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Scanner FAQ

iTickets Admin
Updated

This article is about the iTickets Scanner app for iOS. For other options, see our Scanner Comparison.

To find your event QR code, click here.

How can I share the Event QR code with other scanning devices?

  • Shareable URL
    Copy the link on the Box Office Scanning page and text or email it to your scanning devices. Recipients can simply press the link to download the event to their scanning app.
  • Printed Paper
    Print the Box Office Scanning page and take it with you. Open the app on your scanning devices, select "Scan Event QR Code," and scan the QR code from the paper.
  • Device to Device
    Use a nearby device to open the Box Office Scanning page, or a screenshot of its QR code. On your scanning devices, select "Scan Event QR Code" and scan the QR code from the screen.
  • Box Office Login
    Log in to Box Office on your other scanning devices, and tap the QR code on the Scanning page. The event will download to the scanning app.

How long does it take to download tickets after scanning the Event QR code?

Download should take less than 1 second per 100 tickets, or 5 seconds per 500 tickets. If there is a connection issue, the app will time out after trying for about 60 seconds, and switch to Offline Mode.

How long will an event's scanning info stay on a device?

Events will automatically delete from a device 2 days after it is over. Before an event ends, if you remove it from a device and add it back you will lose any pending info, but you can still see total scan amounts.

How do I see which tickets were scanned, from outside the app?

At any time, even after the event is unavailable on your scanning device, you can use Box Office to see which tickets were scanned. Export a list of tickets as shown in this video (use the second Excel icon), open the spreadsheet, and find the column labelled "scanned" (usually one of the last columns, next to "barcode").

How much battery power will a device use when scanning?

Our tests show the app uses 25-30% of battery life per hour. A device charged at 100% should have between 3.5 and 4 hours of scanning time. With most events opening doors 1 hour prior to show, a fully charged device should be more than capable of scanning for an hour and leaving its owner with enough battery power for a few more hours of use. Results will vary per device.

Why should I consider closing other apps when using the scanning app?

Some apps have permission to run for a certain amount of time or do location lookups, etc. while open on your device. By closing all other apps before scanning, you may be able to extend your device's battery life.

How fast do tickets scan?

With the app, one device can scan roughly 100 QR codes in 3 minutes (1.8 seconds per ticket). Barcodes scan slower, at 100 in 5 minutes (3 seconds per ticket).

Why is the Event QR code not scanning?

Make sure you are scanning an Event QR code and not a ticket QR code. Also make sure you have the correct Event QR code. Past events will give a red error: "Event is over. QR code has expired!"

What devices are supported?

iPhone X, XS, XR, 11, 12, 13, 14 (we do not support 4, 5 or 6) running iOS 11.0 and above.

iPads running iPadOS 11.0 and above. (iPads scan more slowly and are not recommended for fast-pace door entry or events with more than 1,000 tickets sold.)

MacBook Pros with M1 chips, running macOS will also work.

Why is a private (staff-only) WiFi network with data strongly recommend?

Once event attendees arrive at the event, many of their devices will connect to any free WiFi available and increase data usage for the area. Having your own hidden, private WiFi for your scanning devices will greatly limit connection issues.

Why do I keep getting the grey error "You just scanned this ticket! You cannot scan a ticket twice?"

QR codes are scanned very quickly. Users often scan a ticket twice in a row without realizing it. If you see this error, it means you already scanned the ticket as "good" a moment ago.

If you get a red error, "Already Scanned," that means the ticket was already scanned by another device, or you scanned it several tickets previously. In this case you should not let the person proceed without looking into it further.

See also: Scan Errors

What happens if a device loses internet/data connection?

If a device loses internet/data connection, it will enter Offline Mode. You will see a Check Internet warning on the Stat Screen. You can continue to scan tickets. All scans will be queued as "pending" until the device reconnects. Once the device reconnects, in about 60-90 seconds,* tickets will start migrating from "Pending Upload" to "Tickets Scanned" on the Stat Screen.

* Syncing time may vary depending on how many tickets the event sold, and how many tickets you scanned offline.

What is the red error, "Event failed to load. You can start scanning tickets in Offline Mode?"

Your device was not connected to internet/data when you scanned the Event QR code. We highly recommend you remove the event, connect your device, and scan the Event QR code again.

If you are unable to scan the Event QR code while connected, you can still use the scanning app. Without internet/data, the app cannot talk to the iTickets server or other scanning devices, so the app will authenticate tickets based on a secret checksum algorithm. This means it will only verify whether or not the ticket belongs to the event. It will not catch void or invalid tickets, or tickets scanned by another device. All scans will be queued in "pending" until the device reconnects.

Once the device reconnects, in about 60-90 seconds,* tickets will start migrating from "Pending Upload" to "Tickets Scanned" on the Stat Screen. On the Ticket Search Screen, if the tickets are confirmed good they will turn green. If the server finds that the tickets were invalid, they will turn red.

* Syncing time may vary depending on how many tickets the event sold, and how many tickets you scanned offline.

How do I see number of tickets scanned per device?

While in camera mode, tap the scan number in the top right corner. The app assigns each scanning device a unique name randomly. You can find the device name under Device Data on the Stat Screen.

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Disclaimer

No app is crash-proof. With so many different devices, iOS versions, and customized system settings, it is impossible to plan for every combination of things that could cause an app to crash. Our goal is to make a resilient app that can easily recover from crashes. If you find the app has gotten stuck, feel free to quit it by swiping up. You will most likely find that it remembers who you are, your scans, and event info when you relaunch it. (The exception would be un-synced info that was acquired in Offline Mode.) If all else fails, delete and reinstall the app.

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