The short answer
Find them by name. If you have a guest list you can search, a lost ticket takes a few seconds: look up the name or email, check they have a valid booking, and let them in. A QR code is a shortcut, not the only proof.
What you want to avoid is a queue stalled behind one person scrolling through their inbox.
Step the person aside
When someone cannot find their ticket, do not try to solve it in the middle of the queue. Ask them to step to one side, keep scanning everyone else, then help them. One volunteer on “problems” makes a big difference on a busy door.
Look them up
Ask for:
- the name the booking is under
- the email address they used, if the name does not match
- who they came with, since a friend may have booked for them
Search your list. If they are there and not already checked in, check them in and you are done. If someone has already been checked in under that name, that is worth a closer look: it may be a friend who used the ticket, or a mix-up between two people with the same name.
Help them find it next time
Most lost tickets are not lost. They are in a different inbox, in the spam folder, or under a name someone else booked. Tell people before the event where their ticket will come from and what the email subject looks like. A reminder the day before with the ticket attached also helps, because it puts the ticket at the top of their inbox right when they need it.
When they are not on the list
Sometimes the person booked a different date, or for a different event, or the payment did not go through. Be kind and clear. If you have room, you can sell them a ticket at the door. If they believe they paid, take their email and sort it out after the event, rather than arguing in front of the queue.
On One Ticket
The door tool finds a guest by name or by ticket code, so you can check someone in without their QR code. It shows whether they are already in, and you can undo a check-in made by mistake.
Attendees can find every ticket they hold at their tickets page, signing in with a code sent to their email, with no password to remember. Tickets also arrive with the reminders the day before and the morning of. From the attendee list you can email someone’s tickets again.
If there is space and they are not booked, add them at the box office as cash or card at the door, with no booking fee.
Related: How to check people in at the door with a phone, How to make event tickets with QR codes and How do I let a volunteer run check-in?
Answers to your questions
Is One Ticket free to use?
Yes. The Free plan has everything you need to sell tickets, with no monthly cost, no setup fee, no payout fee and no card needed. Pro and Team are open now: upgrade any time in Settings › Plan. Limited-time offer: A$1 for your first year (first 100 organisers), then A$29/month for Pro or A$79/month for Team. Cancel anytime.
Who pays the booking fee?
The buyer, on a paid ticket, on top of the price you set, so you receive 100% of your ticket price. Free tickets carry no fee.
When do I get paid?
Ticket money goes to your own Stripe account, with no payout fee from One Ticket. Until your first paid event has gone cleanly, it is paid out two days after each event; after that, it is paid out as it sells.
Can I run a free event?
Yes. A free ticket costs nobody anything, and you don’t need Stripe connected to run a free event.
Do people need an account to book?
No. They book on their phone or computer without an account, and their tickets arrive by email with a QR code to show at the door.