Most check-in systems come with a catch: the hardware. A specific scanner. A branded tablet. A controller unit that only works with one vendor’s software. You don’t just buy the check-in system — you buy into an ecosystem, and leaving it eventually means replacing everything at once.
FitSynQ’s check-in kiosk runs in a browser. That one fact opens up more options than it might seem.
What “runs in a browser” actually means
A web-based kiosk isn’t a fallback option. It’s a design choice that makes the system work on hardware you already own, hardware available from any electronics supplier, and hardware you can swap out without touching the software.
The kiosk works on a tablet with a built-in camera. It works on a desktop or laptop connected to a USB webcam. It works on a desktop with a USB barcode scanner and no camera at all. The same software, the same check-in flow, the same member experience — across all of them.
Open a browser, log in as a staff member, and the kiosk is running. No installation. No driver setup. If the tablet breaks, you’re running on a laptop in thirty seconds.
The tablet setup
This is the most common starting point, and it works exactly as expected.
A tablet positioned at the entrance. Members open the FitSynQ app on their phone, display their QR code, and hold it toward the camera. The kiosk reads it, validates the membership, logs the session, and shows confirmation. The whole thing takes under a second.
On tablets, the kiosk automatically uses the front-facing camera — the one pointing toward the member walking in. No configuration required. If a staff member needs to switch cameras for any reason, there’s a button in the interface to do it.
Check-in and check-out use the same QR code, the same scan, the same screen. The system detects whether the member has an active session open and acts accordingly — creating a new one on entry, closing it on exit. There’s no separate mode to manage.
The desktop setup with a webcam
A tablet isn’t always the right fit. If your front desk already has a desktop or laptop, a USB webcam gets you the same check-in system without any additional hardware decisions.
The kiosk detects connected cameras automatically, identifies whether they’re built-in or external, and selects the appropriate one. Staff can switch between cameras from the interface if needed. Otherwise, it just works.
The member experience is identical. Walk up, show the QR code, done.
The barcode scanner setup
Some gyms move volume. Busy mornings, multiple entrances, a front desk that can’t afford any delay. For those situations, a USB 2D barcode scanner is faster than a camera, more tolerant of varying lighting, and requires no camera hardware at all.
USB barcode scanners connect to any computer and register as keyboard input. The FitSynQ kiosk distinguishes scanner input from regular typing using timing analysis — scanners emit characters in tight bursts that are recognisably different from a person typing at a keyboard. The system processes the QR token from the scan and triggers check-in or check-out before the member has taken a second step.
Any USB HID-compatible 2D barcode scanner works. There’s no specific brand requirement, no driver to install, no configuration file to edit. Plug it in, select barcode scanner in the hardware settings on first launch, and it’s running.
Running both at once
Camera and barcode scanner modes aren’t mutually exclusive. If you have both connected, you can run them simultaneously. The camera handles members who prefer holding their phone to the screen; the scanner handles members who prefer a faster pass-through. Both feed into the same system, the same session records, the same membership validation.
Setup takes about thirty seconds
When a staff member logs in on a new device for the first time, the kiosk asks which hardware is connected — camera, barcode scanner, or both. That’s the whole configuration. The selection is saved to the device. It only needs to be done once.
For gyms that want a dedicated, locked-down kiosk device, the web app can be launched in full-screen kiosk mode using a single browser flag. Members see only the check-in screen. Staff access the settings via a protected dropdown.
The hardware is your choice
The practical consequence of a web-based, hardware-agnostic system is that every hardware decision is yours to make — and to change.
Use what you have at the front desk. Buy a consumer tablet from any electronics shop. Add a barcode scanner if volume demands it. Expand to a second location without procuring anything more specialised than a device with a browser. If hardware fails, replace it with whatever’s available.
No proprietary components. No vendor lock-in. No hardware decisions that can’t be undone.
If your current check-in system requires specific hardware to function — or if you’re still managing check-ins with a handwritten book at the door — this is what a more practical alternative looks like.
We’d be glad to show you how it runs.
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