Step-by-step help for customers, business owners, sub-owners and delivery people. Every picture is the real app with example data. Choose Computer & tablet or Phone at the top to match the screen you use.
Business Plus Business connects local businesses with their customers and their delivery people. Everyone uses the same app, and each person sees the pages for their role. You don't need any technical knowledge. A phone, tablet or computer with a web browser is enough.
CustomersOrder from businesses, pay cash or by card, and follow deliveries.Go to section 3 →
Business owners and sub-ownersTake orders, manage products and delivery people, and collect payments.Go to section 4 →
Delivery peopleJoin businesses, confirm jobs, deliver and track earnings.Go to section 5 →
Everyone should read section 2, Getting started first. It shows how to create an account and find your way around.
1.2How an order moves through the app
Every order follows the same path. Knowing who acts at each stage helps you find the right part of this manual.
PlacedThe customer orders from the shop, or the business enters it.Customer · 3.3
ScheduledThe business confirms a day and time and picks a delivery person.Business · 4.7
On the wayThe delivery person starts the trip. The customer can track it live.Delivery person · 5.6
DeliveredThe order is handed over. Card payments are charged now.Delivery person · 5.7
CompletedOnce paid, the order closes. The customer can rate it.Business · 4.10
An order can also be New time suggested, Not accepted or Cancelled. Everyone involved gets a message at each step.
1.3How to use this manual
This manual is organised by role, and each article covers one task. You don't need to read it from start to finish.
Search. Type in the search box above the contents, for example “refund” or “QR”, to find a topic.
Choose your device. Use Computer & tablet or Phone at the top of the page. Every picture changes to match the screen you use.
Follow the yellow numbers. Steps with a yellow number match a marker on the picture below them.
Figures are numbered by section, for example Figure 3.4, so you can refer to them when you ask for help.
Section 2 · For everyone
2Getting started
Create your account, sign in and learn where things are. This takes about two minutes.
Create one account for your role. The app asks for your country so prices, currency and phone numbers are right for you.
Before you start
Open the app and tap Create an account.
Have your WhatsApp number and address ready.
Steps
Choose who you are: Customer, Business owner or Delivery person.
Enter your full name. Delivery people also choose their vehicle.
Choose your country. Your currency and phone code fill in by themselves.
Enter your WhatsApp number with the country code.
Figure 2.1Create your account: role, name, country and phone
Enter your address, or tap Use my current location.
Enter your email and a password of at least 8 characters.
Tap Create account.
Figure 2.2Create your account: address, email and password
What you’ll see
We email you a confirmation link. Tap it, then sign in. If you used Sign up with Google, the app shows an “Almost done” page with the same questions instead.
Sign in with the email and password you chose, or with Google.
Steps
Tap Continue with Google to sign in with your Google account, or
enter your email,
enter your password and tap Sign in.
Forgot your password? Tap Forgot password?, enter your email and follow the link we send.
Figure 2.3Sign in
Sub-owners don't sign up. The business owner adds you and sends your sign-in details. The first time you sign in, the app asks you to choose your own password.
Your most-used pages come first in the menu. Account and Support are always last.
Steps
Tap the logo to go back to your Home page from anywhere.
Use the menu to move between pages. On a computer it runs along the top; on a phone it's the bar at the bottom.
Open your menu: tap your picture on a computer, or More on a phone.
Figure 2.5Home page and the main menu
Figure 2.6Your menu: account, theme and sign out
In your menu you'll find your pages that don't fit in the main menu, Account, the light or dark Theme, and Sign out. Your Home page also shows a Getting started list that ticks itself off as you go. Tap Hide to put it away.
The app can be shown in English, Sinhala (සිංහල) or Tamil (தமிழ்). Your choice is saved on this device.
Steps
Before you sign in: tap English, සිංහල or தமிழ் at the top of the sign-in screen.
Figure 2.7Choosing a language before you sign in
After you sign in: open your menu (tap your picture on a computer, or More on a phone) and pick a language under Language.
Figure 2.8The app in Sinhala, with the language choice in your menu
Good to know
This user manual is in English. If a word in the app looks wrong in Sinhala or Tamil, tell us from Support so we can fix it.
What you’ll see
The page reloads in the language you picked. Dates and times follow it too. Names, addresses and messages people type stay as they were written. The Ask B+B assistant answers in your language.
Choose products from one business at a time. Products are grouped into categories, with the business's specials first. Offers show the new price next to the old one.
Tap a category, such as Specials or Cakes, to jump to it.
Tap Add to cart on each product you want.
Use − and + to change how many you want.
