Which Check-In Kiosk Do You Need?
Group kiosks are for the groups that meet week after week. Registration kiosks are for one-time events.
Every check-in kiosk in Realm is one of two types, and you choose the type when you create it. The difference comes down to how often the thing you are checking people in to happens.
Use a group kiosk for the groups that meet on a rhythm, such as Sunday school classes, Bible studies, and small groups. A group kiosk checks in the people who belong to those groups, and only when a group has an event scheduled that day. It can print matching child and parent badges so a child is picked up only by the adult who dropped them off, and it watches each group's capacity so you know when a class is full. You can also use one for adult classes to print simple name tags.
Use a registration kiosk for one-time events, such as a church picnic, a concert, camp, or VBS. A registration kiosk checks in the people who registered for the event, along with any named guests they brought with them. Before you can create one, you need a registration event for it to check people in to.
Both types log attendance automatically. If someone arrives who is not on the list, you can check them in as an unscheduled attendee.
Compare the Two Kiosk Types
Most settings are the same on both types. These are the ones that differ.
| Setting | Group kiosk | Registration kiosk |
|---|---|---|
| Name, Kiosk Type, and Touchscreen Keyboard | Yes | Yes |
| Emergency Contacts | Yes | Yes |
| Volunteer Check-In and Print badges for volunteers | Yes | Yes |
| Appearance tab | Yes | Yes |
| Add New Barcodes | Yes | No |
| Choose which groups can check in | Yes | No |
| Extra Badges | Yes | No |
| Security Receipts, which match a parent badge to a child badge | Yes | Yes, with the exception of named guests. |
| Information to Collect at Signup | Yes | No |
| A badge template for each event on the kiosk | No | Yes |
| Mobile Check-in allowed | Yes | Yes |
For what each setting does, see Check-In Kiosk Field Descriptions.
Kiosk Security
In order to create kiosk profiles, you must have the Manage Kiosks permission set to Allow in your responsibilities.
Someone who only has the Launch Check-In Kiosks permission will be able to open the kiosk feature to help members log in, but will not be able to create or modify kiosk permissions.
Hidden Groups. Check-in cannot be used for hidden groups. These groups will not be visible when setting up or editing kiosks, and they will not be available when checking people into events.
How early can people check in?
You can check people in up to four hours before an event. Volunteer kiosks also allow check-in up to four hours after the event ends, but self-check-in kiosks do not.
| Type of Check-in | Before Event | After Event |
|---|---|---|
| Volunteer-manned kiosk | up to 4 hours ahead of event | 4 hours after event ends |
| Self check-in kiosk | up to 4 hours ahead of event | not allowed |
| Mobile check-in |