Visitor invitations (QR code or PIN): shorter lines and more control at the front desk

How an invitation works

The idea is simple. The resident, or the front desk, creates the invitation before the visit, entering who's coming and when. The system generates a temporary credential, either a numeric code (the PIN) or a QR code, and sends the visitor a link. On arrival, the visitor types the PIN on the terminal's keypad or holds the QR code up to the reader, and the door opens.

What sets an invitation apart from a permanent PIN is the time limit. It's only valid during the agreed window and stops working after that. There's no old code making the rounds in group chats, and no code that last month's contractor still knows by heart.

What gets better at the front desk

When most visitors arrive with an invitation, the front desk routine changes in very concrete ways:

• Fewer intercom calls. The person who sent the invitation has already given permission before the visitor arrives.
• Shorter lines at peak times, such as parties and weekends, because each guest gets in with their own credential.
• Fewer shared PINs. The invitation's PIN isn't the resident's, and it expires on its own.
• More clarity for the front desk staff, who know who was expected, at which unit and at what time.

This doesn't do away with the front desk. Anyone who shows up without an invitation is still handled the usual way, and the team remains responsible for deliveries, contractors and anything out of the ordinary. Invitations just take the visits that were already arranged out of the line.

PIN or QR code?

Both options work well, and the choice depends on the equipment and on who's visiting. A numeric PIN works on any terminal with a keypad and is easy to pass along in a message or even over the phone. A QR code is faster at the door and avoids typos, but it requires a terminal with a QR code reader and a visitor whose phone has some battery left.

A rule of thumb: QR codes for planned visits from people who are comfortable with their phones, and PINs when the guest isn't very familiar with technology or when the terminal at that door can't read QR codes.

The precautions that make a difference

A poorly configured invitation becomes an open door. A few simple precautions take care of most of the risk:

• A short time window that covers only the visit, with reasonable slack for anyone running late.
• A limit on uses, when the terminal allows it, so one invitation can't be used for several entries.
• An invitation in the guest's name and tied to the unit being visited, so the history shows who received whom.
• Automatic removal when the window closes. A credential forgotten on a terminal is exactly the problem invitations are meant to solve.

Who can send invitations

It's worth deciding with the board, or at an owners' meeting, who can create invitations. Some buildings prefer to run everything through the front desk; others let each resident invite their own visitors, which takes work off the staff and cuts down on intercom calls.

Either way, what matters is a record of who created each invitation, for whom and for when. If a question about an entry comes up, the answer is in the system, not in someone's memory.

How to introduce the change to residents

Digital invitations only work if residents know how to use them. A short notice explaining how to create an invitation, what the visitor receives and what to do if they can't get in heads off most of the questions in the first week.

In the first few days, it's natural for some visitors to still arrive without an invitation. The front desk can use the moment to show the resident how to use the feature next time, without turning it into a strict rule right away. After a few weeks, invitations usually become the easiest route for everyone.

How Abriu handles it

With Abriu, invitations are created in the dashboard with a 6-digit PIN or, on terminals that have a reader, a QR code. An invitation is only valid within the time window you set and, when the terminal supports it, for a limited number of uses. The visitor gets a link to a public page with the PIN or the QR code, which can be copied or sent over WhatsApp, and also gets an email when their address is provided.

When the window ends, the Abriu hub removes the invitation from the terminals on its own. Residents who have dashboard access and are enrolled with their unit can invite their own visitors, and the unit being visited comes already filled in. Every invitation goes into the audit trail, and the entries show up in the access history alongside the residents' own.