A checklist for a smooth door with phone check-in
3 min read
The line outside is the first thing people remember. Here’s how to keep it moving with nothing more than a few charged phones.
A slow door can sour a great night before anyone hears a note. The good news is that you don’t need rented scanners or a box office. Every ticket has a QR code, and your phone’s camera reads it. What makes the difference is the setup you do in the hour before doors open.
The day before
- Decide who is working the door and make sure each person can sign in to the organizer dashboard.
- Open your event, choose Check in, and scan a test ticket so everyone knows what a good scan looks like.
- Check your ticket types. Group tickets and tables issue one QR code per person, so a table for 6 means 6 scans.
- Post a short reminder to ticket holders: have your ticket open and your screen brightness up.
At the venue
- Test mobile data or Wi-Fi at the exact spot where the door will be. Basements and concrete walls kill signal.
- Bring a battery pack for every phone that will scan. Scanning all night drains batteries fast.
- Set up one scanning phone for roughly every 150 to 200 people you expect in the first hour.
- Use a second line for problems, so one buyer looking for an email doesn’t hold up everyone behind them.
- Keep a bright light at the door. Cameras read codes far more reliably in good light.
When a code won’t scan
Cracked screens and dim phones happen. Every ticket also carries a short code printed under the QR code that you can type in by hand. Train your door staff to switch to typing after one failed scan rather than trying the camera five times.
Hidden locations and late arrivals
If you kept the address private, only ticket holders can see it on their order page. Expect a few messages from people who bought on someone else’s phone, and have a staff member ready to answer them. For late arrivals, keep one phone signed in after the main rush so you’re not unlocking the door kit at midnight.
After doors close
Check-in numbers show up in your dashboard as people arrive. Look at them the next day: how many no-shows you had and when the rush peaked will tell you how many scanners and staff to plan for next time.