Ready to welcome your visitors? Stager has a scanning app for iOS and Android that lets you easily scan tickets, manage your guest list, and view visitor numbers in a flash.
Here are a few quick tips before you open the doors:
Internet check: If you lose your connection, a red message will pop up at the top of your screen.
Stay logged in: Does the app keep logging you out at the door? It does this for security if your device doesn't have a screensaver. Set up a PIN or pattern on your scanning device to stay logged in.
Speed things up: The app reads both barcodes and QR codes, but QR codes scan much faster. Encourage ticket-buyers to open their ticket directly in their phone's browser so they don't have to download a PDF first.
Logging in to the app
There are two ways to log into the app to start scanning:
Log in as a scan device
You do not need a backstage user account for this method.
Open the Stager app and select the bottom button Log in as scan device.
Scan your organization's QR code. You can find this in the backstage via Settings - Ticketing - Scan devices (you can print this out) or show it directly from another (backstager user's) app via Settings - Scan device.
Log in as a backstage user
If you have the right permissions, simply log in with your Stager email address and password.
If you do not have these permissions, you can request them with a colleague (or sometimes enable them yourselves) via Settings - Account - Users, then you select the user and go to Permissions. Under 'Ticketing' enable Scan tickets, if the user also needs guest list access, enable Guests as well.
Scan settings
Always check your settings before you start scanning, so the app behaves exactly how you want it to.
Scan sounds: Choose the audio cues you hear for an OK or faulty ticket.
Camera mode: Select whether to use the front or rear camera. Use the front camera if you are setting up a self-scan column.
Check-in: Set how many minutes, hours, or days before an event it should appear in the app.
Kiosk: Activate this for scanning terminals. It removes navigation buttons so the public can't poke around in the app. Set a PIN code to log out, and simply tap the blue bar at the top of the screen when you need to enter it.
Start scanning
Tap Check-in in the app to see your upcoming events.
Select the correct event(s) (you can scan several simultaneously) and choose the ticket types you want to scan. This is highly useful if you for example sold parking tickets, but only want to scan entrance tickets at the front door. Click Start scanning.
You now have four options in the yellow bar at the top:
Camera
Use your device's camera to scan both QR codes and barcodes. You will get one of three notifications, each with its own color and sound:
Blue: QR/Barcode is OK.
Red: QR/Barcode is faulty. A message will tell you why (e.g., "Barcode already scanned" or "Barcode Unknown").
Photo pop-up: Shows the ticket-buyer's photo for verification on personal membership tickets.
Scanlist: The last notification stays at the bottom of the screen; tap it for more details. For a full overview of your current session, click the menu icon (three lines) in the top right corner. This list clears after each session.
Tip: Test your camera beforehand with a sample ticket downloaded from Settings - Ticketing - Design.
Barcode
Use this tab for infrared scanners (which often lack cameras), external USB scanners, or Bluetooth scanners.
Select the input field and scan. You may occasionally need to tap the yellow Check the code button.
Tap Hide keyboard to keep your screen clear.
Warning for Honeywell users: Do NOT allow the app to access your camera, or the device will switch off its infrared scanner.
Contact
Phone screen completely shattered? Printed ticket crumpled beyond recognition? No problem. Search for the ticket-buyer by name in this list and check them in manually. Doing this invalidates their original ticket.
Guests
Search or scroll through your guest list. Check in contacts by name, and easily switch back to the Camera tab for the next person in line.
Handling memberships at the door
Membership barcodes (found under the Memberships tab) entitle the holder to different perks. Here is how to handle them:
Membership tickets: These are purchased discount tickets and act like regular tickets. The ticket-buyer must show this downloaded ticket at the entrance to be scanned. Their personal membership barcode will not grant them access.
Guest tickets (Web): These grant free admission and are downloaded from the ticket shop. The downloaded ticket is scanned just like any other. The personal membership barcode will not work here either.
Guest tickets (Door): If the ticket type is set to door, members do not download anything. Simply scan their personal membership barcode (often printed on a physical member card) at the door to grant them access.
Alternative scanning methods
Scanning via laptop (USB/Bluetooth)
You can plug a barcode scanner into a computer via USB, or connect one via Bluetooth. The computer treats the scanner like a lightning-fast keyboard.
In the backstage, navigate to Ticketing - Door sales and select Scan tickets in the gray bar.
Choose your event, click the Ticket code field, and start scanning. This is great if you are selling door tickets on the same laptop, though it is slightly slower than the app.
Manual check-in via Backstage
You can check visitors in without a scanner directly from your computer.
Go to Ticketing - Ticket Management and search by name, order number, or ticket code.
Select the tickets, click Actions, and choose Scan in the yellow bar at the bottom. You can also un-scan tickets this way.
Hardware recommendations
If you want to use professional infrared scanners, the following came out on top during our Stager compatibility tests:
Unitech PA768 (WiFi + SIM card option)
Unitech EA630 Plus (WiFi only)
As a Stager user, you get a sweet discount! Contact our hardware partner at sales@tls-bocasystems.com and mention that you work with Stager.
Logging out scanner
In the backstage (Settings - Ticketing - Scan devices), you can see all devices currently logged in. You can log them out individually or all at once.
Regenerating the QR code
For security reasons, we recommend periodically clicking Regenerate QR code. This invalidates the previous QR code, so if you have it printed somewhere, you will have to print it again.
Scan Manual