Figure 3.3A business's products, grouped by category
Some products have sizes or extras. Pick the ones you want; the price updates as you choose.
Tap Add to cart at the bottom of the window.
Figure 3.4Choosing a size and extras
Tap the cart button to review your order, then tap Checkout.
Figure 3.5Your cart
Labels on products
Only 3 left means stock is running low. Not available and Not available today mean you can't add it right now; check back later. If something sells out while it's in your cart, it's marked and left out of your order.
What you’ll see
Your cart shows each item with your choices, what you save and the total. Change amounts or tap Remove, then tap Checkout.
You can pay cash when you receive your order, or by card. Card payments are held when you order and only charged once your order is delivered.
Before you start
The business must show Cards accepted to pay by card.
Steps
Cash on delivery (or at pickup): pay when you receive it.
A saved card: pay in one tap.
Another card: PayHere's secure window opens for you to enter a card.
Tap Add a card to my wallet to save a card for next time.
Keep Remember this payment method ticked so it's picked first next time.
Figure 3.8Payment choices at checkout
What you’ll see
If the business declines the order or you cancel it, the hold on your card is released. Card numbers stay with PayHere; the app only sees the last four digits.
After you sign up as a business owner, the app asks for your business basics. You can add more later.
Steps
Tap Add logo to upload your logo.
Enter your business name and choose its type, such as Bakery, Restaurant or Hair salon.
Enter the WhatsApp number customers should use. Check the country and currency.
Under What do you offer? choose products, services by appointment, or both. Tick We deliver if you deliver to customers.
Enter your address and tap Create my business.
Figure 4.1Set up your business
What you’ll see
Your Home page opens with a Getting started list: add products, share your QR code, add delivery people and get your first order. Suggested categories for your type of business are added for you, such as Specials, Mains and Drinks for a restaurant.
Add products one at a time with a photo, price, stock and optional offer.
Before you start
Open Products and tap Add product.
Steps
Figure 4.3Products
Tap Add photo.
Enter the name. Leave SKU blank and the app makes one.
Enter the price and unit.
Enter the stock you have. Leave it blank for services or items that never run out.
Tap Add an offer for an amount or percentage off, with start and end dates.
Choose its Category, and tick Special to show it at the top of your shop too (see 4.18).
Tap Add product.
Figure 4.4Adding a product
What you’ll see
The product appears in your shop. Untick In shop to hide it, or tap Edit to change it. Products with orders can't be deleted; hide them instead. Each card shows what customers see, such as Only 3 left or Not available.
Add many products at once with our Excel template.
Before you start
Open Products and tap Upload from Excel.
Steps
Tap Download template. It has a sheet for your products and one that explains each column.
Check What to fill in. Only Name and Price are required. Offer type and Offer value go together: fill in both for an offer, or leave both blank. Everything else is optional.
Fill in one product per row. In the template, each heading is tagged (required), (for offers) or (optional), and hovering over a heading shows what to write.
Figure 4.5What to fill in: required, offer and optional columns
Choose your filled-in file.
Check the preview: new products, updates to products with the same SKU, and any rows with problems.
Figure 4.6Checking the preview before adding products
What you’ll see
Your products are added in one go. Use the Category column to put each product in a category (new ones are created for you) and type Yes under Special for specials. Photos, sizes and extras can be added later from each product.
To do: new orders that need a reply, and orders waiting for the customer.
To collect: delivered orders that aren't paid yet. In progress and History hold the rest.
Live map shows your delivery people on the road.
New order lets you enter an order yourself (see 4.9).
Tap an order to open it.
Figure 4.8The orders board
Run more than one business? The board shows the business you have open. Choose All my businesses at the top to see every order together, with the business name on each one. See 4.17.
If you can't meet the customer's time, suggest another. If you can't fill the order, decline it with a reason.
Before you start
Open the order and tap Suggest another time.
Steps
Choose a new date and time.
Add a short message explaining why.
Tap Send suggestion.
Figure 4.10Suggesting another time
What you’ll see
The customer accepts or cancels. To decline instead, tap Reject order and give a reason; the items go back into stock and any card hold is released. To change items first, tap Change order.
4.11How to add delivery people and handle requests
Build your own pool of delivery people. They can ask to join you, or you can add them by email.
Steps
Figure 4.14Your driver pool
Open Drivers and tap the Requests tab.
Check the rate they suggest, set the rate and any monthly fee, then tap Accept (or Decline).
When a driver asks for a new rate, tap Accept, Offer a different rate or Decline.
