QR check-in definition

QR check-in is a way of confirming a desk booking by scanning a QR code fixed to the booked desk. The scan links the reservation to the physical workspace, so the booking system knows the desk is in use rather than merely reserved. In shared-desk offices it is the step that separates a real booking from one that has been forgotten.

An employee books a desk. Shortly before the booking starts, a check-in window opens. The employee arrives and scans the code on the desk with the booking app. The system checks that the code matches the booked desk and records the check-in time.

If nobody checks in before a set delay after the booking start, the booking is treated as a no-show and the desk is released for others to book. Some systems also compare the phone's location with the office location at the moment of the scan, as an extra check that the scan happened on site.

Many booking tools offer two ways to confirm a booking: scanning the desk code, or tapping a check-in button in the app. The button is quicker but can be pressed from anywhere. The scan requires being at the desk. Workplaces that only want to clear forgotten bookings often accept both. Workplaces that rely on check-in as evidence of presence usually require the scan, sometimes with a location check added.

• Placing codes inconsistently, so employees hunt for them under monitors or on the back of desk legs.
• Switching on strict enforcement before every desk has a working code.
• Not defining the check-in window and release delay before go-live.
• Describing location checks vaguely, which leaves employees assuming they are tracked all day.
• Treating every missed scan as intent to no-show, rather than looking for placement or usability problems first.

Teams that make QR check-in stick treat it as part of the booking policy, not as a gadget. They set the timing rules first, place codes consistently, pilot on one floor, and only then enforce. They publish exactly what the scan records and review early failed scans to separate genuine no-shows from friction.

In DeskHybrid, every desk code is signed, so a code that has been altered or that belongs to another floor is rejected. Employees can scan from the Android or iOS app or with the camera scanner in the employee web app. Available on Web, Android, and iOS.

Admins choose how strict check-in is. By default the desk dialog on the booking map also offers a check-in button while the window is open; with QR-forced check-in switched on, only a scan at the desk is accepted. An optional location radius compares the phone's position with the floor's configured coordinates once, at the moment of the scan. Unconfirmed bookings are released automatically after the workspace's release delay. On mobile, employees receive a notification when their check-in window opens, and if they book while the window is already open, the app offers check-in immediately. QR codes for every desk on a floor can be exported and printed in one go.

See `/features/qr-desk-booking` for the full check-in workflow.

A QR check-in rollout has four decisions and one test.

Decide the timing first: when check-in opens, and how long after the start an unconfirmed booking survives. Base the second number on when people actually arrive.

Decide the strictness. If check-in exists mainly to clear forgotten bookings, accepting both the scan and the in-app button keeps friction low. If check-in feeds attendance or capacity decisions, require the scan. Add a location check only when there is evidence that codes are being scanned from photos.

Decide the placement standard: one position on every desk, with the desk name printed next to the code so it matches the floor map.

Decide the exception route for a broken camera or a dead battery, and make it the same on every floor.

Then test every code on the pilot floor with an Android phone, an iPhone, and the web scanner. Unreadable codes found by the rollout team cost minutes; found by employees on the first morning, they cost trust.

• https://officedeskapp.com/pillars/desk-booking-software-guide
• https://officedeskapp.com/pillars/hybrid-workplace-operating-system

QR check-in needs light but regular maintenance. After any layout change, check that each code still sits on the desk it names, and reprint the floor rather than patching individual desks.

Review check-in data monthly in the first quarter. Many failed scans on one floor usually point to placement or lighting; many released bookings in one team may mean speculative booking or a release delay that is too short. Change one rule at a time and note why.

If the workspace moves from accepting the in-app button to requiring the scan, or adds a location check, announce it before it takes effect.