Features / member check-in

Check-in that knows who's at the door.

Members tap their phone or show a code, and your door staff see right away who they are and whether their membership is current. Guests, capacity and visit history are handled in the same place. Built as part of your own app, connected to your membership data.

Harbor ClubFront door

Inside41

Ready for the next person

Checked withNFC or QR

TimeNow

A member taps their phone. They're in.

What your door staff get

A door that runs itself.

Tap or scan

Members tap their phone on an NFC reader or show a QR code. Staff check them in with a phone or tablet.

Members, guests and tiers

The screen shows who it is, their tier and whether they came as a guest, so staff can greet them by name.

A live count

Every door adds to the same count, so you know how many people are inside and when you're at capacity.

Visits on the profile

Each check-in lands on the member's profile, so you can see who comes often and who hasn't been in for a while.

Guest list or connected check-in

A guest list knows names. Your app knows members.

Guest list apps are built for one event at a time. When the same people come back every week, check-in works better as part of the membership itself.

How a guest list app compares to check-in built into your own app
When	A guest list app	Check-in in your own app
A member arrives	A member arrives Staff search for a name on the list.	The member taps or scans, and the live membership is checked.
They bring a guest	They bring a guest Someone adds the guest by hand, if they're allowed one.	Guest passes are counted against the member's tier automatically.
A membership has lapsed	A membership has lapsed The list may be out of date, so nobody notices.	It's flagged at the door, and the member can renew in the app on the spot.
The venue fills up	The venue fills up Someone at the door keeps count.	A live count across all doors, with a capacity limit.
After the night	After the night An export to match against your member list.	Every visit is already on the member's profile.

How it works

From a tap to a welcome, in a second.

The member's cardA wallet card or the app on their phone, tied to their membership.
Tap or scanThey tap an NFC reader, or staff scan their QR code.
Live checkYour backend checks the membership, the tier and any guest passes.
Staff see the resultName, tier and a clear yes or no on the door device.
The visit is savedIt counts toward capacity and lands on the member's profile.

Examples

Check-in I've built.

Jackalope: check-in with the Pass

Holders of the JACKALOPE Pass, an annual membership, check in at venues with a wallet pass that carries their tier.

A private members club

For a members club in the US, security staff check members in at the door from the club's own app. The client is confidential.

What it takes

What check-in needs behind it.

A phone or tablet at the door

QR check-in runs on the phones and tablets your staff already have, in a staff view of your app. No special hardware.

Staff sign-in and roles

Door staff get their own sign-in with only what they need: check-in and the guest list, not member payments or settings.

NFC tap, if you want it

Tapping a phone on a reader needs approval from Apple for NFC passes and from Google for Smart Tap, plus compatible readers at the door. Many clubs start with QR codes and add NFC later.

A connection to memberships and tickets

Check-in reads from the same data as the rest of your app. If memberships or tickets live in another system, we connect to it, so the door always sees the current state.

Check-in tool or your own app

When a check-in tool is enough.

Event check-in tools like Zkipster or Splash handle a guest list well, and for one-off events they're the cheaper choice. Check-in in your own app makes sense when membership decides who gets in.

A check-in tool is probably enough if

You check people in for one-off events with a fixed guest list.
There's no membership behind the list.
You don't need visits on a member's profile afterwards.
A monthly tool is easier than a project.

Check-in in your own app makes sense when

The same people come back, and membership decides who gets in.
Members bring guests, and tiers set how many.
You run several doors or venues and need one count.
You want the door, the app and the member data in one place.

Want a membership card in your members' wallet? See digital membership cards.

Giving members perks? See member perks and loyalty.

Building a membership app? See how I approach membership apps.

Running events or festivals? See event and festival apps.

Questions

About member check-in.

Does check-in need special hardware?

Not for QR codes. Staff scan QR codes with the phones and tablets they already have. NFC tap needs compatible readers at the door, which we choose together when you want tap-to-enter.

What happens when the connection drops?

Check-in can keep working. For venues with unreliable Wi-Fi or mobile signal, the staff view keeps a recent copy of the member list on the device and syncs the check-ins when the connection is back. We plan this in when your venue needs it.

Can members bring guests?

Yes. Guest passes can be set per tier, for example two a month for members and four for a higher tier. Members invite guests in the app, guests get their own code, and each visit is counted against the member's passes.

Can it handle several doors or venues?

Yes. Each door device signs in to the same system, so the count and the guest list are shared live. Members can check in at any venue their membership covers.

What do door staff see?

Only what they need. The person's name, tier, whether they are a member or a guest, and a clear yes or no. A photo can be added for clubs that want an extra check. Payment details and other personal data stay out of the staff view.

Does it work with our ticketing or membership system?

Usually, yes. Most ticketing and membership systems offer an API. We check what yours allows in the first conversation, and the door then checks against that system's live data.

What does it cost?

Apps start at $20,000. Check-in is usually one part of a membership or event app, priced into the fixed price for the project. For a one-off event, an event check-in tool is the cheaper choice, and I'll tell you if that's the case.

How long does it take?

It's built alongside the app. Most apps launch in two to four months. Check-in, the staff view and the member's card are part of that timeline, not an extra phase.

Start a conversation

Let's talk about the app you're imagining.

A clear vision or a feeling that your business is ready for something more is a good place to start. We'll explore what it could look like, what it would take and whether Phico is the right fit.

Prefer to see an idea first? Get a free app concept.