How to Check In and Manage Attendees Using the Check-In Tool

In this article, we will guide you and your volunteers through using the Check-In Tool

The check-in tool helps you manage all your event attendees in one place — checking them in, linking them to their carts, and keeping everything organized.

Where to find the Check-In Tool

• The Check-In Tool is located in the Event and Sales Manager (ESM).
• Access the ESM by going to esm.trellis.org and logging in as an Organizer or Volunteer. For help with logging in, check out this article.
• The ESM can also be found from the Dashboard:

How to Use the Check-In Tool

Click this link to download a PDF copy of this guide!

Prefer to learn by a video? We've got you covered! 

 

Otherwise, read on for a walkthrough of how to manage attendees.

Understanding an Attendee's Status

To have the best event experience, you will want to link all of your attendees to Trellis user accounts, using their email address. The Check-In Tool will flag whether attendees are linked or not.

1. Linked Attendees:

These attendees are linked to user accounts via their email and are ready to be checked in.

Full functionality is available:

• Check in
• Update attendee info 
• Manage shared cart between you and attendee
• Save payment methods
• Complete purchases

2. Unlinked "Reassign" Attendees:

These attendees are missing a unique email address, and therefore cannot be linked to a user account.

If two or more attendees have the same email, one attendee will be linked and the others will say "Reassign". 

Available functionality:

• Check in
• Manage local cart
• Complete purchases by entering in a credit card for one-time use
• Update attendee info 

Unavailable functionality:

• Save payment methods
• Manage a shared cart between you and that attendee

3. Unlinked "Verify" Attendees

This attendee needs to take an authenticated action on Trellis to confirm their identity. This is to prevent a bad actor from entering in email addresses and gaining access to credit card data without the donor's consent. 

Available functionality:

• Check them in
• Manage local cart
• Complete purchases by entering in a credit card for one-time use
• Update attendee info 

Unavailable functionality:

• Save payment methods
• Manage a shared cart between you and that attendee

They will need to take one of the following steps to unlock full functionality:

• Clicking on a verification link in their email (sent from check-in tool)
• Bidding in a silent auction
• Making a purchase while signed in
• Note that signing in with a password is not considered an authenticated action.

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How to Check-In a Linked Attendee

1. Search for the attendee by last name (recommended), email address, or phone number.
2. Once found, confirm that attendee is Linked. 
   
   
3. Confirm the information on file with the attendee:
   1. "Can I confirm your email is [email] and your phone number ends in ####?"
4. Click the blue Check-In button to check the attendee in.
   
5. The system will then email and text the attendee a sign-in link. Ask the attendee to click on the link on their device to sign in. 
   1. The text says "Welcome to [Fundraiser Headline]! Your table number is [##]. Here's your one-time login link to your account: [url]"
   2. If the attendee does not have a phone number saved, the system will prompt you to enter a phone number.
6. If the attendee does not have a credit card saved to their account, the system will prompt you to enter a credit card.
   
   
7. Add a credit card to the attendee’s account by completing the form.
   
    
8. Hit Confirm and then you can now move on the next attendee!
   
   

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How to Check-In an Unlinked Attendee

If the attendee says “Reassign”, it means that their email address is already being used by another attendee.

1. Search for the attendee by last name (recommended), email address, or phone number.
   
   1. If the attendee is not found, search under the name of whoever purchased tickets.
2. Once found, confirm that attendee status is Reassign.
3. Click Check-In to start the process.
   
   
4. The system will prompt you to edit the attendee.
   
   
5. Click Edit Attendee to add the correct information.
   1. Make sure you get the Full Name, a unique Email Address, and a Phone Number for the attendee.
   2. You should also gather Mailing Address in order to issue tax receipts using Trellis.
      
      
6. Once the attendee's information is edited, click Save and Check-In.
7. The system will then email and text the attendee a sign-in link. Ask the attendee to click on the link on their device to sign in.
   1. The text says "Welcome to [Fundraiser Headline]! Your table number is [##]. Here's your one-time login link to your account: [url]"
8. If the attendee does not have a credit card saved to their account, the system will prompt you to enter a credit card.
   
   
9. Add a credit card to the attendee’s account by completing the form.
10. Hit Confirm and then you can now move on the next attendee!
    
    

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How to Check In an Unverified Attendee

If the attendee says “Verify”, they'll need to verify their email address before you can save a payment method.

This prevents unauthorized users from accessing their account and keeps their information secure.

1. On an attendee that says "Verify", confirm with the attendee that the email address and phone number on file are correct.
2. Click the blue Check-In button.
3. The attendee will be checked-in, and the system will automatically send a verification link to the attendee’s email and phone number on file.
   
   
4. Ask the attendee to click on the link in the email or text.
5. Once the attendee clicks the link, they will be signed into their account on their device, and the attendee status will change from unverified to verified.
6. You can now use the buttons under the attendee to add a credit card and manage the attendee’s cart.

Now that you have become acquainted with how to use our Check-In Tool to add items to your guest carts, let's explore some other articles that you may find valuable!

Quick Links to Related Articles:
Getting Started with Check-In Tool

How to Manage an Attendee's Cart