

• Purpose: This setting allows you to set an expiration date for gift cards, starting with a minimum value of 365 days.
• Customer Protection: The one-year minimum expiration is enforced to prevent potential misuse of the gift card system, such as selling a gift card and having it expire the next day.
• Customization: Although the minimum is one year, you can extend this expiration period based on your business’s policies. For example, one vendor sets a three-year expiration on their gift cards to offer extended flexibility to their customers.
• Ongoing Credit: Gift cards can continue to be credited over time, with the expiration extending from the last credited amount, ensuring fairness and convenience for both the customer and the business.

The video concludes with the promise to move on to the SEO settings in the next part of the tutorial series, where further optimization tips for your website will be discussed. This comprehensive guide to the Commerce tab is designed to help you configure your settings to optimize sales, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency.

A Letter From Our CEO, Ray:

In the competitive world of culinary businesses, streamlining operations and enhancing customer experience is paramount. Enter Prepped, the meal prep software that not only simplifies meal ordering but also provides a robust Commerce tab filled with essential settings. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the various features within the Commerce tab, illustrating how each contributes to effectively managing your meal prep business. Whether you’re looking to set up a payment processor or track analytics, the Commerce tab is your go-to tool for maximizing efficiency and customer satisfaction.

1. Payment Processor Setup: A Gateway to Seamless Transactions

The foundation of any successful online business lies in its ability to handle transactions smoothly. Prepped’s Commerce tab provides a straightforward payment processor setup feature that allows culinary operators to connect with leading payment processors.

Benefits:

• Quick Setup: With just a few clicks on the “Begin” button, you initiate the process of connecting your payment processor. This fast onboarding allows you to start selling quickly, fulfilling one of the two primary requirements before launching your service.
• Multiple Payment Options: By integrating various payment processors, you can cater to a broader audience. Offering flexibility in payment methods enhances customer satisfaction and can lead to increased sales.

How It Works:

To set up, you’ll go through a swift underwriting process with your chosen payment provider. Ensuring that the setup redirects back to the Prepped portal is crucial to finalize everything. Once complete, you’re ready to accept payments, helping you manage your meal delivery service effectively.

2. Currency Settings: Catering to a Global Audience

Prepped is designed with flexibility in mind, especially when it comes to currency settings. This feature allows culinary business operators to set the currency based on their target market.

Benefits:

• International Expansion: While primarily catering to the U.S. market, Prepped supports vendors from countries like Canada, with future expansions planned into the UK, New Zealand, and Australia. This flexibility enables your meal prep business to reach international customers.
• Localized Pricing: If you’re operating outside the U.S., simply adjust the currency settings to reflect local market conditions. This adjustment not only provides a seamless customer experience but also builds trust with your clientele.

3. Minimum Order Subtotal: Protecting Profit Margins

Every meal prep business needs to protect its bottom line, and the minimum order subtotal feature is designed to do just that. This setting allows you to establish a minimum purchase requirement for orders placed through your site.

Benefits:

• Cost-Effectiveness: Setting a minimum order value helps avoid unprofitable transactions, especially for businesses offering low-cost items. For example, if your operation finds it unviable to fulfill orders under $20, implementing this feature ensures you focus on higher-value sales.
• Enhanced Operational Efficiency: By filtering out small orders, you can allocate resources more effectively, ensuring your kitchen and delivery services operate at optimal capacity.

4. Google Analytics Integration: Tracking Success

To grow your culinary business, you must understand its performance, and the Google Analytics tag feature in Prepped’s Commerce tab allows you to do just that.

Benefits:

• Data-Driven Decisions: By integrating Google Analytics with your meal prep website, you gain insights into traffic patterns, user behavior, and conversion rates. This information is crucial for understanding what’s working and what isn’t in your marketing efforts.
• Event Tracking: Monitor specific events like purchases to see how well your marketing strategies are driving sales. This insight allows you to adjust your tactics for maximum impact.

5. Default Product Dimensions: Streamlining Operations

In the meal prep industry, packaging is key, and Prepped allows you to set default product dimensions for your meal containers within the Commerce tab.

Benefits:

• Efficiency with Third-Party Delivery: Accurate dimensions help third-party delivery services effectively batch orders, ensuring timely pickups and deliveries.
• Customization for Unique Offerings: If your packaging differs from the standard settings, manually entering your container dimensions ensures precise delivery coordination, minimizing confusion and enhancing customer satisfaction.

6. Gift Cards: Enhancing Customer Engagement

Gift cards are a popular choice for culinary businesses, and Prepped offers a feature that enables or disables the use of gift cards within your platform.

Benefits:

• Customer Retention: Gift cards not only boost sales but also encourage repeat business. They allow customers to treat friends or family to your meal prep services, broadening your customer base.
• Store Credits for Customer Service: The gift card system is designed to handle store credits, offering a professional solution for dissatisfied customers. This approach enhances customer loyalty and demonstrates your commitment to quality service.

7. Subscription Models: Capturing Recurring Revenue

For many meal prep businesses, subscription models provide a steady stream of income. Prepped’s Commerce tab allows you to enable or disable subscription-based sales according to your operational model.

Benefits:

• Regular Revenue Stream: By offering subscription services, you can ensure a consistent influx of orders, allowing for better forecasting and inventory management.
• Flexibility for Diverse Business Models: Whether you’re a meal prep service or a restaurant offering on-demand orders, the ability to toggle subscription settings ensures that you’re aligning your sales strategy with your business needs.

8. Pickup Tips: Encouraging Generosity

Tipping culture is evolving, and Prepped’s pickup tips feature allows you to manage tipping options for pickup orders.

Benefits:

• Encouraging Tips: Allowing customers to tip for pickup orders provides an opportunity to reward the quality of service or food, promoting goodwill.
• Customizable Options: You can choose to enable or disable tipping for both pickup and delivery, giving you the flexibility to align with your brand strategy.

9. Tip Splitting for Delivery: Fair Compensation

With the tip splitting for delivery feature, you can ensure fair compensation for both your culinary business and third-party couriers.

Benefits:

• Proportional Distribution: Tips are split based on the revenue generated from food versus delivery. This ensures that couriers are compensated fairly while your business receives its rightful share, creating a balanced approach to tipping.
• Encouraging Quality Service: By ensuring fair compensation, you motivate your delivery team to provide excellent service, ultimately enhancing the customer experience.

10. Gift Card Expiration: Protecting Your Business

Finally, the gift card expiration feature allows you to set an expiration date for gift cards, starting at a minimum of 365 days.

Benefits:

• Preventing Misuse: Enforcing a minimum expiration prevents potential misuse of your gift card system, protecting your business’s financial health.
• Flexible Policies: You can extend the expiration date beyond one year, offering your customers added flexibility and a reason to return to your meal prep service.

Conclusion: Optimizing Your Meal Prep Business with Prepped

Prepped’s Commerce tab is a powerful tool that offers culinary business operators a range of features designed to streamline operations, enhance customer experience, and drive sales. By taking advantage of the payment processor setup, Google Analytics integration, and customizable settings for tips and gift cards, you position your business for success in a competitive market.

As you implement these settings and features, you’ll discover how Prepped can transform your meal prep operations, making it easier to manage your business while providing an exceptional experience for your customers. Whether you’re starting out or looking to optimize your existing setup, Prepped is here to support your culinary journey.