Pre-Check-In (Check In from Home)

Pre-check-in allows families to register their attendance before arriving at church. They select who is attending, confirm class assignments, and receive a QR code. When they arrive, they simply scan the code at the kiosk for instant check-in -- no phone lookup needed.

How It Works

For Members (Member Portal)

1. Log in to the member portal from a phone or computer.
2. Navigate to Pre-Check-In.
3. The system displays all family members linked to the member's account, along with:
   • Name and photo
   • Age and grade level
   • Allergy and medical information
   • Enrolled class (auto-populated if the person is enrolled in a class)
4. Select the family members who will be attending.
5. Confirm or change class assignments for each person.
6. Tap Submit Pre-Check.
7. A unique 8-character QR code is generated and displayed on screen. The member can save or screenshot it.

The pre-check-in is valid for today only. If the member submits a new pre-check for the same day, it replaces the previous one.

At the Kiosk (Arrival)

When the family arrives at church:

1. Open the kiosk.
2. Scan the QR code using the kiosk camera, a Bluetooth scanner, or a USB barcode scanner. Alternatively, tap "Have a pre-check code?" and type the 8-character code manually.
3. The system validates the code:
   • Is the code recognized?
   • Is it for today's date?
   • Has it already been used?
4. If valid, all pre-selected family members are checked in instantly.
5. Security codes are generated for each person.
6. Labels can be printed immediately.

Error Handling

For Admins (Viewing Pre-Checks)

Admins can see all pending pre-check-ins on the Check-In Station page:

1. Go to Check-In.
2. Select the Pre-Check tab in the search panel.
3. A list of families who have pre-checked for today is displayed, showing:
   • Family name
   • Time of pre-check submission
   • People selected for check-in (with child/adult indicators)
   • The pre-check code
   • A "Ready" status badge

If no families have pre-checked, a message explains that families can pre-check via the member portal.

The badge on the Pre-Check tab shows the count of pending pre-checks for quick visibility.

What Happens Behind the Scenes

When a pre-check QR code is scanned:

1. The system looks up the pre-check by the QR code.
2. It verifies the code is for today and has not been used.
3. For each person in the pre-check, a check-in is created with a new security code.
4. If a person was already checked in to the active session, they are skipped (not duplicated) and flagged as "already checked in."
5. The pre-check is marked as used (with a timestamp) so it cannot be reused.
6. Authorized pickups and emergency contacts from the family record are returned for display.

Encouraging Pre-Check-In

Pre-check-in benefits everyone:

• Families skip the line and get through check-in in seconds.
• Volunteers spend less time on phone lookups and manual entry.
• Children's ministry leaders can see expected attendance before the service starts.

Here are some ways to promote it:

• Include a reminder in your weekly email or bulletin: "Pre-check your kids at [your portal URL] before Sunday!"
• Post signage at the kiosk: "Skip the line -- pre-check on your phone!"
• Mention it during announcements the first few weeks after enabling it.

Tip: The pre-check flow on the member portal is mobile-friendly. Most parents will do it from their phone while getting ready on Sunday morning.

Troubleshooting QR Scans

iOS Safari: Camera Doesn't Open

The browser camera is the most common scanning method for pre-check codes. iPad and iPhone Safari requires a few specific things:

1. HTTPS only. The browser camera API will not run on a plain http:// URL. Confirm the kiosk URL starts with https://. If you are testing on a local IP, you will need to use the production domain.
2. First-time permission prompt. The first time you tap "Scan QR Code with Camera" on a given iPad, iOS shows a permission popup at the top of the screen. Tap Allow. If you accidentally tap "Don't Allow," see step 4 to reset.
3. Camera not in use elsewhere. Only one app at a time can use the camera. If FaceTime, Zoom, or another browser tab has the camera active, the kiosk camera will fail silently. Close other apps and try again.
4. Reset a denied permission. If permission was previously denied, go to Settings > Safari > Camera on the iPad and choose "Ask" or "Allow" for your kiosk domain. Then reload the kiosk page.
5. Use the Bluetooth or USB scanner as backup. If camera permissions become a recurring problem, plug in a handheld scanner. The scanner is always active in the background and reads QR codes without any browser permission.

Android Chrome: Camera Permissions

The same general principles apply. Tap the lock icon in Chrome's address bar to inspect site permissions and ensure Camera is set to "Allow."

"QR code not recognized" Error

• Make sure the family is scanning the code generated today. Yesterday's code is no longer valid.
• Make sure the code has not already been scanned. Once a pre-check is processed, it cannot be reused -- the family is now checked in.
• If the code is genuinely from today and unused, the family may have submitted the pre-check while a different church or session was active. Have them re-submit from the member portal to generate a fresh code.

Bluetooth Scanner Not Reading

• Confirm the scanner is paired with the kiosk device (Bluetooth Settings > Connected).
• Most BT scanners default to "HID Keyboard" mode, which is what the kiosk expects. If the scanner is in "SPP" or "Serial" mode, switch it to keyboard mode using the manufacturer's setup card.
• The green hint bar at the bottom of the kiosk reads "Bluetooth scanner also ready" when the scanner input is being captured. If you don't see that bar, the scanner may not be paired.