Counter device

Who can do this: Owner, Admin, Staff

A counter device is a tablet at your front desk that runs the WelcomeBird app in counter mode. It has no login. Customers type their phone number, see today’s booking, and a staff member confirms the visit with their own 4-digit counter PIN and the amount paid. The visit is marked Done and the customer sees the points they earned.

The counter works best on an iPad or a large Android tablet. A phone works too, with the keys at the bottom of the screen. On a phone the counter shows this tip once, with a button to hide it.

Pair a counter

Pairing takes two devices: the counter, and an owner’s or admin’s phone that is signed in.

1. On the counter, open the app and tap Use as a counter device on the first screen. It shows Pair this device, a QR code and an 8-character code such as K7Q2 XP9A.
2. On your phone, open More → Loyalty → Counter devices and tap Add a counter device.
3. Scan the counter’s QR code, or tap Type the code instead.
4. Pick the branch and give the counter a name, for example Front desk. Tap Approve.

The counter says Getting ready… while it reads your shop’s details, then changes by itself to Type your phone number. If it can’t read them, it shows Try again and looks up no number until it can. A code works for 5 minutes. If it runs out, the counter shows a new one. Only approve a code on your own counter, in front of you.

The counter keeps its own key in the device’s secure storage. It works for one branch only and can’t open your bookings, customers or settings.

Use a browser as the counter

No app needed on the counter. On any tablet or computer, open app.welcomebird.com/counter in the browser. The counter works best on an iPad or a large Android tablet.

1. The screen shows Pair this device, a QR code and an 8-character code.
2. On your phone, open More → Loyalty → Counter devices, tap Add a counter device and scan the QR code or type the code.
3. Pick the branch, give the counter a name and tap Approve.

The browser changes by itself to Type your phone number, with your shop’s and branch’s names at the top and your country’s code by the number. It then works like the app: the same screens, PINs and Leave counter mode. Leaving an unpaired browser counter shows Pair this device again.

The browser keeps the counter’s key in a protected cookie that the page itself can’t read, and saves nothing about your customers. If you clear the browser’s cookies, pair it again. Use one browser tab per counter: two tabs in one browser share the same pairing.

A customer with a booking today

1. The customer types their phone number and taps Next.
2. The counter says Hi Aisyah and shows today’s booking: the service, the time and who it is with. If they have more than one booking today, they tap theirs.
3. They hand the counter to the staff member, who taps Continue.
4. The staff member taps their name under Staff, tap your name and types their 4-digit counter PIN.
5. They type the Amount paid. The booked price shows underneath, for example Booked RM50.00.
6. They tap Confirm.

The booking is marked Done with that amount, and the counter shows the points, for example +65 points and You have 230 points. With loyalty off, or if the points take longer than a few seconds, it says Thank you, Aisyah. Your visit is done. without numbers. The screen goes back to the start after 10 seconds, or at a tap.

Any staff member of the branch can confirm any booking there. The booking’s history shows who confirmed it and on which counter.

A booking already marked Done in the app in the last 24 hours shows on the counter too. Confirm there sets or changes its amount paid.

An amount that is too high is refused, for example That’s more than RM250.00. Check the amount. See Amount paid for the limits.

A walk-in: Add a visit

When the phone number has no booking today, the counter says We can’t find a booking for today. It says the same for a number it doesn’t know, so it never tells who is a customer.

1. Tap Add a visit. You can also tap it on the first screen after typing the number.
2. The customer types their first name.
3. The staff member taps their name and types their PIN.
4. They tap the service the customer had, type the amount paid and tap Confirm.

The visit is added as a booking that is already done, and the customer earns points for it. It never takes time in the calendar. The amount can be up to the walk-in limit in More → Loyalty → Amount paid.

Staff PINs

Each person types their own 4-digit counter PIN. Set yours in Account → Counter PIN. Owners and admins can set or reset anyone’s PIN in More → Team. See Counter PIN.

• A wrong PIN says That PIN isn’t right. When 2 or fewer tries are left, it says how many.
• After 5 wrong tries the PIN is locked for 15 minutes: Locked for 15 minutes. Ask the owner if you forgot your PIN.
• After 15 wrong tries in a day the PIN stops working until an owner or admin sets it again.
• Too many wrong PINs on one counter pause its PIN pad for 15 minutes.

Privacy at the counter

• The counter shows the first name only, never the phone number, surname or email.
• The phone number leaves the screen as soon as the booking shows.
• Any screen left for a minute without a tap goes back to the start and forgets the customer.

Leave counter mode

Tap the lock button at the top right. The counter shows Leave counter mode. An owner or admin taps their first name and types their counter PIN. Cancel goes back to the start.

What happens next is your choice for each counter. Open More → Loyalty → Counter devices, tap the counter and choose under When someone leaves counter mode:

• Unpair it (to start with, and the safest): the counter is unpaired and shows the app’s first screen. To use it again, pair it again.
• Pause it: the counter stays paired and shows This counter is paused. An owner or admin types their PIN on it to start it again.

The choice saves at once.

After too many wrong PINs, a counter’s PIN pad rests for 15 minutes. It can’t leave or start again until then, but you can still unpair it from your phone.

Counter devices on your phone

Owners and admins open More → Loyalty → Counter devices. Each counter shows its name, its branch when you have more than one, when it was last used (for example Used 2 min ago) and App or Browser.

Tap a counter to:

• change its name and tap Save name;
• choose what leaving counter mode does;
• see its branch, when it was paired and when it was last used;
• Unpair it. The app asks first: Unpair Front desk? It stops working within 5 minutes.

If a counter is lost or stolen, unpair it from your phone. It stops working within 5 minutes.

Questions

Does the counter need the internet? Yes. It asks the server for each booking and each confirmation.

Can I use a browser instead of the app? Yes. See Use a browser as the counter.

Is there a counter for each branch? Each counter belongs to one branch. Pair one at each branch that needs it.