ID Scanning lets front-desk staff check visitors in by scanning a QR code, a driver's license, or a passport. Licenses and passports are matched against the visitors expected today, so you can check in the right person without typing their name. ID Scanning is available on the Cove Dashboard only. It is not available in the mobile app.
Only the first and last name are used. Cove does not display or store the date of birth, document number, or any other field from a scanned license or passport.
Before you start: ID Scanning requires a supported scanner connected to the computer running the Cove Dashboard. QR codes, driver's licenses, and passports aren't all read by the same device. See Supported hardware below for which scanner you need for each document type.
Supported Hardware
The following scanners are supported by Cove for ID Scanning. Choose based on the documents your front desk needs to scan. The Zebra DS9308 reads QR codes and driver's licenses, and the HID OCR316-E reads passports. To scan all three, you'll need both scanners.
| Scanner | QR code | Driver's license | Passport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zebra DS9308 | Yes | Yes | No |
| HID OCR316-E | No | No | Yes |
For supported badge printers and setup help, see Setting Up and Troubleshooting Badge Printers.
Setting Up the Scanner
Each scanner connects to the computer running the Dashboard and works like a keyboard: it sends the scanned data straight to the Visitors page. If your front desk checks in both license and passport holders, set up both scanners.
Zebra DS9308 (driver's licenses)
- Connect the scanner to the computer with its USB cable.
- Follow Zebra's instructions to configure the scanner for driver's license parsing.
- Turn on the PDF Prioritization setting so the scanner reads the PDF417 barcode on the back of the license. Note: If PDF Prioritization is off, the scanner reads the wrong barcode and the scan fails.
- To scan, hold the back of the license under the scanner.
HID OCR316-E (passports)
- Connect the reader to the computer with its USB cable.
- Install the reader using HID's instructions, then set it to keyboard wedge (keyboard emulation) mode, which is the mode Cove uses. The reader supports other USB modes, and if it's set to one of those it can be connected but scans won't reach the Visitors page.
- To scan, place the passport photo page on the reader window. The reader reads the two lines of characters at the bottom of the photo page, called the machine-readable zone.
Note: The ID Scanning toggle does not detect whether a scanner is connected, so it shows as on even when no device is attached. If scans are not registering, check the scanner's connection and configuration, and confirm you're using the right scanner for the document type.
Turning ID Scanning On or Off
An ID Scanning toggle appears in the header of the Visitors page, with an info button beside it.
-
The toggle is on by default.
- It applies to all credential types at once. There are no separate controls for QR codes, licenses, or passports.
- When ID Scanning is off, scans are ignored entirely, including QR codes. Nothing is read and no message appears.
Note: The toggle resets to on each time the Visitors page is opened. To keep scanning off, turn it off again whenever you return to the page.
Select the info button to open a drawer on the right side of the page explaining what happens for each credential type.
What Happens for Each Credential Type
With ID Scanning on:
- QR code or barcode – a match opens the check-in form directly. If there is no match, a red Couldn't find a match for this QR code message appears.
- Driver's license – the first and last name are read from the barcode and matched against the visitors expected today.
- Passport – the first and last name are read and matched the same way.
License and passport matching allows for close spellings, so small differences in how a name was entered still return results.
If your cursor is in the Visitors search box when you scan, the scanned data is not entered into the search box.
Checking In a Matched Visitor
When a scanned license or passport matches one or more visitors expected today, a modal opens listing every candidate. Each row shows:
- Visitor name
- Tenant or vendor
- Host
- Expected time
Candidates are not ranked or scored, so review the details and select Check In on the correct row.
If none of the candidates is the person in front of you, select None of these – Add as New Visitor. The New Visitor form opens with the scanned first and last name already filled in.
When There Is No Match
If nobody expected today has a similar name, the modal says so and offers a single option: Add as New Visitor. The New Visitor form opens with the scanned first and last name already filled in. Add the tenant, host, and any other required details, then complete the registration.
To register several walk-ins, repeat the scan for each visitor.
When a Document Cannot Be Read
If a license or passport is picked up by the scanner but cannot be read, an error modal appears with a Scan Again option. Reposition the document and scan it again.