2022 OnTime 360 Review: Is It Right for Your Business?
With more than a decade of hospitality experience, Mary has worked in some of the most celebrated restaurants in the world. Her expertise is featured across Fit Small Business in restaurant, retail, and starting a business content.
Agatha Aviso is a writer of the Retail Section at Fit Small Business, focusing on retail software and ecommerce platforms.
This article is part of a larger series on POS Systems.
OnTime 360 is cloud-based delivery management software designed to support small to enterprise-level restaurant, retail, and courier businesses. OnTime 360 includes basic delivery features like maps-based driver dispatch, live driver tracking, and in-app messaging as well as robust invoice management functions. The real ace up OnTime 360’s sleeve is its offline functionality. OnTime 360 integrates with QuickBooks and can connect to point-of-sale (POS) systems via its open application programming interface (API). Monthly pricing plans range from $39 to $349.
OnTime 360
What We Like
- Strong offline sync function
- Real-time driver tracking and communication
- Built-in billing and invoicing
- High-volume and wholesale management tools
What's Missing
- Lacks prebuilt restaurant integrations
- Subscriptions have user limits
- Needs custom POS integration
Deciding Factors
- Monthly fees: $39 to 349
- Hardware fees: None
- Included drivers: 2 to 18
- Per-delivery fee: None unless you use API integrations to receive orders.
- Integrations: Xero, QuickBooks Online, and FreshBooks
- Standout features:
- Unlimited deliveries
- Offline functionality
- Smart dispatching tools
- Searchable Ticket Log
- Customer Lookup
- Cash on Delivery and Digital Signatures
What We Recommend OnTime 360 For
OnTime 360’s price, learning curve, and the sheer number of niche functions make it best for high-volume delivery operations.
In particular, we recommend OnTime 360 for:
- High-volume delivery restaurants: In our ranking of the best food delivery software, OnTime 360 earned a score of 4.09 out of 5. Restaurants with high delivery volume and an in-house driver team—especially those with an active catering business—will benefit from OnTime 360’s dispatch, driver-tracking, and messaging functions.
- Multilocation restaurants and retail shops offering delivery: You can operate OnTime 360’s dispatch tools from any location. Local chain restaurants or retail operations that offer delivery can manage several routes and drivers from a central office.
- Delivery operations that need offline functionality: The OnTime 360 system constantly backs up to the cloud. If your central dispatch or drivers lose internet connectivity, they can still access information stored in the app itself. This way, your drivers will never lose vital information in the middle of a delivery.
- Farms, bakeries, and small vendors that deliver to business clients: OnTime 360’s route optimization and invoice management tools make this system an excellent fit for small businesses that regularly deliver to—and bill—other businesses.
- High-volume grocery delivery operations with large driver teams: OnTime 360’s higher-level membership tiers include auto-complete and driver workload balancing tools to streamline a high-traffic delivery operation.
When OnTime 360 Would Not Be a Good Fit
- Independent restaurant and retail shops with small delivery operations: If delivery is not your primary profit driver, OnTime 360 is probably a more comprehensive tool than you need. Try the more accessible Tookan instead.
- Restaurants that need POS integration: OnTime 360’s open API communicates with other software tools, but small restaurants will likely need to hire a software specialist to build a custom POS integration. For less, you can get this functionality with a restaurant POS system like Toast that includes built-in delivery management.
- Businesses that deliver via bike courier: If you primarily use bike couriers, try GetSwift. This user-friendly system is a better fit for the smaller footprint of bike courier operations.
Are you not seeing the right fit?
Check out our list of the best food delivery software, best restaurant POS systems, and best small business POS systems for more software options.
OnTime 360 Pricing
OnTime 360 offers four membership tiers―Essential, Professional, Enterprise, and Enterprise Plus―with monthly payments ranging from $39 to $349. New subscribers pay a $99 setup fee that is waived if signing up for an annual plan. Each tier includes a set number of users, with additional users for $19 per month.
OnTime 360 Pricing Plans
Essential | Professional | Enterprise | Enterprise Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Monthly Base Price | $39 | $129 | $199 | $349 |
Included Users | 2 | 6 | 10 | 18 |
Dispatch, Order Entry, and Messaging | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Timeclock | N/A | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
QuickBooks Integration | N/A | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Reporting and Analytics | N/A | N/A | ✓ | ✓ |
White Label Mobile App | N/A | N/A | N/A | ✓ |
Unlimited API Integrations | N/A | N/A | N/A | ✓ |
All subscriptions include robust dispatch management features and comprehensive customer support. The expanded features offered in higher tier subscriptions include time clock functions, expanded file auditing, white labeling, and fleet maintenance scheduling.