Figure 4.15Requests to join and rate requests
What you’ll see
Accepted delivery people appear in your Driver pool and can be chosen when you schedule. Tap Add driver to add someone by email. If you run several businesses, you can add them to your other businesses at the same time, each at its own rate.
4.16How to run a service business (salons, repairs and more)
If customers come to you for a service, such as a hair salon, spa, clinic or repair shop, set your business up for services. Orders are then called bookings, and nothing is delivered.
Before you start
When you set up your business, pick a type such as Hair salon; services are chosen for you. You can change it any time in My business → Business details.
Steps
Under What do you offer? choose Services by appointment (or Both if you also sell products). Leave We also come to the customer unticked if customers always come to you.
Open Services and add each service with a price, for example “Haircut” or “Full facial”. The unit is a session.
Figure 4.21Setting up a business for services
Share your QR code. Customers tap Book on a service, pick a day and a time window and tap Book now. They pay at their visit or by card.
Figure 4.22A salon's services in the Shop
New requests appear in Bookings. Open one, set the appointment time and tap Confirm booking. If another booking is already within half an hour of that time, a warning shows who it is, so you can pick another time.
When the service is done, tap Service done and record the payment, as with any order.
Figure 4.23Bookings for a salon
What you’ll see
Your menu shows Bookings and Services instead of Orders and Products, and Drivers is hidden while you don't deliver. Customers see Book a visit on your shop instead of a delivery fee.
One account can run several businesses, for example two branches, or a bakery and a café. Each business has its own products, orders or bookings, drivers, payments, QR code and settings.
Steps
Tap the small arrow next to your business name at the top to see your businesses.
Tap a business to switch to it. The app remembers which one you last used.
Tap Add a business and fill in the short form. The new business opens straight away.
Figure 4.24Switching between your businesses
On Home, All my businesses shows each one's new orders, today's work and sales. Tap one to open it.
Figure 4.25All my businesses on Home
On Orders, choose All my businesses to see every order together. The business name shows on each order.
Figure 4.26Orders from all your businesses
To pause a business (hidden from the Shop, no new orders), open My business, find Your businesses and tap Pause. Tap Switch back on any time.
To delete one, tap Delete and type its name to confirm. All its orders must be finished and its payments settled first. You can restore it from the same list for 30 days; after that it's removed for good.
Figure 4.27Pausing or deleting a business
Sub-owners
Only you, the owner, can add, pause, delete or restore businesses. Under My business → Sub-owners you choose which of your businesses each sub-owner helps run.
Group what you sell into categories (for example Bread, Pastries and Cakes), mark specials, and let customers choose sizes and extras.
Steps
Open Products and tap Categories. A new business starts with suggested categories for its type. Add, rename, reorder (arrows), hide or delete them.
When something runs out for the day, tap Not today on it. Customers see “Not available today” and can't add it; it comes back by itself the next morning.
Running another business with the same items? Tap Copy to another business to copy products, with their categories and options.
Figure 4.28Products with categories and what customers see
To serve a category only at certain times, tap Edit, tick Only at certain times and set the hours and days (for example breakfast 7–11 am). Customers can still order those items for a time inside the hours.
Figure 4.29Setting hours for a category
In a product, choose its Category. Tick Special to show it at the top of your shop as well.
Under Options and add-ons, tap + Sizes or + Add-ons, name each choice and add its extra price. Choose Pick one or Pick any, and tick Must choose when the customer has to pick one.
Figure 4.30A product's category, special tick and options
What you’ll see
Your shop shows category tabs, with Specials first. Items with no stock show “Not available”, and items with 5 or fewer left show “Only 3 left”. If something sells out while it's in a customer's cart, it's marked and left out of their order.
See every driver's deliveries for the week in one calendar, the same way drivers see their own.
Steps
Open Drivers and tap Calendar. Each driver has a colour. Use the arrows to change the week, or tap a driver's name to show only them.
Tap a delivery to see its details, then Open order or Driver details.
Grey striped blocks mean the driver is busy with another business at that time. You don't see that business's details.
Figure 4.31Your drivers' week
In Driver details you see their upcoming jobs and rates. If you run several businesses, you can add the driver to your other businesses there, each at its own rate.
Figure 4.32Driver details and adding them to another business
Ask to join a business at the rate you want. The owner or a sub-owner accepts your request.
Steps
Open Businesses and tap Find businesses. Search, or tap Scan to scan a QR code.
Tap Ask to join on a business.
Your request shows Waiting for approval until it's accepted.
Figure 5.3Find businesses
Figure 5.4Asking to join with your rate
What you’ll see
In the join window, enter your rate per km and a short message, then tap Send request. Once accepted, the business shows Active and its jobs can come to you.