The normal flow
- Look for 언어, English, or a flag before touching the menu.
- Choose 매장 for dine-in or 포장 for takeout.
- Review options, then use 담기 to add the item.
- Open 주문내역 or 장바구니 and select 결제하기.
- Keep the receipt and watch the pickup screen for your number.
Terms to recognize
| Korean | Meaning | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|
| 주문하기 | Start order | Usually the large first button |
| 매장 | Dine in | Food stays in the restaurant |
| 포장 | Takeout | Often paired with a bag icon |
| 담기 | Add | Adds the current item to the cart |
| 결제하기 | Pay | The final action after cart review |
| 취소 | Cancel | Back out without confirming |
The language barrier is usually smaller than the workflow barrier. First identify what decision the screen is asking for; translate only the option labels that change your order.
Find the first decision
A kiosk may begin with an advertisement or a touch-to-start screen. Tap once, pause, and scan the four corners for 언어, English, ENG, or a globe icon. Language controls are commonly placed away from the bright promotional buttons, so rushing into the center of the screen can start the Korean flow before you see them.
The first real question is usually where you will eat. 매장 means the order is for the premises; 포장 means it is packed to go. Some machines use 먹고 가기 and 가져가기 instead. These are equivalent choices. If the shop has no seats, the kiosk may skip this step entirely.
- Do not assume a red button means cancel; color conventions vary by vendor.
- A countdown can reset an inactive order, so photograph an unfamiliar screen before translating it.
- If accessibility controls are offered, they may move key buttons lower on the display.
Separate the item from its options
After choosing a product, a second screen may ask about size, temperature, spice, side dishes, or a set upgrade. 필수 means a required choice and 선택 means optional. 추가 is an extra that can add cost. 가격 next to a plus sign is the amount added, not the total price of the meal.
Before adding the item, check the quantity beside 수량. Then choose 담기 or 장바구니 담기. The cart page may be called 주문내역, 주문목록, or 장바구니. Read the item count and total before choosing 결제하기; this catches duplicated taps and unwanted set upgrades.
Pay, then follow the number
Payment screens can ask you to insert, swipe, or tap a card. 삽입 means insert and 태그 means tap. Do not remove an inserted card until the machine tells you to. If the terminal rejects an overseas card, cancel once and ask at the counter rather than repeating the same payment several times. A failed terminal message does not always mean the order itself was cancelled.
Take the receipt even if you do not need it for expenses. The useful part is 주문번호, your order number. Shops may call the number aloud, show it on a pickup monitor, or mark it 준비중 (preparing) and 완료 (ready). 주문완료 on the kiosk means the order was accepted; it does not mean the food is ready.
- If money appears to have left your account, show the receipt or banking alert before paying again.
- Use 여기서 결제할 수 있어요? to ask, “Can I pay here?”
- When no receipt prints, photograph the final order-number screen.
Sources checked
We use official operators and public agencies for details that can change. The practical interpretation is written and reviewed by MeKorean.
- International visitors’ transportation and payment services guideKorea Tourism Organization
- Basic Korean DictionaryNational Institute of Korean Language