The first rule is simple:

Move the attendee out of the main queue before investigating the problem.

Let the normal line continue while a teammate at the help point or the event manager handles the case.

The QR code will not scan

First try the simple things.

Ask the attendee to:

Turn up their screen brightness.
Show the full QR code.
Remove anything covering part of the code.

You can also clean the scanner camera and move it slightly closer or further away.

If it still does not work, stop trying repeatedly.

Use Lookup to find the attendee or use the manual ticket code option where available.

The attendee cannot find their ticket

Search for them using Lookup.

Use their name, email or other information Tambala provides.

If you find a valid unused ticket, confirm the attendee and check them in.

Do not create a new walk-in ticket simply because the customer cannot find their original QR code.

The attendee's phone is dead

A dead phone does not automatically mean the person has no ticket.

Use Lookup.

If their valid ticket appears in Tambala records, you can follow the normal lookup check-in process.

If you cannot find them, send them to the manager for further help.

Tambala says the ticket is already checked in

Do not admit the person immediately.

Check the information Tambala shows about the earlier check-in.

Ask whether:

Another person in their group may have used the ticket.
They shared the QR code with someone else.
Several tickets were purchased together and the wrong one was presented.

Where Tambala shows related tickets from the same order, check whether another unused ticket belongs to the attendee.

If there is no clear valid ticket, the event manager should handle the decision.

Ordinary gate teammates should not override an already-used ticket casually.

The ticket is invalid

An invalid QR code may be damaged, incorrect or not recognised as a valid Tambala ticket.

Try Lookup using the attendee's details.

If a valid ticket exists, use that.

If no ticket appears, do not admit the attendee based on the QR image alone.

Send them to the manager or ticket-support point.

The ticket belongs to another event

Explain that the ticket shown is for a different event.

Check the event name or date displayed in Tambala where useful.

Do not check it into your event.

If the attendee believes there is an error, send them to the manager for help.

The ticket is cancelled or refunded

A cancelled or refunded ticket should not normally be used for entry.

Do not accept a screenshot of an old ticket as proof that it is still valid.

If the attendee believes the cancellation or refund is incorrect, send them to the manager.

The current ticket status in Tambala should guide the gate team.

The attendee says they paid but no ticket appears

Do not use a payment screenshot as a ticket.

Search for the attendee in Tambala.

If no valid ticket appears, send them to the ticket-support or manager point.

The manager can investigate the payment or direct the attendee through the correct purchase process if tickets are still available.

Gate staff should not create a ticket simply because someone shows a transfer confirmation.

The attendee has the wrong ticket type

If the ticket is valid for the event but it is not the type the attendee wanted, do not change it informally at the gate.

For example, someone with General Admission cannot simply ask the scanner operator to treat it as VIP.

Check them in according to the ticket they actually hold, or send them to the manager if the event has an approved upgrade process.

Someone says they are on the guest list

If your event uses guest lists or complimentary entry, make sure there is an approved way to verify those attendees.

Do not rely only on someone saying:

“The organiser knows me.”

Check the list or Tambala record.

If you cannot verify them, send them to the manager.

Someone arrives without a ticket

First use Lookup to make sure they do not already have one.

If no ticket exists and the event allows walk-ins, send them to the designated manager.

The manager can register the person through Tambala where available and make sure any required payment is properly recorded.

If walk-ins are not allowed or the event is full, explain that clearly.

A group has one ticket on one phone

Check how many valid tickets are actually connected to the order.

One person holding the phone does not mean the group only has one ticket, but one ticket also does not mean the whole group can enter.

Check each valid ticket.

Tambala may show sibling or related tickets that help you understand which tickets in the order have already been used.

The internet stops working

Tell the event manager immediately.

Do not allow every gate worker to invent their own offline process.

If the organiser prepared a fallback attendee list or another approved backup process, follow it.

Keep a record of any entries handled during the outage so they can be reconciled in Tambala when the connection returns.

Once Tambala is available again, return to normal digital check-in as soon as possible.

The camera stops working

Move to another check-in method.

You may be able to use:

Another device.
Manual ticket entry.
Lookup.

If the device itself is unreliable, stop using it and move that teammate to a working check-in point.

Do not let a broken scanner create a growing queue.

The attendee becomes angry

Stay calm.

Do not argue about the ticket in front of the main queue.

Explain what Tambala currently shows and move the conversation to the help point or event manager.

For example:

Tambala is showing that this ticket has already been used. Let me send you to our event manager so we can check what happened without holding up the line.

Do not promise a refund, replacement or entry unless you have the authority to make that decision.

When a teammate should call the manager

Gate teammates should stop and ask for help when:

A ticket has already been used and the attendee disputes it.
Payment cannot be confirmed.
Someone asks for a ticket upgrade.
A cancelled or refunded ticket is disputed.
A walk-in needs to be registered.
A guest-list entry cannot be verified.
The system appears to be wrong.
The attendee becomes difficult or the situation may affect safety.

Teammates do not need to solve every problem themselves.

That is why the gate should have a manager.

What not to accept as proof of entry

Unless your event has specifically approved another process, do not use these on their own:

Payment screenshots.
WhatsApp messages saying someone paid.
Forwarded QR screenshots that Tambala rejects.
A friend's word that the attendee has a ticket.
An old or cancelled ticket.
“The organiser knows me.”

Use the current Tambala ticket record.

Keep a record of serious problems

If a case may lead to a dispute later, make sure the manager records what happened.

This may include:

The attendee name.
Ticket or order reference.
What Tambala showed.
What decision was made.
Which teammate or manager handled it.

Good records make post-event support much easier.

The important thing to remember

When a ticket problem happens, do not guess.

Move the person aside.

Check Tambala.

Use Lookup where needed.

Call the manager when the answer is unclear.

The main gate should keep moving while difficult cases receive proper attention.

For the normal scanning process, return to Check Attendees In.

For preparing teammates, devices and the gate before attendees arrive, see Prepare Your Event Check-In.