Most small restaurants, farms, and retail operations don’t need software to cover these tasks. Unless your operation is extremely high volume, the Essential package has everything you’ll need. If you want to kick the tires before you commit, OnTime 360 offers a 14-day free trial. Users can cancel at any time. OnTime 360 does not require a long-term contract.
Connecting your payment gateway or POS system requires a Professional or higher plan. Transactions processed via the API connection may incur additional fees, though. Your costs can add up quickly if you link several tools.
OnTime 360 Hardware
OnTime 360’s dispatch and management dashboards operate best from a dedicated desktop computer running Windows 7 or higher. Technically, you can get the OnTime software to work on a macOS system via an intermediary app like Parallels, which may incur additional fees. The OnTime team further recommends at least 1GB of available RAM, a 4GB hard disk, and a display of at least 1280×800 resolution.
The built-in OnTime Mobile driver app works on both iOS and Android devices. OnTime also supports devices on the Windows Mobile platform. These devices include rugged commercial-grade mobile devices like Motorola Enterprise Digital Assistant (EDA) devices. This is a terrific option for delivery businesses that need drivers to process barcode scans or collect customer signatures.
OnTime 360 Features
Since our last update:
Since we last wrote this review in May 2021, OnTime 360 has made many changes to its product, including:
- New Custom Report Designer
- Keep multiple reports open in the Tracking view
- Simplified ribbon toolbar
- Modify orders from the Unassigned Orders list
- Global Setting Indicators
- Full support for Windows 11
- Improved performance and faster processing―up to 20x faster performance and access all records without data file size restrictions
- Visual improvements (refresh iconography)
- New installer and updater
- Advanced address lookup
- New layout and design for Order Entry view
OnTime 360 has two major software components: a management and dispatch system and mobile driver app. Users download the management and dispatch app from the OnTime website; drivers download the driver app from their smartphone app store. Once you download either app, a guided setup wizard prompts you to enter business or personal details.
Delivery tickets are added to the dispatch queue via manual entry, bulk .csv file upload, or API software integration. You can schedule optimized delivery routes for recurring deliveries like a farm that delivers to restaurant clients might or assign new orders to drivers in real time as a high-volume pizzeria does. Your drivers receive detailed delivery information on their connected devices and can scan barcodes or collect customer signatures to confirm delivery.
Unlike smaller delivery management software platforms, OnTime 360 includes invoice generation tracking functions. OnTime 360 can automatically generate invoices on a set billing cycle for you, or you can enter invoices manually. You can also create a customer portal that allows customers to create detailed profiles and self-schedule deliveries. This feature is handy for farms that want to expand into local delivery.
In addition to the essential functions that we’ll explore below, OnTime360 includes:
- Offline functionality: OnTime 360 calls this “Smart Client Technology.” Restaurants and retailers that use cloud POS systems call it “offline function.” Whatever you call it, the OnTime 360 system backs up your data on OnTime 360’s central servers. It regularly syncs with all connected devices, so your team never loses necessary information in the middle of a delivery.
- Payments: Professional-level and higher subscribers can add credit card payment processing via Authorize.net.
- Cash on delivery and digital signatures: OnTime 360 allows your drivers to accept cash upon delivery and tracks these transactions so that you can settle up when drivers return to your location. You can also prompt drivers to collect photographs or customer signatures on their mobile devices to confirm a completed delivery. Digital signatures are automatically stored with the delivery ticket, and you can include them on invoices and customer statements.
- Reporting: Enterprise and Enterprise Plus subscribers gain access to detailed, real-time reports to track information like productivity, sales, and invoices. You can customize reports and invoices with your business logo and revise layouts to meet your business needs. You can export reports as PDFs, Excel spreadsheets, web pages, or text files.
- Quick search: All of OnTime 360’s app screens include a search box that allows you to search for customers or delivery tickets quickly. OnTime 360 searches across all of your records to find matching information and shows results in real time. Your drivers and dispatchers can locate any record from a customer’s name, address, or order number quickly.
- Timekeeping: Users at the Professional level or higher tiers can use OnTime 360 to record employee hours for payroll. This feature is helpful for businesses that dispatch delivery drivers remotely. Drivers can clock in from their smartphone app on the way to their first drop-off location.
