QR check-in for New Zealand community events — no extra app

Community events in New Zealand are often free or koha at the gate, staffed by people who will never log into a ticketing dashboard. You still need to know who is coming, who has paid, and who already walked in. A QR on a phone does that without buying hardware or training a new app the night before.

Free tickets are still tickets

A $0 ticket type still sends a confirmation and a scannable code. That is how you stop a Facebook RSVP list that does not match the people on the field. Capacity, max per order, and a sales window still apply — useful for a sausage sizzle that cannot feed an unbounded crowd.

Volunteers should not need an account

Create a door scan link for that event from Team. Send it in the volunteer chat. They open Safari or Chrome and scan. Revoke the link when the day is over. Managers keep payouts and refunds; door crew only see check-in.

• The scanner needs a live connection — plan for park Wi‑Fi or a hotspot.
• Unpaid door tickets show payment due until you mark cash or EFTPOS collected.
• A second scan of the same code is flagged, including screenshots.

What buyers show

Email confirmation, the ticket page, a PDF, or Apple and Google Wallet when those buttons are on. Same QR. You are not asking grandparents to install a branded app for a two-hour fair.

If the volunteer on the gate can scan in under ten seconds, the rest of the day feels organised.