03. Access Control Pro - Scanning and Admission

How to scan tickets, understand scan results, and admit attendees.

The Scan tab is where operators spend most of their time. It supports four input methods - camera, laser scanner, manual entry, and NFC - and evaluates every scan instantly against locally cached ticket data.

The default scan method. The app uses the device camera with ML Kit barcode detection to read QR codes in real time.

• Point the camera at the QR code on a ticket or customer's screen

• The app detects and processes QR codes automatically

• Tap the torch icon to toggle the flashlight in low-light conditions

• Scanning is rate-limited to one scan every 200 milliseconds to prevent duplicate reads

For devices with a built-in laser scanner (such as Sunmi or other ruggedised Android terminals):

1. Tap the laser icon on the scan screen

2. A dialog appears prompting you to press the device's hardware scan button

3. Press the laser scan trigger - the scanned barcode is processed automatically

Make sure the device's scanner settings are configured to output via virtual keyboard with Enter (or carriage return) enabled. For Code 39 barcodes with lowercase or special characters, enable Full ASCII (also called Extended) in the device's decode parameters.

For situations where a barcode cannot be scanned (damaged ticket, screen glare, etc.):

1. Tap the keyboard icon on the scan screen

2. Enter the barcode number in the text field

3. Tap Validate

Manual entry also accepts input from external keyboard-style barcode scanners - if the input contains a newline character (from the scanner pressing Enter), the barcode is submitted automatically.

When the event's scanning mode is set to NFC or the device is configured for NFC pairing:

• Hold the NFC tag against the device's NFC reader

• The app reads the tag and validates the associated ticket

NFC scanning supports both the device's built-in NFC reader and external Bluetooth NFC readers. See settings and hardware for NFC configuration details.

After a scan, a full-screen result appears showing the ticket status, customer details, and available actions. The top bar colour and icon immediately communicate the outcome.

If a valid ticket is blocked because the device has its ticket type or gate disabled (see filtering scans below), the scan result shows as red even though the ticket itself is valid. The message This device is not enabled to admit this ticket explains why.

The scan result screen displays:

• Customer details - name, email, and optionally customer ID, passport number, or national ID

• Ticket details - ticket type, event name, timeslot (if applicable), seat information (stand, stairs, seat), barcode, and order reference

• Admission status - how many tickets in the order have been admitted out of the total (e.g. "3 / 5")

• Scan history - who last scanned the ticket and when

• Data capture answers - any data capture responses linked to the ticket

• Validity dates - the valid-from and valid-until window

• Add-ons - any add-on items sold with the ticket

When scanning a season ticket barcode that matches tickets across multiple events, the app prompts you to select which event you want to scan the ticket into.

When a scan result is Valid and the ticket type and gate are both active on the device, the Admit ticket button appears (or Collect for product-type items).

Tap Admit ticket to record the admission. The scan is stored locally and synced to the server in the background.

If the scanned ticket is part of a larger order with multiple items, an Admit order button appears alongside the individual admit button. Tapping it shows a confirmation with two options:

• Admit valid - admits only the items that are currently within their validity window

• Admit all - admits all items in the order, including those outside their validity window

If the order contains items that are currently outside their validity period, the confirmation shows how many are currently valid out of the total. For example: "There are only 3 currently valid items, from a total of 5 in the order."

The ability to admit entire orders can be disabled in settings.

When Auto admit is enabled in settings, valid tickets are admitted automatically after scanning - no tap required.

After the auto-admit completes, the result screen closes automatically if Auto close after admitting is also enabled. In laser scan mode, the screen always stays open briefly to allow the operator to see the result.

Enabling auto-admit automatically disables the Ability to admit all setting, since automatic admission operates on individual tickets only.

When Age verification is enabled in settings, the app prompts the operator to verify the customer's age after a valid scan. The screen shows:

• The customer's date of birth (if available)

• Their age on the event date

• A prompt to check the customer's ID

If no date of birth is on record, the operator is prompted to enter one. The entered date of birth is saved to the customer's profile.

The app allows operators to restrict which ticket types and gates the device will accept. This is useful for directing different ticket types to different entry points.

From the Info tab, each ticket type shows a coloured indicator:

• Green - active on this device (scans accepted)

• Red - disabled on this device (scans rejected)

Tap a ticket type to toggle it. A confirmation dialog asks whether you want to enable or disable scanning for that type. When a ticket type is disabled, scanning a ticket of that type shows a rejection even though the ticket itself is valid.

Gates work the same way - each gate in the Info tab can be toggled on or off per device. When a gate is disabled, tickets assigned to that gate are rejected on this device.

Tickets that have no gate assignment are always accepted regardless of gate filter settings.

Tap the clock icon on the scan screen to view a list of the most recent scans. The app stores up to 20 recent scans per event (or per zone), showing the barcode, customer name, email, and scan time for each entry.

When the event's scanning mode is set to Secure QR Only, the app validates time-based dynamic QR codes that rotate periodically. This prevents ticket fraud via screenshot sharing.

The app decodes and validates the secure barcode locally before processing the admission. See secure barcodes for how this feature is configured.