Delivery Management
- Scannable color-coding: New, assigned, en-route, and completed deliveries are color tagged so that you can assess their status at a glance.
- Speedy order entry: OnTime 360 auto-populates delivery ticket information with returning customer information.
- Print shipping labels: Print shipping labels, barcodes, or invoices to include with outgoing deliveries.
- Detailed fees: Add multiple delivery fee types and charge individually or stack fees.
- Control user workload: The dispatch screen shows current driver assignments so that you never overload one team member.
- Custom messaging: Send email and text notifications to drivers and customers via the OnTime app.
- Confirm delivery: Require a barcode scan, photo, or digital signature to confirm completed deliveries.
OnTime 360 includes several insightful functions to speed your delivery process. When you start typing a new order into your OnTime 360 dashboard, the system will check the information automatically against your existing customer information to generate suggestions to complete the form. Once an order is in the delivery queue, OnTime 360’s color codes will highlight new, assigned, en route, late, failed, canceled, and completed orders. The dispatch screen shows you each driver’s assignments so you can assign new orders to nearby drivers and avoid overscheduling one team member.
You have many options for tracking deliveries once they leave your business. You can print invoices, barcodes, or bills of lading to include with outgoing deliveries. Drivers can scan barcodes at various stages of the delivery process or change the delivery status using drop-down menus in the driver app. You can also add a nearly limitless number of delivery fees. Choose to charge basic delivery fees by zone or distance and create additional fees for rush deliveries, one-hour service, or other custom settings relevant to your business.
Once an order has been submitted, you can include a shipping label, waybill, or bill of lading to your shipment. Print it straight from your OnTime 360 dashboard.
(Source: OnTime 360)
Driver Management
- Real-time tracking: OnTime’s dispatch board shows your drivers’ locations.
- Messaging: Email, text, and in-app messaging keep dispatchers and drivers in close communication.
- Choose your routing service: Choose the map that works best for you in your location; OnTime 360 sources maps from 68 different providers.
- Remote dispatch: Allow drivers to clock in from their smartphones and start delivering immediately.
- Self-assigned deliveries: Allow drivers to assign orders to themselves from the driver app.
- View driver history: The app registers and logs driver locations hourly so that you can review drivers’ whereabouts during a specific timeframe.
OnTime 360’s mobile app functions as a remote dispatch tool. Drivers clock in from the app, report completed deliveries, and use it as a routing service to navigate delivery locations.
(Source: OnTime 360)
OnTime 360 supports multiple map routing services, including popular options like Google Maps, Waze, Bing, and Apple Maps. The driver-facing mobile app contains a wealth of tools beyond simple navigation. Drivers make themselves “Available” in the app to receive assigned orders with detailed customer information and delivery instructions. Busy operations can also allow drivers to self-assign deliveries from the unassigned delivery queue. If you dispatch drivers from their home locations remotely, you can also use the driver app as a time clock.
Drivers can communicate in-app with the dispatch team. They can also update customer information from the driver app. So, if a customer’s phone number, preferred address, or delivery instructions change, drivers can attach a note to the customer file in real time. OnTime 360 logs driver locations once an hour, creating searchable driver location history logs. If you need to verify a driver’s location for an accident or a misdelivered order, you can likely confirm your driver’s location.
Customer Management
- Detailed profiles: OnTime’s customer profiles allow you to include custom delivery rates and detailed delivery information like gate codes.
- Customer web portal: Give your customers direct access to dispatching tools, order history, and personal address books.
- Customer self-dispatching: Allow customers to schedule and dispatch their deliveries through the OnTime Customer Web Portal.
OnTime 360’s customer profiles are some of the most detailed available in any delivery management system. You can include a wealth of contact information, multiple delivery addresses, and detailed delivery instructions. If your driver needs to watch out for an overly protective guard dog or put in a security code to access a building, you can attach this information to the customer profile.
Enterprise and Enterprise Plus subscribers can expand their customer experience by offering an OnTime supported Customer Web Portal. The web portal can link to your business website. You can customize your customer portal to match your website design for a fee. This portal allows your customers to view their outstanding invoices and upcoming deliveries. They can also edit their delivery information and self-schedule future deliveries. Your customers do not count as “users” for pricing your OnTime 360 subscription.
It would be nice to see some marketing integrations to leverage the rich customer profiles that OnTime 360 supports. OnTime users can customize all of their in-app email messages and invoice templates. This is an easy place to include information about upcoming events or promotions. Alternatively, users can export their customer information in a .csv file and upload this list into a separate program like Mailchimp.
