Check-in is the moment an attendee physically arrives and you record their arrival. Happenee handles it in two ways — the mobile Service app (Happenee Service App) on a phone or tablet and the web Check-in tool in the admin. The Service app now has two modes: Staff mode (a host scans QR codes or checks attendees in straight from the Attendees list by name) and Kiosk mode (self check-in, where the attendee scans their own ticket). Check-in takes under a second, can print badges over Bluetooth, and tracks arrivals in real time.
Decide how many check-in points you will run (one entrance, several entrances, coat check, workshop room, shuttle bus) and what behavior each point needs — see Place types for check-in below.
Decide which groups you want shown during scanning (VIP, Speaker, ticket type) and configure them in advance in the check-in setup in the admin.
Order host accounts through customer success if on-site staff need their own sign-in beyond the admin — this is not self-service, so arrange it with lead time.
Download the Service app (Happenee Service App) — for iOS from the App Store, for Android from Google Play. Sign in and test it: pick the event, choose Staff mode or Kiosk mode, select the Check-in place, and pair a printer (see Printing badges).
For attendees without a QR code who need the ticket resent or the QR shown, keep the web Check-in tool ready at the entrance — see below.
Service app (Happenee Service App) — the mobile tool for on-site staff on a phone or tablet. It scans QR codes, checks attendees in from a list by name, prints badges, and can run an unattended self-service mode. Sign-in works under an admin account; for separate host accounts, contact customer success.
Check-in tool — the web tool in the event admin (UI label Check-in). Open it on a laptop from the event's tools. It handles manual check-in and three things the Service app does not yet do: resend the ticket by e-mail, show the QR code on screen, and generate a one-time password for the attendee app. That is why it still has a place at the entrance (see Attendees without a QR code below).
After signing in, pick the event from the list. For the event you choose a mode and a place:
Staff mode ("Scan QR codes") — operated by a host. Scans QR codes and checks attendees in from the list.
Kiosk mode ("Self check-in") — an unattended station where the attendee checks themselves in.
Check-in place — pick one of the places configured in the admin (each has its own behavior type, see below). The app shows place names, not their types.
Printer — optionally pair a badge printer (see Printing badges). Check-in works without one; it just does not print.
Confirm with Continue. You can switch the mode or place at any time (through Switch event in Settings, or back on the selection screen).
The bottom Scan tab is the classic QR scanner ("Scan attendee QR code"). It reads the QR from the confirmation e-mail, the PDF ticket, or the QR ticket feature in the attendee app. After each scan the app shows the result:
a successful check-in — and, with a paired printer, offers to print the badge,
an Already checked in warning (a duplicate scan at a Check-in place), with the option to open the attendee's detail,
an Invalid ticket / Unknown code result, with the option to Enter attendee manually.
A checked in today counter runs at the top, with Recent scans and the printer status ("No printer connected" until you pair one) below.
The bottom Attendees tab is a live list of every attendee — this is where you check in someone who does not have a QR code at hand. It lets you:
Search by name or e-mail and filter by All / Checked in / Pending (plus sorting and a group filter).
Check in with a swipe — swipe a row to Check in, or to Print badge, without opening the detail.
Add attendee — register a walk-in who is not on the list right in the app (e-mail, first name, last name, company, job, tags). Once saved, you can check them in and print a badge.
Open the Attendee Detail with Check in and Print badge buttons, an organizer Note, a Details section (editable through Edit attendee), a Check-in places overview (where and when they were checked in, by whom, and the scan number), and a Scans at this event history.
Each row shows the attendee's RSVP status (Attending / Not responded) and whether they are checked in.
A single check-in point is rarely enough. At larger events you check attendees in at several places — venue entrance, coat check, catering, workshop access. Each place is assigned a type in the admin that matches the behavior you need:
Check-in — the standard entrance. After scanning, the attendee is Checked-in; a second scan of the same QR warns that they have already arrived. (Main venue entrance.)
Check-out — leaving the venue or a part of the event. The status switches to Left, the arrival record stays, and a Check-in place can check them in again. (Leaving the party, ending a block.)
One-time check — a single verification; any further attempt warns that the check already happened. (Voucher or gift pickup.)
Recurring check — repeated scanning with no limit. (Zone access, shuttle-bus boarding, attendance.)
You can combine the types at one event. On-site staff pick which place they are stationed at in the Service app.
In the check-in setup you pick the groups to show during scanning (for example VIP, Speaker, Standard). After a scan, staff see the attendee's group membership next to the name and can spot who needs special handling (a VIP to the lounge, a speaker to backstage). Without a selection, no group is shown.
Groups are populated manually (in Contacts and groups, on import) or automatically (by ticket assignment, a Registration form answer, workshop registration, or a discount code). Details in Working with groups and visibility.
In Kiosk mode the attendee checks themselves in. The mode is designed for display on a tablet mounted on a stand at the entrance: the app prompts the attendee to hold the QR code in front of the camera; after a successful read it confirms their name (and, for a paid event, the ticket type and any companion), prints the badge automatically, and returns to the scanner after a few seconds for the next person. If the scan fails, it asks the attendee to see a staff member.
Use it where you want to shorten the line at the staff desk. It needs a reliable printer, a stable tablet stand, and a short instruction at the kiosk.
A standalone check-in for a specific workshop or time slot is not yet possible — the Service app checks in per place, not per session. You handle it through groups: an attendee registered for a workshop is automatically in that workshop's group, you set the group to show during scanning, you set the door as a Recurring check place, and staff see from the group whether the attendee is allowed in. A direct workshop check-in with its own attendee list is in preparation.
Some people will not have the QR code at hand (deleted the e-mail, did not install the app, registered just now). You now check in most of them directly in the Service app — find them by name on the Attendees tab and check them in, or register a walk-in with Add attendee.
Keep the web Check-in tool at the entrance for what the app cannot do: resend the ticket by e-mail, show the QR code on screen (the attendee or a neighboring station then scans it), and generate a one-time password for the attendee app. For the full procedure, see What to do when an attendee without a QR is stuck in the queue.
From the check-in setup in the admin you can export the full list of scans (who, when, at which place) and per-attendee statistics (who arrived, who did not, repeat scans). This is useful for post-event reporting and for monitoring the on-site flow.
Before the first attendee, confirm you have the right mode (Staff mode vs Kiosk mode) and, above all, the right Check-in place — a scan counts toward the place that is selected. With several entrances, assign each station its own place and type (main entrance = Check-in, a repeated zone = Recurring check, a single handover = One-time check).
Host accounts are turned on by customer success — it is not self-service. Arrange them with lead time, at least a week ahead. As a fallback, staff can sign in under an admin account, but you lose a separate audit of who checked whom in.
You have to pick the groups in advance in the check-in setup. Without that selection, membership is not shown even though the groups exist.
This is not a native feature today — it is handled through groups (the attendee is in the workshop's group, staff see the membership at the door). A direct workshop check-in is in preparation.
The Service app can find, add, and check in an attendee, but it cannot resend the ticket, show the QR on screen, or generate a one-time password. Handle those three in the web Check-in tool — keep it open on a laptop at the entrance.
Keep a backup printer and a backup roll of badges. The most common cause is the wrong badge size — see Printing badges.
