Access Control
Navigate to: Menu > Acts & Performers > Access Control
On this page
• Access Control Basics
• Exit Scans
• Scanning Result Screens
• Scanning Dashboards and Reports
• The Event Day Live Scanning Dashboard
• Live Scan Data
• Scanning Reports
• Importing External QR Codes
• Exporting Barcodes
• Audiences
• Season Tickets and the Live Scanning Dashboard
Access Control Basics
Backstage Manager adds a QR code to every ticket issued. This QR code can be scanned using the Backstage Manager Scanning App.
Step 1: Set up your ticket templates
To enable access control, you must add a QR code to your ticket designs. There are three types of template you can add:
• Confirmation email design
• E-ticket template
• Ticket design
Step 2: Turn on access control for your events
You can set when access control becomes available before and after each event.
• By default, tickets can be scanned from 60 minutes before your event until 60 minutes after it
• To change this, go to Calendar & Scheduling > Events > select the event
• Change the Scan Start and Scan End settings to the time you need, up to 600,000 minutes
Step 3: Set entrances and scanning rules
You can set the maximum number of times each ticket can be scanned, in total or per day.
• Go to Calendar & Scheduling > Events > select the event > Edit Times
• Set the max scans setting for each ticket
Tickets from certain sections can be assigned to certain entrances in your venue:
• GA entrances: Edit Event > Edit Times > Entrance menu > set the entrance per section
• Seated entrances: Edit Event > Edit Times > seat map > select seats > Entrance button > set the entrance
You can give each entrance its own colour so you can see the full picture at a glance. Check how everything looks by clicking Entrance > View Entrance Map.
Next, generate and print the entrance barcode for each entrance:
• Go to Calendar & Scheduling > Events > select the event > Times and Pricing > Print Entrance Barcode
Always use entrance barcodes. They stop unofficial users from using the scanning app.
Tip: Print the entrance barcodes and hand them to your scanning staff. If a device has problems, the scanner can rescan the entrance barcode and carry on scanning tickets.
Step 4: Choose your scanning method
Option A: Mobile scanning
• Go to Acts & Performers > Access Control > Get App
• Under Mobile Scanning App, click Download on the App Store
• Install the app from the Apple App Store
• Open the app and scan the entrance barcode to link the app to that entrance
• Scan tickets. The app will only accept tickets for that entrance.
• To change entrance, scan the entrance barcode for the new entrance
Option B: Tethered scanning
• Plug your scanning device into your computer
• Click Tethered Device Scanning
• The scanning screen will appear
• Scan the ticket by placing the QR code over the scanner
• The ticket details will appear on screen
• Whether the scan succeeds or fails, scan the next ticket in the same way
Step 5: Scan in and scan out
You can switch the scanning mode to scan out. This lets customers leave and re-enter. See Exit Scans below.
Step 6: Venue Wi-Fi requirements and testing
• Make sure mobile routers have backup power and are secure
• Keep mobile routers physically secure
Step 7: Event day preparation
• Store all scanners in a multi-unit charging dock in a secure place
• Fully charge and test all scanners 24 hours before the event
• Staff doing the scanning should sign scanners out before the event and sign them back in afterwards
• Return scanners to the charging dock once signed back in
Step 8: Agree your failed scan policy
When a scan is not valid, your options are:
• Refuse entry
• Send the customer to the box office for further investigation
• Let each scanner review the error message and decide case by case
• Allow entry and review failed scans after the event to check for patterns
Decide your policy before each event and share it with all relevant staff.
Step 9: How to scan tickets
• Point your device's camera at the QR code. It will focus after a moment.
• Hold the device about 30 centimetres from the QR code
• Make sure the QR code is centred on the screen and fits inside the target
• Wait for the code to scan. Once it is centred, it will scan straight away.
Step 10: Scan result messages
• Green screen (Accept): The ticket is valid and should be accepted
• Red screen (Reject): The ticket is not valid and should not be accepted
See Scanning Result Screens below for the full list of messages.
Step 11: Queue management
Decide on the best queue management system for your venue before the event, so customers get in quickly and safely.
Exit Scans
Navigate to: Acts & Performers > Access Control > Get App
Exit scans let customers leave and re-enter an event.
• The first time a ticket is scanned, it is scanned in
• The first exit scan on a ticket that has been scanned in marks it as scanned out
• Any further exit scans on a ticket that is already scanned out will show an error and a red screen
To switch modes, scan the Scan Out QR code to change to scan out mode, or the Scan In QR code to change back to scan in mode.
Benefits of exit scans:
• Customer satisfaction: Customers can leave and re-enter without any problems
• Efficiency: A single ticket scan is all that is needed to re-enter
• Data collection: Keep track of how many people entered and left
• Reporting: Report on how many times tickets were scanned, to better understand customer activity
Scanning Result Screens
• Successful scan (green): The QR code is valid and the customer should be admitted
• Wrong Scan Time (red): The ticket is for a different event, or it has been scanned too early for entry to this event
• Scan Limit Reached (red): The ticket has been scanned more than the maximum number of times allowed
• Invalid QR Code (error message "Scan a valid code"): The ticket or barcode comes from another system and was not issued by Backstage Manager
• No Valid Items for Contact (red): The QR code is for a contact or season card. The card is valid, but there are no valid events taking place at this time.