Billing and Invoice Management
- Invoice management: Generate invoices manually or use preset billing cycle settings to auto-generate new invoices.
- Customized branding: Format invoices with your logo, location, and contact information.
- In-app communication: Email invoices and balance statements to customers directly from the OnTime management dashboard.
- Accounting integration: OnTime 360 can communicate directly with QuickBooks, FreshBooks, and Xero.
OnTime 360 doesn’t include many prebuilt integrations, but it has a significant area covered—accounting. The system integrates directly with QuickBooks, Xero, and FreshBooks. This simple connection can save small businesses a lot of duplicate paperwork and administrative time.
OnTime 360 includes tools to support billing operations as well. Commercial bakeries, farms, and other vendors that supply business clients can include billing terms in customer profiles and generate invoices and customer statements in the OnTime 360 management dashboard. Alternatively, you can generate new invoices manually for each new order. You can email invoices and statements to your customers directly from your OnTime 360 system.
OnTime 360 Ease of Use
- Comprehensive online resources: OnTime provides a searchable and extensive support site to guide users through the system’s functions.
- In-app tutorials: The OnTime 360 dashboard includes a direct link to training resources.
- Phone support: You can reach an OnTime 360 rep on the phone Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time.
- Emergency assistance: OnTime 360 support representatives are available in off-hours in the case of a system-down emergency.
OnTime 360’s most recent update included four color themes to its dashboard: Colorful, Light, Gray, and Dark.
(Source: OnTime360)
OnTime 360 is built on the Windows operating system, OnTime management and dispatch console have a resemblance to the platform. Split screens show tasks that need your attention—like upcoming billing cycles—and active delivery requests. The main dashboard also includes links to software tutorials if you have questions. A snapshot screen displays your top customers alongside weekly and monthly profitability charts for an at-a-glance assessment.
OnTime 360 users can open multiple report previews at once within the Tracking view.
(Source: OnTime360)
The driver app is streamlined, displaying delivery and customer information on a bright, easy-to-read screen. You’ll want to make sure your drivers operate with the most current app; older versions of the driver app can log active drivers out of the app and prevent you from assigning them new deliveries.
An Order Details view of what drivers see from the OnTime 360 mobile app.
(Source: OnTime360)
Customer support is available in person during standard West Coast business hours. However, the provider promises to connect users to technical support whenever they experience a system-down emergency, even during off-hours.
How OnTime 360 Compares to Alternatives
 |  |  |  |
Best for small restaurants that do a small volume of deliveries | Best for small businesses that want delivery management with a rewards program | Best restaurant POS with built-in delivery management | Best for businesses that want an online ordering software with delivery management and marketing tools |
Pricing: Free; paid plans start at $14.99/month | Pricing: Free; paid plans are priced per ticket ranging from 19 cents to 29 cents | Pricing: Monthly fees starting from $0, with add-ons available | Pricing: 3% commission on delivery orders; custom plans available |
What Users Think of OnTime 360
Users like the streamlined invoicing functions and speed of dispatch tools. A few users feel that OnTime 360 is challenging and takes time to learn. However, others gush about OnTime’s ease of use. OnTime 360 is an incredibly comprehensive system. It may have more bells and whistles than small operations need.
Some users recommend software improvements, such as routing for drivers, automatic cloud updates for invoices, and upgrades to the search bar. Overall, OnTime 360 users rave about the system.
Popular third-party review websites rated OnTime 360 as follows:
- Capterra: 4.3 out of 5 based on more than 30 user reviews
- App Store: 4.7 out of 5 based on more than 1,000 reviews
- Google Play: 4.0 out of 5, based on more than 500 user reviews
Users Like | Users Don’t Like |
|---|---|
Built-in invoicing functions | Learning curve can be steep |
Easy dispatch | Dispatch requires a desktop computer |
Time-saving task automation |
Bottom Line
OnTime 360 is an ideal fit for independent foodservice and retail businesses that want delivery and invoice management in a single software tool. The robust management dashboard and connected driver app communicate seamlessly, allowing small businesses to present the same polished customer experience as a large brand. OnTime 360 offers powerful offline functionality to keep your deliveries running in an internet outage. With prices ranging from $39 to $349 per month, OnTime 360 is accessible for all business sizes. To see if OnTime 360 fits your business, contact the provider for a free trial.
