Questions
What it costs, what visitors have to do, and what happens to their data. Nothing here is behind a sales call.
Cost and setup
How much does Acorn Check In cost?
It is free. Unlimited check-ins, the live staff list, and your QR code cost nothing, and there is no paid plan to upgrade to today. Staff text alerts are included up to 50 per location per month.
How long does setup take?
Under 2 minutes. Sign in with Google or an emailed link, type your business name, and print the QR sheet. Tape it where people walk in and you are running.
What hardware do I need?
None. No tablet, no kiosk, no card reader, no printer beyond whatever you already use to print a sheet of paper. Visitors use their own phones and staff use theirs.
Will I ever have to reprint the QR code?
No. The printed code points at a redirect we control, not at the check-in page directly. If the address behind it ever changes, we change where the redirect goes and the sign on your door keeps working.
How check-in works
How does a visitor check in?
Three steps. They point a phone camera at the QR code on your door, type their name on the page that opens, and tap "I'm here". Their name lands on your staff list in a couple of seconds.
Do visitors need to download an app?
No. The QR code opens an ordinary web page in whatever browser their phone already has. There is nothing to install and nothing to sign up for.
Do my staff need accounts or logins?
No. Your whole team opens one shared link to see the list. Nobody on the floor makes an account, sets a password, or gets locked out mid-shift.
How fast does the staff list update?
Every 5 seconds, on its own. Nobody has to pull to refresh. The page pauses polling when it is in a background tab and picks straight back up when a staff member looks at it, so it does not chew through a phone battery.
Can I get a notification when someone checks in?
Yes, two ways, both free. Phone notifications are unlimited: add the staff list to a phone home screen and allow notifications. Text messages are capped at 50 per location per month, which is the free allotment.
What if someone checks in twice by mistake?
Nothing. The same name checking in twice within 10 minutes counts once, and the second tap just shows them the same confirmation. Your list does not fill up with duplicates.
Privacy and security
What happens to visitor names?
Names are deleted 30 days after the visit, automatically, by a job that runs every night. The check-in row stays so your counts do not change, but the name is gone. Nobody has to remember to purge anything.
Do you store visitor phone numbers?
Only for 24 hours. A visitor who asks for a text when their turn comes up gives a number, and it is deleted within a day by a job that runs hourly. Raw visitor IP addresses are never stored at all.
What if the staff list link gets out?
Rotate it from your dashboard. The old link stops working immediately, every device signed up for alerts is dropped, and you hand the new link to your team. Your QR code and check-in link are not affected. The link is long and random, so it cannot be guessed, but rotating is the fix if one leaks.