Check-In Day
Run the door at your event with the Check-in Portal - QR scans, ticket codes, guest lookup, and what every scan result means.
Check-In Day
The doors open in an hour, there is a line forming, and the last thing you want is a bottleneck at the front. This guide sets up the Check-in Portal so any staff member with a phone can scan tickets, find guests who lost theirs, and spot a shared QR code - without ever seeing your dashboard or your money.
What You Will Learn
- Find and share the Check-in Portal with door staff
- Scan QR codes, enter ticket codes, and look up guests without a ticket
- Read every scan result, including re-scans and refused tickets
- Handle walk-ins and failures gracefully
How It Works
Every attendee's confirmation email carries a unique QR code. At the door, a scan:
- Validates the ticket against this event.
- Increases the scan count and records the time.
- On the first scan, stamps the attendee's arrival and marks them attending.
Scanning the same ticket again is allowed on purpose - the scan count is what tells your staff a QR code has been shared. Only admissible tickets count: a refunded, unpaid, or wrong-event ticket is refused and shown in red instead.
Step 1: Get the Access Code
- Open the event - you land on the Overview tab.
- In the Event Links card, find Check-in and tap the info button. The Check-in Portal panel opens.
- Copy the portal link and the Access Code (there is a Copy Access Code button).
Step 2: Set Up Your Staff
Send each door person the portal link and the access code. They open it on any phone or laptop, enter the code, and they are in. The portal session is scoped to this one event - the code works nowhere else - and it only allows check-in. Staff never see your dashboard, your full guest list, or any financial data.
Step 3: Work the Door
The portal gives staff three tools:
- Open QR Scanner - point the camera at the ticket. A green result with a success tone means go; the attendee's name and ticket are shown.
- Enter Ticket Code - type the code printed under the QR and hit Verify Ticket. Same result, no camera needed.
- Guest lost their ticket? Find them - enter the guest's exact email or phone number and tap Find, then Check in on the right ticket. Lookup is deliberately exact-match only: there is no browsing the guest list by name from the door. One email returning several tickets is normal - someone bought for their group.
Reading the Results
| Screen | Meaning | What staff do |
|---|---|---|
| Green, success tone | Valid first scan | Let them in |
| Amber "Previously used", warning tone | This QR has been scanned before - it shows when it was first seen | Check the guest is the actual holder before admitting |
| Red panel | Refused: refunded, unpaid, or a ticket for a different event | Do not admit; send them to you |
Walk-Ins
Someone shows up unregistered? From your own dashboard (not the portal): Manage → Manage Attendees → Add attendee, then tap Check In on their row. If they pay you cash at the door, record it with They paid me directly so your list stays honest - that record never touches your Trankets balance. See Managing attendees.
Multi-Day Events
The same QR works every day. Each scan adds to the count and updates the last-scan time, and your dashboard's check-in stats count people through the door - not raw scans.
Practical Preparations
- Internet is required. There is no offline mode - confirm venue connectivity beforehand.
- Print a fallback. Export the attendee list to CSV and print it, so a dead network degrades to a clipboard instead of a stopped line.
- Two devices minimum. Give the code to at least two staff so one dead battery does not close the door.
- Sound on. The portal plays distinct tones for success, re-scan, and refusal - staff can work by ear in a loud room.
Common Issues
- QR will not scan. Poor light or a cracked screen - use Enter Ticket Code or the guest lookup instead.
- Guest not found by lookup. It matches exact email or phone only. Ask for the exact address they registered with.
- Portal rejects the access code. It may have been regenerated - copy the current one from the Check-in Portal panel.
- Too many attempts error. The door screen rate-limits rapid failures; wait a minute and continue.
After the Doors Close
Your check-in data is the best audience filter you have: the people who actually showed up. Import them into a contact group and make the follow-up email the same week - that is where the next event's first fifty tickets come from.