Get every guest through the door — fast.
Scan QR-code tickets the moment guests reach the door — printed at home or shown on a phone — with the ThunderTix iOS and Android apps, rugged handheld scanners, USB readers, or a simple guest list. Real-time validation across every device, gate, and staff member, with no extra hardware required.
Mobile scanning, made simple
The ThunderTix apps for iOS and Android turn the phone already in your staff’s pocket into a fast, accurate ticket scanner — no extra hardware required. The camera auto-detects barcodes and QR codes without zooming, focusing, or tapping. Just point and scan.
A valid scan returns a green screen and a happy sound, showing the buyer’s name, ticket type, seat assignment, barcode ID, and any merchandise on the order. A repeat scan flags “Already Scanned” with the original scan time and the staff member who checked it in, and an invalid ticket shows a clear warning.
Run as many devices as you like, at as many gates and entrances as you like, all syncing in real time. Staff scan on a phone they already know — and the app even includes a full in-app ticket sales module, so you can sell to walk-ups and scan them on the spot.
Scanning phone screens in line? Ask patrons to turn their screen brightness all the way up — just like an airline boarding pass — for the fastest, most reliable reads, especially outdoors.
See who’s arrived on the live seating chart
Scanning a reserved-seating event? As each ticket is checked in, its seat is marked on your live seating chart in real time. Your team sees at a glance who has arrived — making it easy to seat late walk-ups and spot the seats still open.
Native handheld scanners for high-traffic gates
Our Android app integrates natively with rugged, commercial-grade handheld computers — each with a built-in barcode scanner and a physical trigger. They’re ideal for high-traffic events, outdoor entry lines, and bright daylight where glare can slow a phone camera, and great when you’d rather hand staff and volunteers venue-owned devices kept on site. Each pairs with the ThunderTix Android app to read paper tickets, barcodes, and QR codes instantly — running right alongside phones and USB readers across multiple doors and gates in real time.
USB scanners for the box office
Prefer to check in at a desk or entry table? ThunderTix works with USB-enabled barcode scanners that send barcode data straight into your browser and the ThunderTix admin portal. Just plug one in, log in, and scan — optional gooseneck stands make it hands-free.
- ✓ Works with a connected laptop or tablet
- ✓ Ideal for box-office stations and entry tables with power
- ✓ Runs in the admin portal via a web browser (not the app)
- ✓ Optional gooseneck stands for hands-free scanning
Prefer a personal touch? Check in by name.
For smaller venues or events with a more personal feel, ThunderTix offers a manual guest-list check-in — no barcode or scanning needed. Check off names as guests arrive on a laptop, tablet, or smartphone.
It’s a low-tech, high-warmth option that’s perfect for small theaters, pop-ups, and community events with a single entrance — the kind of welcome that makes every guest feel like a VIP.
Branded eTickets, ready to scan
Every paid order automatically delivers a branded eTicket — no design work required. Add your logo, sponsor graphics, event details, and venue policies, plus an optional background image for a souvenir-style keepsake. Each eTicket carries its own unique barcode or QR code and arrives by email the moment an order is placed, so it’s ready to scan at the door.
- ✓ Your logo, sponsor graphics, and policies on every ticket
- ✓ Optional background image for a branded, souvenir look
- ✓ Unique barcode and/or QR code per ticket, valid for that event only
- ✓ Print at home, show from a phone, or add to Apple Wallet & Google Wallet
How scanning works, end to end
From the confirmation email to the door — here’s the full path.
An eTicket is issued
Every paid order triggers a confirmation email with an electronic PDF eTicket for each ticket — each one carrying a unique barcode and/or QR code, valid only for that event.
Patrons keep it their way
Print at home, save the QR code to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, or simply show the barcode straight from the email receipt.
Scan at the door
Scan paper and digital tickets at one entrance or many, with multiple staff or volunteers scanning at the same time, in real time.
No problem. The Order Lookup tool is built into every scanning option — staff can pull up any customer’s order on-site by last name or order ID, see whether their tickets have already been scanned, and check each one in manually to prevent duplicate entry or fraud.
Scan tickets at your next event
Whether you run a community playhouse or a large performing arts center, ThunderTix gets your guests through the door quickly and securely. Start a free trial, create a test event, sell mock tickets, download the app, and scan exactly like a live event — no payment required.
Related resources
Explore more ThunderTix features
Reserved Seating
Sell assigned seats from a live, interactive seating chart.
Learn more →General Admission
Multiple tiers, real caps, and instant sell-outs by section.
Learn more →Electronic Tickets
Branded PDF eTickets with a unique barcode for every order.
Learn more →Thermal Printing
Print box-office tickets on demand with thermal hardware.
Learn more →Box Office
Sell, swap, and manage orders from one box-office view.
Learn more →Season Packages
Subscriptions and flex passes that renew season after season.
Learn more →