The camera on any iPhone or iPad can scan tickets, but for events larger than about 500 attendees we recommend renting laser scanners. A laser reads a barcode instantly, works in direct sunlight, and uses far less battery than holding the camera open.
A rented unit is an iPhone SE3 paired with a LineaPro LP7i laser sled. It runs the same Check In app as a regular iPhone — the only difference is a physical trigger button instead of tapping the screen to fire the laser.
Requirements: A Guest Manager account — scanners are not rented as standalone hardware. Rentals ship within the United States only; they are not available in Canada, the UK, or elsewhere.
Pricing and requesting a rental
Submit a rental request at guestmanager.com/rent-ticket-scanners. Use this form, not the Contact Sales form, which routes to a different queue.
Pricing is $147 per scanner for a 3-day rental, plus $25 per additional day. A return shipping label is included. For example, six scanners for three days is $882 plus shipping.
How many scanners to rent
The right number depends on your staff, your event size, and how quickly guests arrive — a crowd that arrives steadily over four hours needs fewer scanners than one that all arrives in thirty minutes. As a rough guide, two scanners is light for 4,000 attendees, and large events usually want four to six at a minimum. Ask us in chat and we can advise.
Availability
Guest Manager keeps a small fleet of about ten units, so inventory can run out around popular event dates. Submit your request as early as possible.
If scanners are not available, the recommended alternative is choose2rent.com. They carry the same LineaPro and iPhone SE3 hardware and can pre-install the Guest Manager Check In app.
Receiving your rental
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Open the box and confirm you received every scanner you ordered.
- Set up the charge docks or power cords and place every scanner on power. Check the indicator light on each unit:
- Solid green — fully charged.
- Flashing green — charging.
- Flashing red — very low battery, not charging.
Verify that both the scanner and its iOS device are charging.
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Sign in to the app if you are not already. We may pre-sign you in; if not, you need the Access code and PIN from the Apps menu in Guest Manager — see Event Check In App. After sign-in, the sync starts automatically.
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Wait for the sync to reach 100%. If you were already signed in, open the Sync menu and check Sync Status.
- Download one of your tickets as a PDF and scan it to confirm everything works. Open your event from the event list, tap the crosshairs icon at the top right to open the scanner, then press and hold the trigger on the side of the unit and point the laser at the barcode. A beep confirms the read:
- Green — successful check-in.
- Yellow — ticket already scanned.
- Red — ticket not found.
You can undo the test scan afterward.
Once a device shows 100%, staff can scan using only the trigger and the on-screen result color — no screen tapping is needed.
Offline use and data sync
Rented scanners scan fully offline, so no internet is required at the door. Offline devices do not share check-in data with each other until they reconnect, so a ticket scanned on one device can be re-scanned on another while both are offline.
To keep every device in sync in real time, rent or buy a 4G hotspot (such as a Verizon Jetpack) and connect all scanners to it. Avoid venue Wi-Fi — once guests arrive and join it, performance often drops.
Returning your rental
- Connect every device to Wi-Fi, open the Sync menu, and confirm Sync Status shows 100% with Needs Sync: 0 on every device.
- Open your report from a computer to confirm all check-ins arrived.
- Pack the scanners in the original packaging and drop them with the carrier using the included return label.
If a device could not sync before you returned it, Guest Manager can sync it on receipt. Contact support to arrange this.
Troubleshooting
The laser does not fire when I press the trigger. Quit the app and re-open it.
I only see the camera. The laser sled is not connected, so the app falls back to the camera. Quit and re-open the app, and remove the iOS device from the sleeve and re-seat it.
The laser is slow to read a barcode. Hold the laser about 4 inches from the barcode, then move slowly within a 4–10 inch range. When scanning a barcode off a phone screen, set that screen to maximum brightness and keep the whole barcode visible with white space around it.
For scan modes and other in-app settings, see Check-in app configuration.
Related articles
- Event Check In App — download the app and sign in with your access code and PIN.
- Check-in app configuration — scan modes, app settings, and fixing common scanning problems at the door.
- Monitor device health — track battery and connectivity across every scanner during the event.
FAQ
How fast can I get scanners?
Often the next day. Units ship from Lake Tahoe — generally Ground on the West Coast and 2-Day Air elsewhere.
Do shipping days count as a rental day?
No. Most clients still choose a 3-day rental for buffer against carrier delays and time to train staff. If your event falls on a weekend, a 3-day rental is required.
How does shipping work?
Scanners ship via FedEx, billed to the FedEx account number you provide. A return label is included, and packages ship with mandatory insurance.
How do I pay for the rental?
Your invoice PDF includes a link to pay online by credit card. To pay by check, arrange it with us directly.
Can the rental scanner process walk-up ticket sales?
No — a rental scanner is a check-in device only. On-site card sales require Shopify POS with the Guest Manager POS plugin, an existing Shopify setup, venue Wi-Fi, and Shopify’s card-processing fees.
Can I rent a badge or name-tag printer?
No. Guest Manager rents scanners only. For printer rentals, try choose2rent.com. If you are buying your own, the Brother QL series (Wi-Fi or Bluetooth) is recommended.
Is there nonprofit pricing on rentals?
No nonprofit discount is available on rentals.
Can I buy my own scanner instead of renting?
Yes. Guest Manager supports two scanner families: LineaPro laser sleds for iPhone, and Socket Mobile Bluetooth scanners, which also pair with iPad. You supply the iOS device plus the scanner. As a rough guide, an iPhone SE3 runs about $430 and a LineaPro LP7i about $750, sometimes less on the secondhand market.
