Heartland Genius

Virnika connects to Heartland Restaurant, also called Genius. Phone orders go straight to your POS and print or show on your kitchen display, just like your online orders. Your menu, prices and item availability stay in sync automatically.

Your Virnika onboarding specialist sets up the connection for you. You only need to find your API key and confirm a few settings in Heartland.

Before you start

• A Heartland Restaurant (Genius) account with online ordering available for your location.
• Your Heartland API key for each location. You’ll find it in the Integration tab of your Heartland back office. If you can’t see it, ask Heartland support for an API key for your location.
• Online ordering turned on for takeout, and for delivery if you offer it, on your POS tablet.

Setup

1. Send us your API key

   Copy the API key from the Integration tab in Heartland and share it with your onboarding specialist. They’ll give you a secure way to send it, so don’t paste it into a regular email or chat. Each location has its own key.

   We check the key, register for menu and stock updates from Heartland, and pull in your menu.

2. Choose how paid orders are recorded

   If callers pay over the phone, the order needs a house account in Heartland. That’s how the POS knows the order is already paid. We’ll show you the house accounts on your POS so you can tell us which one to use. Most restaurants make one called “Virnika” or “Phone Orders”.

   Orders paid at pickup don’t need a house account. They arrive unpaid, with ** PAY IN STORE ** in the order notes.

3. Choose a service charge for fees

   Delivery fees and service charges go to Heartland as a service charge adjustment. Pick the adjustment you want these to appear under.

   Caution

   If you charge a delivery fee or service charge, this adjustment is required. Without it, the fee is left off the ticket that reaches your POS.

4. Choose where tickets go

   Pick the room that takeout phone orders should land in, for example “Phone In”. You can pick a separate room for delivery orders. If you skip this, orders use Heartland’s default room for that order type.

5. Check your menu and place a test order

   We go over the imported menu with you, including items, modifiers, prices and hours. Then we place a test order to make sure it reaches your POS and kitchen the way you expect. After that, you’re ready to go live.

What syncs from Heartland

• Menu: sections, items, modifiers, ingredients and prices, refreshed every 30 minutes.
• Hours: menu availability comes from your Heartland dayparts.
• Out-of-stock items: when you 86 an item or ingredient in Heartland, Virnika stops offering it right away.
• Online-only settings: items and ingredients you’ve hidden from online ordering in Heartland are hidden from phone orders too.
• Tax: uses your Heartland tax rates, and Heartland calculates the final total.
• Order types: if you turn off takeout or delivery on your POS tablet, Virnika stops taking that order type.

Note

Make menu changes in Heartland, not in Virnika. Changes show up within about 30 minutes. Out-of-stock changes show up right away.

How orders arrive

• Orders are sent as carryout or delivery tickets, with the caller’s name and phone number. Delivery orders include the address.
• Every ticket’s notes start with PHONE ORDER. Pay-at-pickup orders also say ** PAY IN STORE **.
• Orders can be placed for as soon as possible or for a later time.
• Tips are sent with the order.
• Each order is sent once. If the same order is resubmitted, Heartland doesn’t create a duplicate.

Limitations

• Orders can’t be edited or canceled from Virnika once they reach the POS. Make changes on the POS.
• Heartland doesn’t share store hours or prep times. Set those in your Virnika location settings.

Troubleshooting

Orders aren't reaching my POS

Check that online ordering for that order type (takeout or delivery) is turned on in your POS tablet settings. If it’s turned off, Heartland rejects phone orders the same way it rejects online orders. If it’s on and orders still don’t come through, contact help@virnika.ai.

A menu change isn't showing up

Menu changes sync every 30 minutes. If a change still hasn’t shown up after an hour, check that the item isn’t hidden from online ordering in Heartland, then contact us.

Delivery fees are missing from tickets

A service charge adjustment needs to be selected for your location. Ask your onboarding specialist to set one.

Paid phone orders show as unpaid

A house account needs to be selected for your location. Ask your onboarding specialist to set one.

Need help?

• Virnika support: help@virnika.ai
• Heartland support: for API key, house account and POS tablet settings, contact Heartland Restaurant support.

POS integrations overview

Getting started