Need Guidance on Building a Custom Online Ordering Website Integrated with Toast POS & Payments

Ishaq Mujtaba

July 16, 2026 16:08

Hi everyone,

I'm currently building a custom online ordering website for a restaurant group with multiple locations and would appreciate some guidance from developers.

Our intended architecture is as follows:

1. Customers browse the menu, customize items, and manage their shopping cart entirely on our React website.

2. Since the Orders API doesn't provide shopping cart functionality, we'll maintain the cart ourselves and only create the order when the customer clicks "Place Order".

3. Our backend will then validate the order, determine the selected restaurant location, and submit the completed order to the appropriate Toast POS using the Orders API.

4. We want payment to be processed entirely through Toast so that orders, payments, receipts, and restaurant operations all remain within the Toast ecosystem.

Before moving forward, I'd like to confirm a few points with anyone who has implemented a similar integration:

1. Is this architecture aligned with Toast's recommended approach for custom integrations?

2. What is the recommended payment flow if we want Toast—not our application—to process the payment while keeping the customer on our branded website?

3. For a single restaurant business with multiple locations (not a SaaS product), is requesting a “Restaurant Management Group custom integration” the correct approach?

4. What is the current process for obtaining API access? Should the restaurant owner work through their Toast Account Manager or the Developer Portal, and what information should be included in the request?

5. Are there any limitations or common pitfalls with the Orders API, Menus API, or Payments API that we should be aware of before beginning development?

We're aiming to keep the customer experience entirely within our website while continuing to use Toast as the system of record for POS, payments, kitchen operations, and reporting.

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who's built a production implementation like this or has recommendations based on their experience.

Thank you!

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  John Duggan

  July 17, 2026 20:21

  Hi Ishaq,

  I noticed you posted a similar question last week, where I recommended reading our API Documentation. It covers architecture, authentication, and how the Menus, Orders, and Payments APIs work together in the end-to-end ordering flow.

  I'd also recommend this how-to guide on best practices for building an online ordering integration.

  API write access is limited to approved integration partners and custom integrations. You can learn more about each path and its requirements below.

  • Partner integration overview
  • Custom integration overview

  Best,
  John

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  Luca

  July 30, 2026 16:55

  Hi John

  I have both a Production account and a Sandbox account. I want to test my API-based ordering integration in the Sandbox before deploying it to Production.

  Is it possible to clone or copy our Production menu into the Sandbox? Ideally, I would like to keep the same menu structure, menu items, modifiers, and SKUs/PLUs so that I can test the integration without having to recreate everything manually.

  If this is possible, could you please let me know:

  • What information do you need from my side?
  • Is there anything I need to configure or enable?
  • Can Toast perform the clone, or is there a self-service method?

  If cloning is not possible, what is the recommended way to test an API ordering integration in the Sandbox while keeping it as close as possible to our Production menu?

  Thank you!

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  John Duggan

  August 07, 2026 18:37 Edited

  Hi Luca,

   For questions specific to your location, please contact our team directly through the appropriate channels. I see you've already done that and my colleagues were able to help.

  Best,

  John

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