Kiosk mode

Kiosk mode turns any tablet at the door into a self-service check-in and walk-in registration station — no attendee login required, no staff Mercleo account needed.

Updated May 26, 2026

Kiosk mode gives attendees a self-service screen at the door. They can check in by QR code or email, and — if you enable it — register as walk-ins on the spot. You control which entry methods appear, what questions to ask, and how the screen looks.

The kiosk URL

Every event has a unique kiosk URL at /k/[token]. No Mercleo login is required to open it — the token in the URL is the access control. Share it with door staff, bookmark it on the tablet, or keep it in a QR code on a sign.

Find the URL at /{slug}/settings?section=kiosk in your event settings. Treat the token like a password — anyone with the link can operate the kiosk.

Entry methods

Under the Entry methods tab you enable three independent toggles. Any combination works; at least one must be on for the kiosk to be usable.

QR code check-in — the camera starts automatically when the kiosk loads. A successful scan opens a multi-step confirming wizard (registration details → additional info → agreements) before check-in fires.
Email check-in — the attendee types the email address they registered with. One ticket with no pending transfer goes straight to the confirming wizard. Multiple tickets show a picker. A pending transfer shows an "Accept transfer & check in" screen instead.
Walk-in registration — a full on-site registration wizard: path picker (for multi-path events) → ticket selection → personal details → additional info → agreements → review. Walk-in settings are covered in the next section.

The QR camera defaults to front-facing. On tablets mounted with the rear camera facing attendees, verify that your browser and OS allow switching camera orientation — or test a scan before doors open.

Walk-in settings

Four settings control how walk-in registration behaves. All four live on the Entry methods tab alongside the entry-method toggles.

Record as free (walkin_free) — records the walk-in as $0 regardless of ticket price and hides the discount-code field. Use when you're handling payment off-platform.
Require email verification (walkin_require_otp, default on) — sends a 6-digit one-time code to the attendee's email during registration. Turn this off for a fast-lane door where email access mid-queue is impractical.
Allow oversell (walkin_allow_oversell, default off) — when off, the kiosk refuses walk-ins once a ticket type reaches capacity. When on, registrations are accepted past the capacity limit.
Print on demand (kiosk_print_on_demand, default off) — when on, every successful check-in queues a badge reprint. Leave off if you're using a pre-printed badge model and don't want duplicate prints at the door.

When email verification is on, attendees must open their email on another device mid-registration to retrieve the 6-digit code. At high-volume doors with long queues, turn it off to reduce check-in time.

If allow-oversell is off and a ticket type reaches capacity, the kiosk blocks walk-ins and shows a capacity error. To admit more attendees, either raise the ticket type's capacity in your event settings or enable allow-oversell.

Walk-in ticket types

The Walk-in tickets tab lists ticket types that are hidden from your public event listing. You can surface these at the kiosk — VIP, comp, partner, staff — without making them discoverable on the registration page.

Any ticket type marked "Hide from public listing" appears here. Toggle it on to make it available to walk-ins at the door.

Hiding questions at the kiosk

The Questions tab is an inverted picker: all registration questions are shown at the kiosk by default, and you select which ones to hide. This is useful for removing lengthy or follow-up questions that slow down the door.

Hiding a question at the kiosk does not delete it or affect pre-registered attendees. Existing answers are preserved; the field is skipped for new kiosk registrations only.

Hero, logo, and branding

The kiosk home screen shows your hero text and logos above the entry-method tiles. These are configured across three tabs: Hero, Logo, and Background & colors.

Hero

The hero area has an eyebrow line and three headline lines, each with an individual color and a visibility toggle. Leave them blank and the kiosk falls back to your event title and venue name.

Logo

Two logo slots are available. The primary logo (top-left) can render in your event accent color, white, or dark — or you can replace it with your organization logo or a custom upload. The secondary logo (top-right) is upload-only. When a secondary logo is set, it replaces the live clock that otherwise displays in that corner — intended for sponsor branding.

Background & colors

The kiosk background follows a priority stack: a background video (muted, auto-looping) takes precedence, then a background image, then a solid background color. You also set a text color and an accent color that apply across the screen.

Confirmation copy

The Confirmation copy tab lets you set a custom title and body message for each entry flow — QR check-in, email check-in, and walk-in registration. Each has its own title and body field. Leave any field blank and the kiosk uses the default confirmation text for that flow.

Custom confirmation copy is useful when you want to give walk-ins different post-registration instructions than pre-registered attendees, or when the default text doesn't match your event's tone.