Scanning - All you need to know

In this article we will walk you through all there is to know about scanning with Ticketsolve.

We'll first walk through how to log into Ticketsolve's CheckIn App and then how to use the CheckInApp with mobiles and/or scanners (sneak preview - it's super easy!). This article will also cover how to know if a scan has been successful and identifying ticket information from the app.

We've also included some options for scanning hardware (both mobile devices and handheld scanners), tips on how to customise the CheckInApp, and how to choose between barcodes and QR codes.

Ready to start scanning? Let's go!...

Logging in

To get logged in on your scanning device, go to your CheckIn account which will be in this URL format: accountname.ticketsolve.com/checkin and replace accountname with what your account is called. It will be the same account name from your usual Box Office login page: accountname.ticketsolve.com/admin

You log in to the app using your usual login details from the box office page.

Scanning_1.png

How to use the CheckIn App

Select scan mode

Once you're logged in, ensure your device is ready to scan in either camera mode or scanner mode. To do this:

  1. Go to Settings >Scanning Devices.
  2. Enable the setting "Use camera" to scan with the device's camera. Disable the setting to use a scanner.
  3. Click Save.

If using a handheld scanner with a mobile, make sure it's connected to your mobile!

 

Scan for one event

To scan for one event:

  1. Go to the home page.
  2. Select the Show, and then the Event you want to scan in.
  3. Click Enter scan mode
  4. Start scanning tickets with your mobile or scanner.
  5. To manually check-in customers, go back to step 2, and click on the toggles next to each ticket.

 Ticketsolve Tip

You can search for a customer by clicking the search icon at the top right of the page, and search for the customer's name or order number. By default, orders are organised by customer surname alphabetically, and then the order number.

 

Scan for selected events

To scan for selected events:

  1. Go to the home page.
  2. Select the Show, and then the Event you want to add to your list of events to be scanned in.
  3. Click the three dots on the top right of the screen.
  4. Click Add to scan selected.
  5. Repeat steps 2-4 for each event you want to add to your list.

When ready to start scanning:

  1. Go to the home page.
  2. Select the Scan Selected (bookmark) icon on the bottom tab.
  3. Click Enter scan mode to start scanning for all events in the saved list or...
  4. ...Select an individual event to manually check-in customers.

To remove events from Scan Selected:

  1. Go to Scan Selected.
  2. Click the three dots on the top right of the page.
  3. Click Remove all from scan selected.

 

Scanning in offline mode

You'll need the device to be connected to the internet before you start using the offline mode. To prepare the CheckIn App for offline mode:

  1. Log into the app as normal.
  2. Go to Settings > Offline passwords.
  3. Enter your offline password and click Save. Note: you will need to enter a password on each device if you use multiple devices.
  4. Go to the home page.
  5. Go to the Show, and then the Event you want to download for offline mode.
  6. Click the three dots on the top right of the screen.
  7. Click Download for offline use.
  8. Repeat steps 4-7 for each event you want to download for offline mode.
  9. Once you're ready to go offline, disconnect the device from any internet connection.
  10. Refresh the page you are on and you should be prompted to log in using the offline password 
  11. Enter the offline password and log in.
  12. You will now be in offline mode, and only able to scan the events you have downloaded.
    • You can scan for all events by clicking Enter scan mode...
    • ...Or select an individual event to scan for one event only.

 Important

There are a few things to be aware of with using offline mode:

  • When using offline mode, your check-in counter (found on the scanning page) only counts the number of tickets scanned on your device. If using multiple devices offline to scan, you will need to manually add up the check-in counter on all devices for a more accurate count of checked-in tickets.
  • Each scanning device that the event is downloaded to will have a full list of every ticket. This means that a ticket can in theory be scanned in multiple times, because each scanning device will be able to scan it in once.

To remove an event(s) from your offline mode list of events, you can be online or offline:

  1. Go to the Show and then the Event.
  2. Click on the three dots on the top right of the page.
  3. Click Remove offline access.

Logging out

To log out of the app:

  1. Go to the home page.
  2. Click the red logout button.

How to identify ticket information

When scanning tickets, checked in tickets are logged with different colours and sounds notifying you of successful check ins, duplicate check ins, or errors.

