Overview
Access control handles how attendees are admitted to an event. Attendees are scanned in (and optionally out) of zones — configurable areas on an event that define their own scanning rules, capacity limits, and entry restrictions. Every event automatically gets a default zone called Entry, configured with in-only scanning and single access. You can use this zone as-is for simple events, or create additional zones for different areas of your venue — VIP sections, stages, product collection points, and so on. Zones are managed from the event dashboard. Scanning is performed using the Access Control Pro mobile app, the Box Office Pro app, or directly from the admin panel.How It Works
Scanning Mode
The scanning mode is an event-level setting that controls how the Access Control Pro app identifies tickets. It is configured from the event dashboard.| Mode | Description |
|---|---|
| QR Only | Scans standard QR codes and barcodes printed on tickets or displayed in the customer’s account. |
| Secure QR Only | Scans time-based dynamic QR codes that rotate periodically, preventing screenshot sharing. See secure barcodes. |
| NFC | Uses NFC tags paired to tickets for tap-based entry. See NFC pairing. |
The scanning mode only affects the mobile app. Admission through the admin panel is not affected by this setting.
Zones
Creating a Zone
Zones are created from the Zones tab on the event dashboard. The zone form is split into four sections: Basic Details — the zone name and an optional opening/closing date range. If set, scanning is restricted to within this window. Access Control — controls which items can enter the zone and whether the attendee list is visible in the app. See eligible items and hiding attendees. Scanning Settings — the zone’s scan mode, scanning accuracy, capacity, and scan limit. Advanced Settings — age restrictions, auto scan-out, and ignoring validity dates.Scan Modes
Each zone has its own scan mode that controls how entry and exit are tracked.| Mode | Description |
|---|---|
| In Only | Attendees are scanned in. No exit scanning. Suitable for general entry gates where you only need to know who has arrived. |
| In/Out Manual | The operator selects whether they are scanning an attendee in or out. Tracks current occupancy and visit duration. |
| In/Out Automatic | The system determines whether to scan in or out based on the attendee’s current status. Tracks current occupancy and visit duration. |
Scan Limits
Each zone can be set to unlimited access (attendees can re-enter as many times as they like) or single access (each ticket can only be scanned in once — subsequent attempts are rejected). The default Entry zone is created with single access. Manually created zones default to unlimited access.Scanning Accuracy
Scanning accuracy controls what happens when a single scan reveals more than one eligible item — for example, scanning a ticket that also has eligible add-ons.- Precision scanning — displays a confirmation screen prompting the operator to select the specific item being scanned. Recommended for areas that require precise reporting on which item was admitted at what time, such as product collection zones.
- Rapid scanning — the first eligible item is selected automatically. Recommended for areas that demand faster scanning speeds and are mostly interested in who can access rather than which specific item was used.
When using In/Out Automatic mode, rapid scanning is enabled automatically.
Capacity
For zones using an in/out scan mode, you can set a maximum capacity — the number of attendees allowed in the zone at any one time. Leave this blank for unlimited capacity. Capacity is not available for in-only zones, since in-only scanning does not track whether attendees are still present.Eligible Items
By default, all barcoded items on the event (tickets, products, guest lists, season tickets) can be used to access every zone. To restrict a zone to specific items, enable Select specific items and choose which sale items should be permitted. Bundles and add-ons do not scan as a single unit. Every item in a bundle receives its own barcode and is treated as a completely separate scannable item — each one is checked against the zone’s rules individually. This means different items in the same bundle can be assigned to different zones, have different validity dates, and be scanned at different times. The same applies to add-ons: they scan independently of their parent item.Age Restrictions
Zones can optionally enforce minimum and/or maximum age limits. This requires the date of birth data capture field to be enabled on your account. If an attendee’s date of birth is not available, it is at the operator’s discretion whether to admit them.Auto Scan-Out
For zones using an in/out scan mode, you can schedule auto scan-out times — specific dates and times at which all attendees currently in the zone are automatically scanned out. This is useful for clearing a zone at the end of a session, shift, or event day. Setting a time in the past will immediately scan out everyone currently checked into the zone.Ignoring Validity Dates
When Ignore item validity dates is enabled on a zone, the zone does not check sale item validity dates when admitting attendees. This is useful for zones that should accept any valid ticket regardless of time restrictions.Hiding Attendees
When Hide attendees is enabled, the attendee list is hidden from the zone view in the Access Control Pro app.Validity Dates
Validity dates control when a ticket is valid for entry. They are configured per sale item under Scanning Settings and determine when the scanning app will accept a scan.Check-in Time Options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Anytime | The ticket can be scanned at any time before, during, or after the event. |
| One hour before | Valid from one hour before the event start time until the event end time. |
| Custom | Set specific valid-from and valid-until dates and times. |
Grace Period
A grace period (in minutes) can be set on each sale item to extend the validity window in both directions. For example, a 15-minute grace period allows scanning 15 minutes before the valid-from time and 15 minutes after the valid-until time.The grace period only applies when scanning into zones where validity date checks are enabled (i.e. where Ignore item validity dates is not turned on).
Showing Check-in Times to Customers
You can optionally display check-in times to customers by enabling Show check in times to customer on the sale item. When enabled, validity times are displayed within the customer account, order confirmation, and event media templates.Admitting Attendees
Via Access Control Pro
Access Control Pro is the primary way to scan attendees at an event. The typical flow is:- Sign in to the app with an authorised user
- Select the event and zone
- Scan customer barcodes or NFC tags
- Review the allowed/denied feedback on screen
Via Box Office Pro
The Box Office Pro app can also perform admission scanning, using the same zone rules as Access Control Pro. This is useful where the same team handles both sales and entry.Via Admin Panel
Attendees can be admitted directly from the admin panel. This is typically used for troubleshooting, supervised entry, or resolving edge cases that mobile operators escalate. Bulk scanning is supported — multiple barcodes can be submitted in a single request. If any item in a bulk scan is denied, the entire batch is rolled back to prevent partial admissions. Admin admission requires either permission to edit the event or permission to edit the specific zone. Admission can also be performed via the API. Use the Retrieve Entry Tickets endpoint to look up ticket details, and Admit Entry Tickets to process scans programmatically. For guest list management, use the Retrieve and Update Guest List Attendees endpoints.Zone Statistics
The zones listing on the event dashboard displays live statistics for each zone:- Attendance — the number of people admitted into the zone out of the total number of eligible items.
- Capacity — current occupancy relative to the zone’s capacity limit (in/out zones only).
Reports
Three reports are available from the zones listing:- Scanning Report — detailed log of all individual scans across zones.
- Zone Summary Report — aggregated statistics per zone.
- Customer Journey Report — tracks each attendee’s movement across zones.