Bar Pricing
A well-structured bar catalogue cuts cashier errors and gives you clean analytics. Getting prices right means your margin doesn’t erode with every supplier delivery.
Categories: why they matter and how to set them up
Section titled “Categories: why they matter and how to set them up”Categories in IZI group products so staff can find items faster when building an order. A cashier picks a category, then the product inside it — much quicker than scrolling through an unstructured list.
Practical principles for categories:
Organise by product type, not brand. “Energy drinks” works better than “Red Bull” — when a new brand arrives, you don’t need a new category.
Aim for 5–8 categories at most. More than that and staff spend time hunting instead of serving.
A typical club setup: Water & juices, Soft drinks, Energy drinks, Snacks, Hot drinks (coffee/tea), Other.
For step-by-step setup see Bar menu setup in IZI.
Setting prices
Section titled “Setting prices”Start with the cost price
Section titled “Start with the cost price”Before entering a selling price, record the cost price (purchase price per unit from your supplier invoice) in the product card. IZI uses this figure to calculate margin per item in bar reports.
Cost price = price per unit on your supplier invoice.
Markup benchmarks
Section titled “Markup benchmarks”Standard bar markup in a gaming club runs from 80% to 200% above cost. Reference ranges by category:
| Category | Typical markup | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Water, juices | 80–120% | Guests know the retail price; excessive markup damages trust |
| Energy drinks | 100–150% | High demand, high margin opportunity |
| Snacks | 100–180% | Low unit cost; markup headroom is large |
| Hot drinks (coffee, tea) | 200%+ | Per-cup ingredient cost is very low |
For detailed margin formulas and how to track them in IZI see Bar margins.
Psychological pricing
Section titled “Psychological pricing”Prices ending in 9 (149, 249) are perceived as lower. Round numbers (150, 250) read as more straightforward. Both approaches work — choose based on your club’s positioning.
Avoid setting prices “just below the nearest supermarket.” Guests in a club pay for convenience and speed, not for a deal. A meaningful markup is justified.
How to update prices when supplier costs change
Section titled “How to update prices when supplier costs change”When purchase prices change, update selling prices in IZI so margin stays on target:
- Receive the new price list from your supplier.
- Open the product card in Settings → Bar → Products and update the cost price for changed items.
- Recalculate the selling price to maintain your target margin.
- Save — the new price takes effect immediately for new orders.
Open, unclosed orders keep the price they were created with. Only new orders use the updated price.
Products with variable sizes
Section titled “Products with variable sizes”If you sell items in multiple sizes — coffee S / M / L, for example — create a separate product entry for each size. This keeps analytics accurate and removes the need for cashiers to manually adjust amounts.
Example: “Coffee S 200 ml” and “Coffee L 400 ml” as two distinct products with their own prices, rather than one product with a free-text price override.
Setting a price — step by step
Section titled “Setting a price — step by step”- Open Settings → Bar → Products.
- Click the product to edit.
- Enter the Cost price (from your supplier invoice).
- Enter the Selling price based on your target markup.
- Save.
Price updates take effect immediately for new orders.
Free items
Section titled “Free items”Set price to 0 for complimentary items — staff perks, tasting samples. The order still records in IZI with a zero-value transaction, so it appears in shift reports.
Discounts on bar orders
Section titled “Discounts on bar orders”Discounts on individual bar orders can be applied at the time of the order:
- When building the order, click the discount field.
- Enter the discount amount or percentage.
- Confirm.
Whether discounts require manager authorisation depends on the same admin permission settings as session discounts.
Combo pricing
Section titled “Combo pricing”For bundles that include a bar item with a tariff (e.g. “1 hour + drink”), see Combo tariff + bar. Combos are configured as a tariff with an attached bar credit, not as a standalone bar product.
See also
Section titled “See also”Frequently asked questions
How often should I update bar prices?
Update selling prices every time your supplier changes purchase prices. A practical cadence is to check the supplier price list monthly and adjust selling prices so your margin stays at target.
Is filling in the cost price mandatory?
No, IZI does not require a cost price to operate. But without it you cannot automatically track margin per item in reports. It is strongly recommended to fill it in.
Can I set different prices for different times of day?
The standard IZI setup has one price per product. Time-based or day-based pricing is achieved by creating separate products (e.g. a daytime variant) or by running manual promotions.
Can I change a bar product's price without affecting past orders?
Yes. Price changes apply only to new orders. Historical orders retain the price at which they were placed.