The verdict is the biggest thing on the screen, and the colour is the summary. What follows is what each one is actually telling you.
Green — let them in
Name, ticket type and code, and they go through.
If you are offline you will also see "Saved on this phone · not yet synced". That is fine. The check-in is recorded and will be sent when there is signal.
Amber — already used
The code is real, and it has been used before. The screen shows when and by whom — "Used at 19:04 by Gate 2".
That detail is the whole point of the amber state. A generic error invites an argument you cannot settle; a time and an operator name usually ends it. Common innocent explanations: a ticket already scanned at another gate, a double-tap, or a group where one person's screenshot got shown twice.
Red and violet — refused
Each refusal means something different and asks for something different from you.
- Not one of ours
The code scanned is not an EventsForge payload at all — a parcel label, a product barcode, a QR from another app.
Check they are showing you the right screen. A ticket QR sits on a white plate with the event name printed under it.
- Re-download the list
A genuine ticket, signed with a key this phone's copy of the list does not know about. The list on this device is out of date.
Tap the refresh icon in the status bar to pull a fresh list, then scan again. Do not turn anyone away for this — it is the phone that is behind, not the ticket.
- Not on this phone's list
The code is not in the copy of the attendee list stored on this device. Usually the ticket was issued after the list was downloaded.
Re-download the list and scan again. If it still does not appear, check with the organizer — they can see the order.
- This ticket has been tampered withDo not admit
The ticket id is on the list but the signature does not match it. That combination cannot happen by accident.
Do not admit on this code. Send them to the organizer, who can look up the real order and issue a working link.
- This ticket is no longer valid
The ticket has been refunded or its order was cancelled.
Do not admit on this code. If they believe it is a mistake, the organizer can check the order and refund history.
- Wrong scanner mode
A real code of the other kind — an entry ticket scanned at a food counter, or a meal coupon scanned at a door. Nothing was recorded.
Switch the mode at the top of the screen and scan again. This is the scanner being in the wrong mode, never a problem with the code.
- Already scanned
This ticket has been checked in. The screen names when, and which operator recorded it.
Read the time and the name back to them. A ticket admits one person once — a second green would be the replay this refusal exists to stop.
- Already collected
This meal coupon has been redeemed. The screen names when it happened and which operator recorded it.
Read the time and the name back to them. If the coupon was genuinely not collected, the organizer is the one who can sort it out.
Two of these look similar and are not
Re-download the list is the phone being out of date and is nobody's fault — fix it and admit them. This ticket has been tampered with is a real problem. Do not treat one as the other; the first turns a working ticket into a turned-away attendee, and the second lets somebody in on a code that was made up.
When the camera will not read it
Cracked screens, low brightness and bright sunlight all defeat a camera. Use the manual form under the viewfinder.
Ask them for the ticket code — printed under the QR on their ticket, and it looks like
EF-XXXXXX-01. In FOOD mode ask for the coupon code instead.Type it into Check in by ticket code and submit.
You get the same verdicts as a scan.
If you are offline, a code that is not on this phone's list is refused as not on the list — the scanner cannot check it against anything else. With signal, it is checked against the server.
The name shown may be out of date
If someone transferred their ticket after your list was downloaded, the screen may show the previous holder's name. The ticket is still valid and scans green — refresh the list to pick up the change.
After syncing
If a banner appears saying somebody was admitted on a ticket the server refused, read it. It names who, why and when, and it is the only place that information appears. Tell the organizer.