Electronic Ticketing & Barcode Access Control

If you want to check for invalid or duplicate tickets during an event, you need access to a ticket database to associate with one of our validation services. You can easily upload a CSV file to CodeREADr’s servers. (After logging in, just click the “Import / Export” tab on the Databases page.) You can also use our Postback URL service to access a database hosted on your own servers. (NOTE: Postback URL is an advanced feature that requires IT integration.)

You can easily create a database for electronic ticketing or any other purpose with a basic text editor like Notepad or TextEdit. We’ve created detailed instructions for doing so. Each database can have two fields – the Value field (mandatory) and the Response field (optional).

Values are your ticket IDs. They can contain letters, numbers, and even international characters. We generally recommend values of 20 characters or less for the rapid scanning of small barcodes.

Responses are the text that will be displayed to an app user after scanning an associated barcode value. The app user has the ability to search values and response texts both on-device and online. Technically, responses are specific to each value, but you can make them the same for all values. Typical responses might include the event name, ticket holder name, venue, seat number, and even an email address or URL. Entering a ticket holder name as a response is particularly useful is the Name for searching and validating in case of a lost or forgotten ticket.

For a single event, you will need to create at least one unique set of credentials for our smartphone application and grant them access to the service created for the event. You can create one app username and password for all expected to scan at the event, or you can assign a username/password to each employee for greater accountability.

For service providers or event managers handling multiple clients, you will need to create at least one unique app user per client. If you or your clients handle multiple venues, you will also need to create at least one username for each venue. Generally, the best and easiest method is to create at least one unique app user for each event.

For security purposes, we offer the ability to set a device limit for each app user. Otherwise, users can sign in to our smartphone application on any compatible device. If you are sharing one set of credentials among multiple employees for an event, we recommend setting the device limit a few above your employee count in case extra scanners are needed.

Though not absolutely necessary, it can be helpful to name your devices for tracking purposes. After logging in, click the “Authorized Devices” tab on the Preferences page. For example, if one person is responsible for or always using that device, you could name the device after that person for tracking purposes. You can also name a device after the scanning function(“Will Call”, “Gate”, “Parking Lot”, “VIP Line”).

Some venues issue tickets by the gate, line, color, or other differentiation methods and may have a different entrance for advance and on-site purchase. If you use a dedicated device to scan each type, you can easily check duplicate tickets  with on-device validation without syncing.

You can create questions for an app user to ask ticket holders while scanning. After logging in, click on the “Create a Question” button on the Data Collection page. A user can manually enter information with a mobile device’s keyboard or tap an option on a multiple-choice question. We recommend creating multiple-choice questions over manual entry to keep from holding up a line while an app user types in a long answer.

With this feature, you can collect anything from demographic info (“What is your zip code?”) to a call to action (“Would you like to join the fan club?”).

Data collection results from a service, such as electronic ticketing are appended to scan data when posted to our servers. If you are using our APIs or a Postback URL service, the receipt of this data could trigger an event, like sending a text message or email.

We strongly recommend using QR codes for access control whenever possible. Why? Tickets are increasingly being presented to scanners on the electronic displays of mobile devices. The easiest barcodes to scan from an electronic display are QR codes.

We recommend printing QR codes at 0.7” (17.8mm) to 1.0” (25.4mm) square, including a mandatory white border at least the size of one element of the code. The better the camera on your device, the smaller the QR code it can scan.

When using a device with an auto-focus camera, our apps can read UPC/EAN, Code 39, Code 128, and more. Importantly, our scanning technology and smartphone hardware are improving on a regular basis.

For events scanning a large number of tickets, you may want to upgrade to our SD PRO scan engine. It still uses the devices built-in camera but its much faster than our standard scan engine. You can also use a Bluetooth accessory or a PC or MAC with USB scanners. You have many options for scanning.

To calculate the number of devices you will need, assume an average speed of 10 tickets scanned per minute per device. For example, let’s say 30 people will arrive per minute at the peak of your event. Also, you may want them to wait in line for a maximum of 1 minute. Then, we suggest deploying 3 active devices and a spare unit.

From our experience, most charged devices should be able to scan for several hours. Consider getting an external battery pack. Default brightness settings, Auto Next Scan disabled, Wi-Fi on, the internal battery only.

Ideally, you should print tickets on smooth, non-gloss paper stock.

• When scanning for barcode access control, make sure to practice! Importantly, keep your device stable and avoid shadows or glare on the target barcode.
• Sign in to the app. Then, select the event’s service before the event while you know you have internet connectivity. This procedure downloads the correct services and databases onto your device.
• Make sure to charge your devices before an event. To conserve battery, keep brightness low and disable Wi-Fi if you don’t need it during an event.
• You can set most devices to never power down while scanning. However, to save battery, you can set the device to auto-lock after a certain duration when the device is idle. Also, on iOS devices, you can use the Sleep/Wake button while saving the app’s state. Avoid using the Home button, as it will close the app.
• Smartphones usually try to connect via Wi-Fi before they try 3G/4G.

First, you can use the app’s History button to view barcode access control data or connect to the CodeREADr.com. After logging in, click on the Scans page. From the Scans page, you can sort the data by keyword, timestamp, service, user, device, and validation status. Also, you can export the sorted data.