Overview
The purpose of this page is to explain Check In with relation to the branded app. This does not cover all use cases for the feature itself. Checkin is a specific Paytronix action and transaction that indicates a guest has ‘identified’ they are at a PXS store location. The Checkin transaction is a user initiated action and generates a shortened code that represents the user’s card/account number. The next step after Checkin is to give these codes to the cashier/server to enter into the POS to trigger an identify guest transaction and attach the account to the check.
PXS Features
The Checkin feature generates a shortened card number that can be supplemented for account information (depending on the POS). The Checkin feature is configured by an admin in the PXS. You will need to work with Paytronix Support to make changes to these fields.
Type | Checkin |
Store-based Short Card Number Length | 3 |
Corp-wide Short Card Number Length | 4 |
Checkin Expiration Minutes | 60 |
Max Checkins Per Time Period | 4 |
Checkin Time Period (minutes) | 60 |
Minutes Between Checkins | 1 |
The "Store-based Short Card Number Length" field defines the length of "short" card numbers that are returned to the guest when they check in to a specific store. They can use this short card in lieu of a physical card. A value between 2 and 6 can be entered. If no value is entered (i.e. field is left blank), no short card number is returned to the guest.
The "Corp-wide Short Card Number Length" field defines the length of "short" card numbers that are returned to the guest when they check in to the merchant (no specific store). They can use this short card in lieu of a physical card. A value between 2 and 6 can be entered. If no value is entered (i.e. field is left blank), no short card number is returned to the guest.
The "Checkin Expiration Minutes" field specifies how long a checkin/code is valid. If a short card number is used after the specified number of minutes, then it will be treated as an invalid card number.
The "Maximum Checkins per Time Period" field specifies how many checkins for an account are allowed within the "Checkin Time Period (minutes)" amount of time across all stores of the merchant. For example, if a restaurant is only open for breakfast and lunch, you may want to allow only 2 checkins within one day (1440 minutes).
The "Minutes Between Checkins" field specifies the minimum amount of time between checkins for an account at a single store.
We recommend that the Store-based Short Card Number Lengthand theCorp-wide Short Card Number Length be different lengths. This will help with (1) in-store operations, particularly for some POS systems and (2) troubleshooting support.
Short Code Generation
Checkin has 2 code types (Corporate Code/Corp-wide and Store-based Code), mentioned above. For the branded app, the generation behavior is dependent on the user's app location access settings and their physical location in relation to a PXS store coordinates
Store based
This check-in type surfaces the digit length configured in the PXS (usually 3). This code occurs when:
Location settings for the app are enabled by the end user on the device AND the user is within 5 miles of a location
The user generates the check in code from the store details page in the app
Corporate-wide
This check-in type surfaces the digit length configured in the PXS (usually 4). We call this the corporate code because there isn’t sufficient information about the user to know which location/store they are actually located. This code appears when:
Location settings are disabled by the end user
Location settings are enabled by the end user on the device BUT they are not within 5 miles of a location
Checkin and In-Store Application
Checkin needs to be supported in the POS integration. Please note, not all POS integrations are created equally and therefore not all support checkin the same way, or at all.
Card Number Supplement
The shortened numbers that are generated (store-based or corp-wide) with this feature should be able to be entered in the same POS field that a physical card number can be typed or swiped.
Phone Number Supplement
Positouch POS requires the shortened number to be entered in the Phone Number field. Please make note of this and consider labelling the POS button “Phone Number / Checkin”
Who’s Here Query
Some POS systems offer the cashier to be able to pull up a screen on the POS that will surface a list of users/guests who have checked in. This feature is limited to the store-based shorted card number only. If a corporate code has been generated, the user will not be present on the POS screen.
Branded App UI
In the branded app specs guide, for general communication we display 4 different types of “checkin” for the app. This is misleading. The left 2 examples below are true CHECKIN implementations. The right 2 are displays of the full card number in barcode and QR code, respectively.
Check In Only (as a Dashboard Button)
This option displays the codes directly on the dashboard of the app. Once pressed, the button appears to turn over and display the checkin code. Depending on the use cases outlined in Short Code Generation, the store or corp code will appear here.
The Dashboard checkin button has some configurability with limitations. By default the button copy reads Code is valid for X minutes. The X minutes is not configurable and will appear based on the PXS settings. If you would like to edit this string, they must stay within the confines of Configurable_text(expiraton time)configurable_text with the understanding that we can insert text before and after the expiration time, but we cannot remove the expiration time.
Some text examples include:
Share with server within
Show to cashier within
Please provide code to server, expires in
Show code to server within
Give code to server in
Complete Check-In Screen (Text, QR Code, + Short Code)
This screen includes all versions of the guests account number: a scannable QR code that has the full card number embedded, the full card number in text format and the shortened check in code.
At the top of the screen is the ability to add custom text to inform the user on what to do with this screen. The default is: You've successfully checked in! Give the following code to the cashier however can be anything up to 70 characters - including spaces.
As indicated in previous sections, the checkin code type (store or corp) are dependent on the user's app location access settings and their physical location in relation to a PXS store list coordinates.
Please Note
A user can press the check in code as many times as the feature configuration allows within the time period
A user does not need to be at a location to have a code generated of the the checkin transaction to be triggered. For example, a user can press the checkin button from their couch and still trigger the Check In transaction
Because of the above, it is encouraged to NOT set any rules or rewards based off of the Checkin Transaction
Common Confusion
There are instances where our clients have difficulties with their guests using this feature. Either the button label or the copy isn’t intuitive for their guest base.
Client Used Button Labels:
CHECK IN
MY CARD
MY CODE
QUICK ID
CODE FOR SERVER
TAP TO PAY
SCAN
MY LOYALTY CARD
MY REWARDS CARD
VIRTUAL CARD
MY DIGITAL CARD
SCAN TO EARN
At the end of the day, it is extremely important that our clients train their staff on what the code is and how the specific length codes can be used at the POS.
General Guidelines capturing much of the above:
Store and Corp can be entered into the card number field, if account query is supported for the POS.
If using Who’s Here, expect the 4 digit code to not work with the Who's Here button, and if store employees are presented with a 4 digit code, they should enter it as a card number in the POS directly.
If the POS doesn't support the 4 digit card number (for example Brink), then the cashier should either:
have the user checkin from the specific store from the locations list
query for their phone or email instead
use the card number from the side drawer