Givebutter makes it easy to scan tickets on the day of your event. No one wants to wait outside, so we designed a check-in experience that’s smooth as butter – use our app to scan tickets or check guests in from your dashboard. Every attendee is emailed a PDF ticket after purchase (with the exception of tickets for Digital events), which they can print or display on their phone. Tickets have two unique identifiers on them:
QR code – A code that can be scanned using a smartphone camera.
Shortcode – A 5-digit code you can use to quickly look up and verify tickets.
Once a guest is checked in, the status in the tickets tab changes to a green checkmark.
Scan tickets with the app 📷
The ticket scanner uses your mobile device's camera to scan the QR code on a donor's ticket.
Click the blue + button near the bottom of your phone screen.
Select Scan Tickets.
You can use the options in the upper right corner to enable/disable sound confirmation, as well as your flashlight if you're scanning tickets in the dark!
Ensure that the relevant campaign is selected at the top of the screen.
Point the camera at the QR code on a ticket. The ticket will be checked in!
When you use the ticket scanner for the first time, the app may request permission to use your mobile device's camera. Once permission is granted, you can use the ticket scanner - you won't be asked again.
Manual ticket check in ✏️
If you cannot scan the QR code on a ticket, you can check guests in manually using our manual entry feature.
Click the blue + button near the bottom of your screen and select Scan Tickets.
Click Manually Enter Ticket.
Use the search bar to locate the ticket you want to check in. You can search by:
Ticketholder name
Ticketholder email address
Ticket short-code (ie. A0001)
Ticket holder and contact/donor information sometimes differ, for example, if a contact purchases a ticket for someone else. You must search for the ticket holder's information, not the billing information entered at checkout.
Manual check-in from a campaign's tickets tab 🎟
You can also manually check in tickets from the dashboard. Select an Event campaign, and select the tickets tab. Swipe a ticket to the left side of your screen, or click [...] to see a Check-in button!
You can also Uncheck tickets the same way. Just swipe left on a checked-in ticket! They will then appear as "Not Present". This will not revoke or refund tickets.
Check in guests from your dashboard 💻
While using the app is the fastest way to scan handheld tickets, you can also check guests in from your dashboard.
Click on the relevant campaign in your dashboard.
Click on the Event tab at the top of the page, then click on the Attendees sub-tab on the left side of the page.
Use the search bar to find the ticket by ticket holder name, email address, short-code (e.g., A0001), or ticket type (e.g., VIP ticket). Once located, click the Check in button under the Status column.
You can click it again to undo the check-in, which will not revoke or refund the ticket.
You can also check in attendees from your Transactions > Tickets page, which will include all tickets sold across all campaigns.
FAQ 🤔
What if a donor forgets their ticket or doesn't have it on their phone?
Don't worry – you can search attendees by name, email, or phone number to check them in manually via the app or on your Givebutter dashboard.
I'm getting the error message: "Ticket Already Redeemed on:"
If a QR code is scanned after a guest has been checked in, it will produce an error message. This can happen if a guest purchases multiple tickets and accidentally presents the same one for multiple people in their party. A quick reference to your tickets tab will confirm how many tickets were purchased and allow you to complete the check-in quickly.
Can I scan tickets from my desktop or laptop computer?
You can't scan tickets using your computer, but you can still check guests in using the desktop site! On the relevant campaign, click on the Event tab, then click on the Attendees sub-tab. Locate the ticket you want to check in and click the Check in button. If you want to scan tickets, you'll need to use the app.
Can multiple people scan tickets at once, using different devices?
Yes! You can have many people scanning tickets simultaneously on different devices. Please note that you may need to refresh Givebutter to check the number of scanned tickets. Checked-in tickets may not update in real time as they are scanned.
Is there a report showing how many tickets each person/admin checked in?
Yes – the Tickets export includes columns for:
Checked in by – email address of the user who scanned the ticket
Check-in type – method used (manual or scan)
Check-in source – Givebutter access source (dashboard or mobile)
Check-in date – date and time the ticket was checked in
Who will receive a PDF ticket via email?
Guests who purchase tickets for Hybrid or In-Person events will receive emailed tickets with QR codes. Guests with tickets for Digital events will not receive a PDF ticket with a QR code.