Colour Sound Meaning
Green Beep Successful checkin
Amber Boing Duplicate checkin
Red Two-tone One of several errors:
  • The ticket does not belong to the scanned event(s)
  • QR code is not from a ticket sold through the system

When scanning, you are given all of the important details of a ticket on the screen, and a handy check-in counter! 

Scanning_-_Ticket_Info.png

Hardware options

You can scan tickets using one of three setups:

Mobiles

When selecting a mobile to scan with, we advise using Android devices as the CheckIn App is optimised to work on Android devices with the latest version of the Chrome browser.

With technology forever improving, we recommend checking out the latest smartphones to ensure you're getting a device that will last and can perform well with frequent use. Here are some things to bear in mind:

  • Camera quality if scanning with the phone (can it scan well in dark areas?).
  • It has the latest version of Android (and can be updated in the future).
  • The processer specification and RAM size (ideally the device can cope with constant camera use and can run a couple of apps simultaneously without error).
  • Battery size (can it run for as long as you require).

We typically suggest Moto smartphones as they're a known brand and their devices are fairly affordable. Here are a couple of models to consider (as of Oct 2024):

  • Moto G14 - approximately £140/€150

  • Moto G54 - approximately £180/€210

Handheld scanner to pair with a mobile

There are many small handheld scanners that pair with mobile phones via Bluetooth and/or USB. Some even allow you to mount your mobile to the scanner so you only have to hold one item whilst scanning.

There are many models at varying prices, so when looking for a scanner it's best to bear in mind:

  • How fast can it scan.
  • It scans QR codes and bar codes.
  • Battery life.
  • Connectivity - Bluetooth and/or USB?

Among the many pocket scanners out there, two options to consider (as of Oct 2024) are:

2-in-1 scanner

2-in-1 scanners are more costly because they have an Android system integrated with the scanner, so you only need one device to start scanning. These tend to be more ruggedly built for purpose-use at venues. Still, bear in mind:

  • Does it have the latest version of Android (and can be updated in the future).
  • The processer specification and RAM size (ideally the device can cope with constant camera use and can run a couple of apps simultaneously without error).
  • Battery size (can run  for as long as you require).

There are many scanners out there, but a few models to consider include (as of Oct 2024):

How to change the number of future events visible in the CheckIn App

If you would like to decrease or increase how far ahead you can see events in the CheckIn App:

  1. Go to your admin login: accountname.ticketsolve.com/admin.
  2. Go to Settings > General Settings.
  3. Find the setting "ticketmobile shows days in future". 
  4. Amend the setting (in days), and click Update.

How to swap from barcodes to QR codes

If you would like to switch the barcodes on your ticket/e-ticket templates to barcodes:

  1. Go to your admin login: accountname.ticketsolve.com/admin. 
  2. Go to Settings > General Settings.
  3. Find the setting "Barcode format".
  4. Select the code format you want:
    • QrCode
    • Code128B (barcode)
  5. Click Update.

Troubleshooting

Need to switch between the scanner and the camera?

If you need to use the scanner instead of the device's camera, or vice versa, you can change your scan mode. See how to do this here.

Need to see more events in the Checkin app?

Do you need to see events in the future that aren't displaying in the Checkin app? By default you can see events that take place in the next 3 days, however, you can set the number of days yourself. To learn how to do this, click here.

The scanner isn't recognising tickets when scanned.

Some new devices will not scan tickets correctly the first time and will cause an error whilst scanning due to the device's default settings. To fix this:

  1. Open your scanning device and go to the devices Settings app.
  2. In the Settings, find the Scanner Settings.
  3. Click on the setting Wedge, then Keyboard Wedgee Input Mode.
  4. Select the input mode Key Pressure.

If you use the Janam XT40 to scan for the first time you might find using it's built in scanner isn't working for you. To fix this issue:

  1. Open up the scanner and go to Scanner Settings.
  2. Scroll down and select Special Settings.
  3. Find the setting called Character Delay and set it to 5ms.

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