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How to Sell Tickets on a Tablet: https://help.pm.leapevent.tech/a/1119844
A tablet can be a great solution for selling tickets on the go, and not just at your box office windows. Mitigate lines by selling tickets from the lobby, set up a ticketing station at an outdoor venue... if you've got internet, you can sell tickets.
In this article, we'll go over:
- Reasons to consider selling from a tablet
- Device and network requirements
- Getting started with ticket sales on a tablet
- Some frequently asked questions
Let's dive in!
Why sell tickets from a tablet?
With a mobile box office, you can sell tickets from more places than just your traditional box office window. Here are just a few examples:
- Have long lines at your box office window? Set up another sales station on the other side of the lobby to get your patrons in the door faster.
- If you get a lot of foot traffic outside your building or a few blocks away, have a representative take a tablet outside and sell some tickets right there on the street.
- Encourage patrons to buy tickets for next month's show during intermission; roam your venue with the tablet and let patrons buy tickets in the lobby or even at their seats!
- If you want to sell tickets at community events like street fairs and festivals, or anywhere that doesn't have a traditional box office setup, bring your tablet on the road.
Sounds great, what do I need in order to get started?
There are just a few requirements:
1. You need to be using Leap Merchant Services
Leap Merchant Services is our in-house payment processing solution built on Stripe, and it's required since the credit card terminal you'll use is only compatible with Leap Merchant Services and Stripe.
Haven't switched yet? Learn more about Leap Merchant Services here.
2. You need a compatible wifi network and credit card terminal
Good news: you don't need any special new credit card terminals to sell tickets on a tablet! You'll use your normal Leap Merchant Services terminal - the BBPOS WisePOS E.
The terminal and the tablet must be on the same wifi network, that network must use WPA-Personal or WPA2-Personal encryption, and it must be password protected. The BBPOS WisePOS E does not support non-password-protected networks, enterprise networks, or IPV6 networks.
If you're planning to use a mi-fi or hotspot, we encourage you to get that up and running and tested using devices you already have on hand, before investing in new tablets.
Some PatronManager clients do use hotspots with Leap Merchant Services, but it can be tricky to configure correctly and might require assistance from the hotspot service provider.
3. You need a compatible tablet
Choose a device that's large enough for you to comfortably interact with PatronManager Box Office. While it is possible to sell tickets on a device as small as a phone, it is not a pleasant experience. An approx 10-inch screen typically works well.
If you find that things look a bit squished, try adjusting the Zoom, Font, and Resolution controls in your tablet's settings.
For example, a higher zoom will make things larger and text easier to read, but will cause elements on the page to squish together. Reducing or eliminating the zoom and increasing the resolution will make navigating and viewing all elements easier, with the trade-off that text and buttons etc. will be smaller.
Your device will also need to be running a modern version of its operating system. Specifically, look for one of the following:
- An iOS or Android tablet that meets the current Salesforce Mobile App requirements
- A Windows tablet that can run the latest version of Chrome or Firefox
Other things to consider
The things outlined above (Leap Merchant Services, compatible wifi, a credit card terminal, and a compatible device) are the only true requirements, but here are a few other things to think about when you're getting started with your first mobile box office:
- Consider enabling Mobile Tickets. You can't print tickets from a tablet, so you may want your patrons to have quick access to a mobile ticket from their confirmation email.
- Consider your optimal setup if you'll be selling in a stationary spot. A small table will give you a place to put the tablet and the credit card terminal so your hands are free. You could even add a stand for the tablet to keep it steady and positioned nicely for use.
- Consider your optimal gear if you'll be selling while moving around. A waist apron can give you a place to put the credit card terminal (and maybe the tablet) when it's not in use, so you can keep your hands free to open doors etc.
- Consider where you'll put things like change, vouchers, etc. Depending on what you're selling and how you'll take payment, you might want a zipper bag to hold change for cash sales, a roll of carnival tickets or pre-printed vouchers, and so on. Make sure you've got space for anything you might need.
I've got the requirements covered, now what?
Great! The rest is simple.
First up: get your tablet connected to PatronManager
Once you've turned on the tablet and connected to your wifi network, you've got one or two options for accessing PatronManager, depending on the type of device.
If you have a Windows tablet, you'll use a supported web browser, same as you do on a regular computer.
If you have a iPad or an Android device, we strongly recommend using the Salesforce Mobile App. While you could use a web browser, the Salesforce app is mobile optimized and gives you more space for the things you need. Download it from the App Store or Google Play, and learn more about setting it up and logging in here.
Next: test your credit card terminal with the tablet on the network you plan to use
Because wifi networks can be finicky, we strongly encourage you to run a test transaction with your tablet and credit card terminal on the network you plan to use, before you make a plan to start selling from the tablet at an event.
Give yourself ample time to work through any connectivity issues, which may require involvement from your IT team or network service provider.
Then start selling tickets!
Honestly that's all there is to it! If you're unfamiliar with selling tickets we have some resources here.
I have more questions!
No problem! We've collected a few FAQs here, but if you don't see the answer you need, feel free to submit a support request through the Community.
Typically this is a wifi/network issue. You can rule out any problems with the tablet by checking to see if you can use the credit card terminal with a different device (e.g. a laptop) on the same wifi network.
Check out the FAQs in this article for more about connecting your terminals.
As on a regular computer, you can choose to manually enter the credit card number into the secure modal if needed, but the typing experience on a tablet leaves a bit to be desired, so your experience will be much nicer and faster if you use a credit card terminal.
Yes, yes, and yes! Refer to the device requirements above.
If you have a tablet in-house that doesn't meet the device requirements outlined above, it is not officially supported. That said, it might still work.
Older devices may be incompatible with the current version of the Salesforce Mobile App, or they may experience unexpected behavior.
With smaller devices, you might find that portions of the box office experience are squished or overlapping in a way that makes it difficult or impossible to use.
The bottom line is "maybe, give it a try," but be aware that it may not work (or may stop working later).
In the past, PatronManager offered an Android-only app called PatronTicket Box Office. That app is slated for retirement very soon and the credit card swiper that worked with it is no longer available, so if you're not using the app already, it isn't an option for you.
If you are using that legacy app and have questions or difficulty, you can check out Mobile Box Office Settings (Bluefin Only) for tips and troubleshooting, or How to Pair a WisePad with Mobile Box Office (Bluefin Only) if you need to re-pair that device.