A completed sale given to the guest at no charge — short for "complimentary" — used for service recovery or promotions.
Comp
A completed sale given to the guest at no charge — short for "complimentary" — used for service recovery or promotions.
A comp (complimentary) is a menu item or check that is rung in as a sale and then given to the guest for free. Unlike a void, the item was made and delivered; unlike a discount, the guest pays nothing for it. Comps are used for service recovery (a remade dish, an apology for a wait), for VIPs, and for staff or promotional meals.
Comps show real cost — the food was produced — so operators track them as a line against sales.
- Controls: reason codes and manager authorization, so comps are attributable.
- Why it matters: comps and voids together are a leading loss-prevention report; a rising comp rate signals either service problems or abuse.
Comps complicate the POS-to-accounting handoff, since a comped sale carries cost but no revenue — one reason some operators scrutinize how their POS categorizes them.