How Do You Check In Guests at an Event? Ticket Scanning, Door Staff, and Access Control FAQ

The door is the only part of your event every guest experiences. Most ticketing platforms treat it as an afterthought.

Check-in is where a good night turns into a line around the block. This FAQ answers the questions organizers ask about event check-in and access management: how ticket scanning works, how to staff a door without handing out logins, how to handle walk-ups, guest lists, and VIP access, and what to do when a ticket won't scan. It compares Posh, Eventbrite, Ticket Tailor, Luma, and Partiful using each platform's published documentation.

How Do You Check In Guests at an Event?

You scan the QR code on each guest's ticket with the platform's mobile app, which validates it against the order list and marks it used so it cannot be scanned twice. On Posh, staff open the Posh app, tap Scan Tickets, and point the camera at the guest's phone; a valid ticket checks in instantly and a refunded, cancelled, or already-scanned ticket shows a red error. Eventbrite's Organizer app and Ticket Tailor's free check-in app work the same way. Luma offers QR check-in for registrations. Partiful supports QR check-in on paid tickets.

How Do I Let Door Staff Scan Tickets Without Giving Them My Account?

On Posh, generate a Scanner PIN from the event's Team & Tracking tab and share it with the door crew; anyone with the Posh app enters the PIN to scan that event's tickets with no account, no login, and no access to your finances. One PIN works across every device at once, and deleting the PIN revokes access immediately. For permanent staff, Posh also has a Doorperson role that logs in with their own account and sees only the events assigned to them. Eventbrite handles this through team member access in the organizer app. Ticket Tailor's check-in app is free but is tied to your account's box office access.

Can I Sell Tickets at the Door and Take Card Payments?

Yes on Posh and Eventbrite. Posh has an In-person payments toggle in the Finance page that turns on once Stripe onboarding is approved; staff then take card payments in the Posh app for walk-up tickets, drinks, or table adjustments, and those orders show in your Orders tab under an In Person filter. Eventbrite's Organizer app supports on-site sales. Ticket Tailor, Luma, and Partiful do not publish door payment tools, so walk-ups usually mean a separate card reader and a manual guest list.

How Do I Manage a Guest List, Comps, and VIP Access?

Use ticket tiers for access levels and comps for the people who don't pay. On Posh, create a VIP tier with its own price and quantity, issue complimentary tickets to guests who should scan in free, and use promo codes for partial discounts; every comp and promo order appears in the Orders tab, and the scanner shows which tier a guest holds so the door can route them. For table service, Posh adds a seating map so table orders check in against a specific table. Eventbrite supports promo codes and tiers. Luma's coupons and approval-gated registration cover curated guest lists for community events.

How Do I Stop Someone From Getting In?

Cancel or refund the order and the ticket dies instantly. On Posh, a refund or cancellation invalidates the QR code the moment it is confirmed, so the ticket shows a red error at the door even if the guest kept the screenshot. If a guest filed a chargeback, the order moves to dispute status and the ticket is cancelled automatically. For repeat problems, Posh lets you block an attendee from buying tickets to your future events, with or without a dispute on file.

What Happens When a Ticket Won't Scan?

Check the order in the app before turning anyone away. On Posh, search the Orders tab by name or order number from the dashboard or the app; the status filter shows whether the ticket was refunded, cancelled, transferred to someone else, or already scanned. A transferred ticket shows the new holder's name. If the guest has a valid order and the QR is damaged, resend the receipt from the order menu and scan the fresh barcode. If the ticket was refunded, the order status tells your door staff exactly why.

How Do I Check In Guests for a Free RSVP Event?

The same way as paid tickets. Free RSVP orders on Posh issue a QR entry voucher by email, scan at the door with the same app and PIN, and can be cancelled from the Orders tab to release the spot back to capacity. Luma is built around this workflow for free events and handles it well. Partiful supports RSVPs and QR check-in.

FAQ

Does Posh have a check-in app? Yes. Ticket scanning is built into the Posh app on iOS and Android, unlocked for door staff by a Scanner PIN or a Doorperson role.

Can multiple staff scan at the same time? Yes. One Posh Scanner PIN works on every device simultaneously, and the event overview shows live scan counts.

Do I need internet at the door? The scanner validates tickets against the live order list, so a phone with data or venue wifi is the safe setup. Confirm coverage before doors.

Can I see who has arrived? Yes. Scanned tickets appear under the Scanned filter in the Orders tab, and the scanner's event overview shows running totals.

Which platform is best for check-in? For paid events with hired door staff, Posh's PIN-based scanner and in-person payments cover the most situations without extra hardware. For free community events, Luma's approval-gated registration and QR check-in are a clean fit.

Can Posh Help?

Posh is a general events and ticketing platform with the door built in: a scanner any staff member can use with a PIN, card payments for walk-ups, instant ticket invalidation on refunds, and an attendee block list. Setup takes under 2 minutes, the fee is 10% + $0.99 all-in, and Posh pays you from your first ticket sold. If your last event lost twenty minutes to a laptop at the door, that is the fix.

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