Scanning QR codes with the FareHarbor iOS app
Last updated: August 16, 2023
First Steps
The following are required before being able to use QR code scanning for checking-in customers:
- Install the FareHarbor iOS app on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. You must have installed version 2.8.1 or higher of the FareHarbor iOS app on your device. You can check which version you’re using here or by going to the app description on the App Store.
- QR scanning must be enabled on each item for which you want to be able to use this feature.
It is also recommended to enable sound and haptic feedback on your device, in order to know the status of the scanned booking(s). You can find instructions on how to enable these settings on the Apple support site.
Watch the following video and read the sections below to learn how to use QR codes to check in customers with the FareHarbor iOS app.
Scanning by availabilities or any date
There are two options for checking in customers by scanning QR codes:
- By availability/availabilities (date and time). Used for checking in customers for specific availabilities with set start times.
- Any date. Used for checking in customers for activities without a specific start time, for example, general admission to a park or museum.
Checking in specific availabilities
- Open the FareHarbor app on your device and log in to your Dashboard.
Tap the scan icon in the toolbar at the bottom of the app.

The Choose what to check in page opens to a list of availabilities that have at least one associated booking for the current date.
To change to a different date, tap on the date shown, then select the desired date using the month, day and year sliders.

- Tap Done. Availabilities are grouped in blocks based on their start time. Each block represents one hour for any activities that have start times within that hour. For example, the block shown as 9:00 am will include any availabilities that begin between 9:00 am and 9:59 am.
- Tap on the row corresponding to the availability to check in an individual availability.
- Tap on the hour row to select or deselect all availabilities in the block for that hour.
- Tap Select All at the top-right corner of the screen to check in all availabilities for that date.
- Tap Clear All if you want to deselect all availabilities for this scan.
Tap Scan.
Note: If you haven’t already done so, tap OK to give FareHarbor access to your device’s camera.
Point your device’s camera at the QR code. (Tip: tap the lightning bolt icon in the top-left of the camera box to use the camera’s flash in a dark environment).
Note: If sounds and haptic feedback are enabled on your device, after scanning a QR code you will either hear a beep or the device will vibrate, depending on your settings.
Checking in any date
- Open the FareHarbor app on your device and log in to your Dashboard.
- Tap the Scan icon in the toolbar at the bottom of the app.

- Move the Any Date toggle to the right (it will change to green):

- Tap Done, then tap Scan at the bottom of the window to begin the scanning process.
Point your device’s camera at the QR code. (Tip: tap the lightning bolt icon in the top-left of the camera box to use the camera’s flash in a dark environment).
Note: If sounds and haptic feedback are enabled on your device, after scanning a QR code you will either hear a beep or the device will vibrate, depending on your settings.
Once you select Any date as the scanning option, it will remain the default option for all future scans. However, you can switch back to checking in by availabilities by going to the availabilities selection page and moving the toggle to the left (it will turn grey).
Scanning without checking in
In certain instances, you may want to scan a code in order to verify that the number of people in the booking matches the number of people checking in for your activity. This can be useful, for example, for activities that are suitable for families or larger groups in order to expedite check-in.
Note: Using this option does not automatically check people in. It is then up to you to check them in from the scanned booking details card.
In addition, if a customer has already been checked in, or if the booking has been cancelled, you will see that status when using this option. See Troubleshooting for more information.
To scan without checking in:
- Tap the Settings
icon in the top-right corner of the toolbar. Enable the Scan without checking in setting by moving the toggle to the right.

The scanned booking details show that the booking has been scanned but not checked in:

You can then use the options on the scanned booking details to make any desired changes.
Choosing a check-in mode
There are two modes available for checking in customers: Customer (default) and Whole Booking.
- Customer mode allows you to check in one customer at a time.
- Whole booking mode allows you to check in all customers for that booking at the same time.
Switching check-in modes
To switch between modes:
- Tap the Settings icon on the top-right of the scan page.
- Tap Check-in mode and select either Customer or Whole Booking.
Note: Switching modes will result in subsequent scans using that mode, until you manually switch back to the other mode.
Scanned Booking Details
After scanning a QR code, the status indicator will update as follows:
Successful check-ins are shown in green.

The booking scan details show the booking number, customer’s name, the total number of customers for that booking, and the number of customers who were successfully checked in. They also display the time and name of the activity, any public or private status headline(s), if applicable, or seating assignment associated to that QR code and the number of waivers signed.
Unsuccessful check-ins are shown in red. Possible reasons for check-in failure are:
- The customer(s) has/have already checked in.
- The QR code is invalid.
- The booking was cancelled after the QR code was issued.
For example, if a booking has already been checked in, you will see this status:

Click here for a more detailed list of reasons for unsuccessful check-ins.
The most recent scan status is shown. If you scan QR codes from the same booking, the most recent action will be displayed, however you can view the check-in status for all customers on the scanned booking details:

You can perform the following actions by tapping on the scanned booking details:
- Tap Go to booking to view the booking overview. Here you can: manually check in customers, view comments, see all check-in activity for that booking, send emails, etc.
- Tap Check or Uncheck for the last-scanned customer QR code. Note this is only available for Customer only check-in scanning mode.
- Tap Check in all (or Uncheck all) to check in (or remove check in) for all customers for that booking.
- Tap Change all to change the status of all customers for that booking to another status. This can be useful, for example, to set an entire group to a custom or non-default check-in status.