• Blank white screen: The scanning app has lost its internet connection
Scanning Dashboards and Reports
Real-time dashboards
Navigate to: Reports & Insights
The dashboard gives you a quick snapshot of ticket sales activity. It includes:
• Items Sold: The number of tickets sold across all events over the past 7 days. This helps you spot peaks and dips in activity. The chart refreshes in real time.
• Items Summary: Tickets sold per event, with accepted and rejected ticket scans
• Items by Source: Tickets split between online orders and box office orders
• Tickets Sold by Offer Type or Promo Code: Shows which offers are working well and which are less popular
• Items by Type: Tickets sold per ticket type, showing which ticket types are most popular
• Revenue by Type: Revenue by payment method
• Entrance Details / Event Name: Tickets sold by event, showing which events are performing well and which may need extra promotion
The Event Day Live Scanning Dashboard
Your event will automatically become active and visible in the Live Scanning Dashboard once it reaches the Scan Start time set in the event settings (Calendar & Scheduling > Events > select the event > Scan Start).
Once the Scan Start time is reached, your event will show under Active Scanning Events Today.
Live Scan Data
Navigate to: Acts & Performers > Access Control > Live Scanning Dashboard
• The top table shows scanning activity from the last minute for each entrance: sold, scanned, rejected, remaining, percentage scanned, time of last scan and flow this minute
• The charts show total scans today, and accepted and rejected scans per minute
• The Active Scanning Events Today table shows all events that currently have an open scan window
• The rejected scans table shows every rejected scan, the scanner or turnstile that rejected it, the reason, and the time
Scanning Reports
Navigate to: Reports & Insights > Detail Report
This report shows who scanned their tickets, who didn't, and the reason for any failed scans.
• Enter the Transaction Date or Event Time Date you need
• Click Filters > Select All > Confirm > Update
• When the results load, click the column visibility button and select Scans, Entrance, Barcode and Area. You may need to untick some preselected columns to make room, depending on your screen size.
Importing External QR Codes
You can validate and scan QR codes that were not created in Backstage Manager.
What to expect:
• Imported external QR codes are not linked to an event, customer or transaction
• The import simply registers the barcodes so they can be scanned using the scanning URL method
• Imported QR codes will not appear in any reports
How scanning works:
Once imported, external barcodes can only be scanned using this URL format:
https://www.flowte.me/system/scan.php?b=BARCODE
For example, if your barcode is 8US772SJ, the scan link would be:
https://www.flowte.me/system/scan.php?b=8US772SJ
How to import external QR codes:
• Go to Admin > Settings > Data Import
• Download the import template
• Add your barcodes to the template
• Upload the completed file
Exporting Barcodes
Navigate to: Reports & Insights > Order Report
This report creates a list of QR codes you can export and print using an external printer or another barcode system.
• Generate the report
• Click the CSV or Excel button above the report to save the file
• Send the file to the relevant third party
When printing external barcodes, the barcode number must be added to the end of this URL to turn it into a scannable QR code (replace QRCODE with the barcode number from the report):
https://www.flowte.me/system/scan.php?b=QRCODE
Audiences
The audience builder lets you create groups of contacts based on criteria you choose, including their scanning results. You can then email the whole group without needing each person's email address.
Navigate to: Email & Promotions > Audiences > Add Audience
Filters:
• Transaction Date: Filter by a specific transaction date
• Event Time: Choose contacts from a specific event time
• Contact Tags: Build a list using contact tags
• Event Tags: Build a list using event tags
• Exclude Audience: Exclude contacts from lists you have already created
• Products: Contacts who have bought a product
• Tickets: Contacts who have bought a ticket
• Ticket Tags: Build a list using ticket tags
• Marketing: Include contacts who have opted in or out of marketing
• No. of Orders: Contacts who have placed a certain number of orders
• Scanned: Contacts who have or haven't scanned their ticket
• Date: Contacts with a particular date field, such as their birthday
Use the Show Inactive / Show Active buttons beside Event and Product to build lists from active or inactive events and products.
Once you've set your criteria:
• Click Generate Audience. You'll see how many contacts and unique emails were found.
• Enter a name for the list and click Save Audience
Create a mailing and postal address list:
You can also download the list as a CSV file by clicking Download as CSV Contacts. The CSV includes address information for everyone in the audience.
Season Tickets and the Live Scanning Dashboard
Season tickets and packages are automatically included in the Live Scanning Dashboard, as long as the event currently taking place is part of the package. All package holders with the current event in their package will be recorded in the dashboard.