Check-In Settings

The Check-In Settings page lets you configure your label templates, printer setup, and printing options. Open it from the Check-In Station: click the gear (Settings) icon in the page header.

Settings Tabs

The settings page is organized into three tabs:

1. Label Designer -- Manage your label templates (covered in the Label Templates article).
2. Printer Setup -- Choose your label size and configure what gets printed.
3. Options -- General check-in behavior settings. This tab currently shows a "General Options Coming Soon" placeholder; settings such as session auto-close times and checkout reminders are planned but not yet available here.

Printer Setup

Selecting a Label Size

Choose the label stock that matches your printer:

To select a preset:

1. Open the Printer Setup tab.
2. Click the label size that matches your label stock.
3. If using custom dimensions, enter the width, height, and select the unit (millimeters or inches).

Print Options

These four toggles control what gets printed on each check-in. All are on by default.

To save your changes, click Save Printer Settings at the bottom of the Printer Setup tab.

Event-Specific Sessions

Check-in sessions can be linked to events from the Events module. When linked:

• The session name defaults to the event title.
• The session is shown with a calendar-style icon in the Active Sessions banner.
• Attendance data from check-in feeds into the event's reports.
• If you open Check-In with an event ID (for example, from an event detail page), a session for that event is automatically created or resumed.

Running Concurrent Sessions

TimelyChurch supports multiple active sessions at the same time. This is useful when:

• A worship service and children's church happen simultaneously.
• An early service and a late service overlap.
• A midweek program has separate age-group sessions.

Each session maintains its own roster and stats. On the kiosk, if multiple sessions are active, families are asked to select which session they are checking into.

Tip: Link each session to its corresponding event for the cleanest attendance reporting.

Starting and Ending Sessions

Starting a Session

1. Click Start Session on the Check-In Station.
2. In the Link to Event/Class dropdown, choose an event (the dropdown lists upcoming events from the next 7 days). The field is marked with an asterisk, but it is functionally optional -- choose "No event - standalone session" to start a session without linking an event.
3. Optionally type a custom Session Name. Leave it blank to use the event title or a default name.
4. Click Start Session.

A session can also be started automatically when Check-In is opened from an event page.

Ending a Session

1. Find the session in the Active Sessions banner on the Check-In Station.
2. Click End next to the session.
3. The session is marked as inactive and given an end time.

Ending a session does not check out people who are still checked in. It simply closes the session to prevent new check-ins.

Headcount Mode

For services or areas where individual check-in is impractical (such as a large auditorium), use headcount:

1. On the kiosk, tap the Headcount button (in the stats bar).
2. Enter the number of people counted.
3. The headcount is saved and displayed alongside individual check-in counts in the live stats.

The total attendance for a session equals individual check-ins plus headcount.

Room Capacity and Live Occupancy

Each class/group can be linked to a Room, and each Room can have a capacity value. When both are set, TimelyChurch can report live occupancy per room.

Setting Room Capacity

1. In the sidebar, open Facilities > Rooms (Rooms requires the Rooms feature on your plan).
2. Open a room and enter a number in Capacity.
3. Make sure the room is marked Active.
4. Confirm that each class or group that uses the room has the room assigned in the group's Room Assignment setting.

Live Occupancy Data

• Live occupancy is calculated from each class's room capacity and the number of people currently checked in (with a separate volunteer count).
• Rooms are sorted by occupancy percentage so the fullest rooms show first.

See the Room Occupancy article for more on capacity handling, plus the "No Room" handling for children whose group has no room assigned.

Permissions and Plan Features

Two layers control who can use the Check-In module: your subscription plan and your church permissions.

Plan-Level Feature Gate

Check-In is a gated feature on TimelyChurch plans. If your plan does not include the Check-In feature, the entire module (including the kiosk, label designer, and reports) is hidden from the menu and shows a "feature not available" message if you try to reach it.

• Every part of Check-In (the station, kiosk, settings, and label designer) requires the Check-In feature on your plan.
• If you upgrade to a plan that includes Check-In, the module appears immediately -- no extra setup required.

To see what your current plan includes, go to Settings > Subscription or contact your TimelyChurch account manager.

Church-Level Permissions

For churches whose plan includes Check-In, access is further controlled by your in-app roles. Each role grants a set of actions on the Check-In module:

• View -- See the Check-In Station, sessions, and rosters.
• Use -- Operate check-in: start/end sessions, check people in and out, and update headcounts.
• Manage -- Full control over the Check-In module, including settings and label templates.
• Lockdown -- Activating or deactivating lockdown mode is restricted to users with administrator privileges, regardless of their Check-In role (see article 9).

Configure who has which role under Administration > Roles & Permissions (assign people to roles, and edit what each role can do).