Scan history and searching for a booking
Clearing scan history
You can clear the QR code scan history from your device. You may want to do this if you have scanned a large number of codes. This will remove the scan history from your device, but not from the individual bookings.
- Tap the Settings icon
in the top-right corner of the toolbar to open the Scan Settings. - Tap Clear scan history.
- Tap Yes to clear the scan history.

Note: All scan history will be automatically cleared by the system after three days.
Searching for a booking
If for some reason you are unable to scan a QR code, you can manually search for the booking by tapping the search (
) icon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I not see the QR Scanning icon on the app toolbar?
Your account must have the appropriate permissions to be able to use the check-in feature. Please contact our Support Team for assistance.
Why does the Choose what to check in page show “No bookings for this day are valid for scanning”?
There are a couple of reasons why you may see this message
- Since scanning is enabled at the item-level, this step may not have been completed for this item. Contact FareHarbor Support for assistance.
- There are no bookings for that date’s availabilities.
Is it possible to change the scan mode while checking in customers?
Yes. However, if you have scanned at least one code using Customer mode, you will get an error the next time you want to scan that booking using the Whole booking mode, since one or more of the codes have already been used for check in.
See Switching Scan Modes for more information.
Can I scan without checking in when using the Any date mode?
Yes. In this instance, the booking will not be marked as checked in, then you can check in the booking manually.
What happens if another person at my company manually checks in a customer and then I try to scan the QR code?
In this case, you will receive a message on the scanned booking details that the customer has already been checked in.
Why does the scanned booking details update for everyone in the booking, instead of one person at a time?
This is due to the check-in mode you have selected in the app. The default mode is Customer only, however if you previously switched that to Whole Booking, all customers in that booking will be updated when checking in the booking. See Switching Scan Modes above for how to change the scan mode.
I have access to multiple Dashboards. Can I use QR scanning if I switch between Dashboards?
Yes, provided the other Dashboard(s) have check-in enabled, and the other requirements are met.
Where do I manage the check-in status options that appear on the check in drop-down?
Please refer to this page to view or update check-in status options.
Troubleshooting
Why am I seeing the message “Offline – check internet connection”?
This message means that your device has lost connection to the internet, which may impact your ability to use certain parts of your Dashboard. However, if you have offline QR code scanning enabled, you may still be able to scan QR codes for your customers while offline.
Why can’t I scan QR codes?
This could be due to any of the following reasons:
- Your Dashboard has not been enabled for QR scanning.
- Your user account does not have the necessary permissions to perform this action.
No items are enabled for using QR codes for check-in.
Note: If you’re having trouble, please reach out to FareHarbor Support.
Availabilities for the date you are viewing have no bookings. Availabilities must have at least one booking in order to be available for scanning.
- The QR code is invalid. Make sure you are scanning the code for the right availability, the right date and right customer.
Error Codes: What do they mean and how can they be resolved?
- Already checked in: The QR code was already scanned and you are attempting to scan the same code again. Note: For codes scanned in Customer Only mode, the message will include the customer type, for example: Already checked in Adult. To resolve this issue, you can perform one of the actions described in the Scanned Booking Details section above.
- Booking is not part of current selection: The QR code you attempted to scan is not valid for the selected availability. Make sure you are scanning the code for the correct availability on the Choose what to check in page. Alternatively, you can perform one of the actions described in the Scanned Booking Details section above.
- Booking has been cancelled: If the booking has been cancelled either prior to or during your attempt to scan the QR code, you will see this error. You can see the cancellation activity on the booking overview page.
- Booking has been rebooked. QR codes are booking-specific, so if a booking has been rebooked, a new QR code will be generated. The original QR code is still valid for scanning, however, it is advisable to check-in customers against the newly generated code. If you tap Go to booking, you will be taken to the rebooked ticket.
- No check-in statuses defined: This occurs when no check-in statuses have been defined in your company’s Dashboard. If you have deleted the default Checked in status, it is necessary to add at least one status before proceeding with scanning. Learn more about setting up status options.
- Booking not found: The QR code does not match any FareHarbor bookings.
Internal-only content. Don't copy and paste to anyone.
Permissions
- Check-in must be enabled in the Advanced Settings on the client’s Dashboard.
- The Edit customers’ check-in statuses permission is required in the user’s permission group. This is visible only if the Check-in option under company settings is enabled.
- The user must give the FareHarbor app permissions to access the device’s camera. If they initially select Don’t Allow, they will be prompted again with this message:

The user cannot proceed to scan QR codes until they tap Open Settings and toggle the Camera permission to green.
Enabling QR code scanning for items
For instructions on how to enable QR scanning for an item, refer to the Admin Notes on the QR Codes help page.