Order lifecycle overview
Most ezCater orders follow the same basic lifecycle
Order submitted
Customer places an order through the ezCater Marketplace or Online Ordering
Order acceptance window
You review and either accept or reject the order, ideally within 15 minutes during open hours
Read here about enabling auto-accept
Reconfirmation
For orders placed in advance, ezCater prompts you to reconfirm the day before
Prep and execution
Your team prepares the food and plans for pickup or delivery
Delivery or pickup
Order is fulfilled at the scheduled time
Completion
Order is marked complete and moves into your history and reporting
Changes and cancellations
At any point before the event, an order may be modified or canceled, which creates additional tasks and notifications
The notifications below are designed to support you at each key step of this lifecycle
Text and email alerts
Text and email alerts help your team stay informed even if no one is currently logged into the Partner Portal. Any user with email and/or SMS alerts enabled will receive these messages:
Order submitted
Lifecycle step: Order submitted → Order acceptance window
New order email
Sent as soon as a customer submits a new order
Includes a link to view and manage the order in the Portal
New order text alert
Sent to users who have SMS enabled
Includes a link to open the order in a browser or app
Timing
Immediately after the order is submitted
Intended to help you accept within 15 minutes during your operating hours
Reconfirmation
Lifecycle step: Pre‑event reconfirmation
Reconfirmation notification
Text and email alerts are sent to request reconfirmation
Timing
Typically sent about 24 hours before the event time
Supports the Reconfirm Order task you’ll see in the Portal
Order modifications
Lifecycle step: Changes and cancellations
Order modification email
Alerts you that a customer or ezCater has requested or applied a modification
Includes a link to review the update in your Portal
Order modification text alert
For users with SMS enabled
Notifies you that a modification needs review
Timing
Sent when a modification request is made or an order is updated
Often appears together with a Review modification task under Action Needed in your Portal
Order cancellations
Lifecycle step: Changes and cancellations
Order cancellation email
Confirms that an order has been canceled
May prompt you to confirm cancellation in your Portal if required
Order cancellation text alert
For users with SMS enabled
Signals that an accepted order is no longer active
Timing
Sent as soon as an order is canceled by the customer or ezCater
Helps you prevent unnecessary prep or staffing for the canceled event
Account and integration‑related alerts
Outside of individual orders, you may also receive emails about
Integration or sync issues
When an order does not flow correctly into a connected system and may require manual attention
Account and settings updates
For important changes to store hours, user roles, or other configuration choices that could affect future orders
App push notifications
The ezCater for Restaurants mobile app uses push notifications to help your team manage the order lifecycle from anywhere in the store
To receive push notifications you must
Install the ezCater for Restaurants app on iOS or Android
Log in with active account credentials
Enable notifications in your phone settings and in your user settings
New order and acceptance window
Lifecycle step: Order submitted → Order acceptance window
New order push notification
Appears on your device when a new order is created
Timing
Sent immediately after the order is submitted
Follow the notification to:
Open the order in the app
Review event details, items, and customer info
Accept or reject the order during the acceptance window
Other order notifications & reminders
Many other lifecycle tasks also surface as push notifications in the mobile app for any orders shown in the To Do section. These include:
Reconfirm order
Order scheduled for the next day needs reconfirmation
Review modification
Order has a requested change that must be approved or addressed
Confirm cancellation
Canceled order should be confirmed so your team knows not to prepare it
Timing
Triggered as soon as that task becomes active for an order such as right after submission, when a modification is requested, or the day before the event
Follow the notification to:
Go directly to the order in the app
Complete the required action such as accept, reconfirm, or confirm cancellation
General app alerts
Beyond individual orders, you may occasionally see push notifications related to
Account access or security
For example, when your session expires and you need to sign in again
Important feature or reliability updates
Brief alerts when ezCater rolls out major operational improvements that affect how you work in your Portal
Using both text/email and app push notifications for your key managers and leads will help your locations stay reliable and responsive from the moment an order is submitted through successful completion