Introduction
By the end of this guide, you will be able to scan a customer's event ticket, verify its details, and redeem it at the door — all in a few taps.
What is ticket redemption?
When a customer arrives at your event with a digital ticket (a QR code or barcode from Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, or the PassKit app), you scan it to view the event details, seat assignment, and ticket status. If the ticket is valid, you redeem it to mark entry. The redemption syncs to PassKit in real time, so the customer's pass updates on their device and the ticket cannot be used again.
Before you start
The PassKit PassReader app must be installed (Android or iOS).
You must be logged in with your staff credentials.
Your device needs an active internet connection.
Step 1 — Scan the ticket
From the Home screen, tap the Start Scanning card and point the camera at the customer's QR code or barcode. The app detects the pass type automatically — for an event ticket, the Event Ticket detail screen opens.
TIP For high-volume entry gates, use Batch Scan mode instead. It processes tickets automatically without navigating to the detail screen for each one. See the Batch Scan article for details.
Step 2 — Review the ticket details
The Event Ticket screen displays the ticket as a styled card with two halves:
Top half — Event image The event's hero image is displayed. If no image is available, a blue gradient background is shown. For tickets that have already been redeemed, expired, or cancelled, the image is dimmed with a dark overlay.
Bottom half — Event information
Field | Description |
Status badge | Valid, Redeemed, Expired, or Cancelled — displayed as a coloured pill at the top of the info area |
Production | The name of the show or production |
Venue | The venue name |
Doors Open | The doors-open time, formatted according to your time format setting (12-hour or 24-hour) |
NOTE Both platforms display the ticket card with a cinema-style shape featuring semicircular notch cutouts on the left and right edges — like a tear-off ticket stub.
Step 3 — Check the seat assignment (if applicable)
If the ticket has assigned seating, a Seat Info card appears below the ticket. It shows whichever fields are available:
Field | Example |
Section | "Orchestra" |
Row | "G" |
Seat | "14" |
Gate | "Gate A" |
For general admission tickets, this card does not appear.
Step 4 — Redeem the ticket
At the bottom of the screen, tap the Redeem button.
A confirmation dialog appears: "Redeem Ticket" with the message "You cannot undo this action. Are you sure you want to redeem this ticket?"
Tap Redeem to proceed, or Cancel to go back.
The button shows "Redeeming..." while the app contacts the PassKit server.
IMPORTANT Redemption is permanent — once a ticket is redeemed, it cannot be un-redeemed. Verify the ticket details and the customer's identity before confirming.
NOTE The confirmation dialog looks different on each platform:
Android: A standard system dialog with text buttons.
iOS: A custom styled card overlay with a full-width button — tap the dimmed background to dismiss.
Step 5 — Confirm the result
After successful redemption:
A green "Ticket Redeemed" confirmation message appears at the bottom of the screen.
The status badge updates to Redeemed.
The event image dims with a dark overlay.
The Redeem button changes to a disabled Redeemed button with a checkmark icon.
A new Redemption section appears below the ticket card, showing the Redeemed On date and time.
Understanding ticket states
State | Status badge | Redeem button | What it means |
Valid | Green Valid | Redeem (enabled) | Ticket is valid and ready for entry |
Redeemed | Redeemed (accent colour — purple on Android, blue on iOS) | Redeemed with checkmark (disabled) | Already used — customer has entered |
Expired | Red Expired | Expired (disabled) | Event has passed or ticket validity window closed |
Cancelled | Red Cancelled | Ticket Unavailable on Android / Cancelled on iOS (disabled) | Cancelled by an administrator |
NOTE For redeemed, expired, and cancelled tickets, the event image is dimmed with a dark overlay to give a clear visual signal that the ticket is no longer usable.
Troubleshooting
Problem | What to do |
Redeem button is not visible | The ticket may still be loading. Wait a moment. If the button still does not appear, check your internet connection. |
Redeem button is disabled | The ticket has already been redeemed, expired, or been cancelled. Check the status badge for details. |
"Failed to load ticket" error | Check your internet connection and try scanning again. If the issue persists, the ticket ID may be invalid. |
"Failed to redeem ticket" error | Check your internet connection and tap Redeem again. The ticket has not been redeemed — it is safe to retry. |
Event image is not loading | This is a display issue only — the ticket can still be redeemed. The image will load when connectivity improves. |
Ticket shows Expired but the customer says it should be valid | The event date or ticket validity window may have passed. Contact your event administrator to verify. |
Need help?
Inside the app, tap the headset icon on the Home screen, then tap Contact Support to open a support chat with the PassKit team.