How does the guard check a code?
3 min readUpdated 25 Aug 2026For gate teams, managers and estate staff
Short answer
He types the six characters in, or points the camera at the visitor QR square, and the screen says yes or no and what the visit is for. It takes about five seconds and it runs on his own phone.
Who are you?
This one reads the same whoever you are
The longer version
Two ways, same answer
- Type the six characters the visitor reads out.
- Point the camera at the QR square on the visitor’s phone.
Either way the screen comes back with a clear yes or a clear no, and on a yes it says what the visit is for. The guard is not interpreting anything, which is the whole point: a decision at the gate at 11pm should not require judgement.
When it says no
- Expired. The visit was for Tuesday and it is Thursday. The resident sends a new one in ten seconds.
- Already used. It was a single-arrival code and somebody has come through on it.
- Cancelled. The resident called it off.
- Not a code at all. A digit was misheard. Ask for it again before assuming anything.
A guard never has to argue about a no. The screen gives the reason, the resident can send a new code from wherever they are, and the queue at the gate moves.
Checking a code needs a live connection on the phone doing the checking. If the network at your gate is unreliable, read the network answer before you build a process on top of this.
What the guard sees, and what he does not
He sees whether to open the gate and what the visit is for. He does not see anybody’s rent, anybody’s bills, or anything about the household. A gate seat is the smallest view in the whole product, deliberately.
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