---
title: Pair a kitchen display
description: Mint a pairing code as an owner, enrol the tablet, unlock the station with a staff PIN, and revoke a device that is lost.
order: 26
updated: 2026-09-16
keywords: KDS, kitchen display, pairing, device, PIN, station, revoke
---

Kitchen displays and counter devices are paired to your organisation with their own credentials. Nobody types an owner password into a tablet.

**Before you start:** owner access with a second factor enrolled. The device is on the outlet network. Kitchen and counter are installed with your installer; this guide covers the pairing step.

## Mint a pairing code

1. Open **Settings › Devices**.
2. Choose **Start pairing** and pick the device type: kitchen tablet or front-of-house display.
3. A short code and a verification address appear. The code expires; mint a new one if it lapses.

## Enrol the device

1. On the tablet, open the verification address shown.
2. Enter the pairing code. The device enrols with its own hardware fingerprint and receives a credential of its own.
3. The device appears in the list with its history.

## Unlock a station for a shift

Each shift, a staff member unlocks the station with their **individual PIN** from the station roster. PINs are managed under **Settings › Devices** by a manager or owner and are never shared. Unlocking records who is at the station.

## Revoke or rotate

A lost or retired device is revoked from the same screen. Revocation needs your authenticator code, is owner-only, and is disabled while a support session is active. Revoked devices stop receiving data within seconds. Credential rotation follows the same rule.

## During an internet outage

The node on your premises keeps the boards running. A staff member can unlock a station with an offline PIN that was staged while the connection was up. If the node cannot prove its clock is trustworthy, the station shows _blocked, manual_ and the kitchen falls back to numbered paper tickets. See [How offline works](/docs/explanation/how-offline-works).

## Related

- [Sell at the counter](/docs/how-to/sell-at-the-counter)
- [Close the cash drawer](/docs/how-to/close-the-cash-drawer)