Error – Wrong Ticket Code

you scanned a ticket at the gate with the Checkinera app (or web scanner) and got the “Error – Wrong Ticket Code” message — even though the ticket looks valid in your admin. This page covers every cause for that error and the fix for each.

What “Wrong Ticket Code” actually means

The check-in app couldn’t match the scanned code to any sellable, active ticket on your site. The match-fail happens for one of about six reasons. Walk down the list — the first one that fits is almost always yours.

1. The ticket is for a different event (wrong API key)

Each event has its own API key (per-event mode), or you’re using an all-events master key. If you scanned a ticket whose event doesn’t match the API key the app is logged in with, you get “Wrong Ticket Code”. Switch to the right key in the app login and rescan.

2. The ticket’s check-in window hasn’t opened yet (or has closed)

This is the most common cause. Each ticket type has an “Available dates / times for check-in” setting. If you scan before the window opens, or after it closes, the app rejects it as “Wrong Ticket Code”. The screenshot below shows the settings panel where this is configured:

Either widen the check-in window in the ticket type settings, or wait until the configured window opens.

3. The order was refunded or cancelled

When you refund or cancel an order, the associated tickets become invalid for check-in — the app will reject them as “Wrong Ticket Code”. Look up the ticket’s order in Tickera → Orders (or WooCommerce → Orders if you’re running Bridge) and confirm the order status. If the customer claims they never got the refund, that’s a payment processor question, not a Tickera one.

4. The attendee or ticket was deleted

If a staff member deleted the attendee or ticket from the admin (e.g. accidentally during cleanup), the code no longer maps to a record. Recreate the attendee manually or re-issue the ticket.

5. The QR/barcode on the printed ticket is damaged or blurred

A creased printout, low-resolution screenshot, or partial print can produce a scanned code with one or two wrong characters. The scanner reads “something” but it doesn’t match a real ticket. Ask the attendee to show the email/PDF on their phone instead of the print, or look up the ticket manually by buyer name in the app.

6. The code is from a different Tickera site entirely

If you have multiple Tickera installations (different events, different sites) and the scanner is logged into one, a ticket from a different site will fail. Confirm the API key URL the app is logged in with.

What to do if none of these fit

If you’ve checked all six and still get the error, look in your WordPress error log for any PHP warnings around the check-in time. The Checkinera Check-in API logs its rejections — combined with WP debug logs, you can usually pin down what’s failing.

For the specific “barcode looks valid but scanner returns Wrong Ticket Code” variant on Chrome desktop scanning, see this dedicated article.

Related

• Wrong Ticket Code with Chrome desktop check-in
• Checkinera apps
• API Access
• Set available date/time for ticket check-in