A ticket machine or a QR code queue?
A ticket machine prints a number and a display calls it. A QR code queue lets visitors take the number on their own phone and wait where they like. Here is how they compare, and when a machine is the better fit.
As of October 2026
| QR Wait | Ticket machines | |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware | None required: any phone, tablet or TV with a browser | A kiosk or dispenser and a display, often with a gong or speaker, installed on site |
| Price | Prepaid tickets, no subscription; prices are on the pricing page | Mostly quote-only: hardware plus a licence; the vendors we checked don't publish prices |
| Setup | Create a queue online and show or print its QR code | Installation and configuration on site |
| Where people wait | Anywhere nearby: the phone tells them when it's their turn | Within sight or earshot of the display |
| Visitors without a phone | A tablet in kiosk mode prints a number on a receipt printer, or the attendant adds them | Everyone takes a printed ticket |
| Services and counters | Several counters and up to 10 services per queue, with priority and transfer | Services and counters set up by the vendor |
| Display and announcements | A TV display in the browser that reads each call aloud, in 16 languages | An LED or TV display, often with a gong |
When a ticket machine fits better
- Most of your visitors don't carry a smartphone, or mobile coverage on site is unreliable.
- You need a fixed installation tied into other building systems.
- A machine is already installed and paid for, and it does what you need.
Using both
QR Wait's kiosk mode turns a tablet with a receipt printer into a ticket machine for visitors without a phone, so phone and paper numbers share one queue. An existing machine keeps its own numbering, so running it next to QR Wait means two separate queues.
Questions
- Can visitors without a smartphone still take a number?
- Yes. A tablet in kiosk mode gives out numbers and can print them on 58 or 80 mm receipt paper; the attendant can also add anyone by hand.
- Do we need a display screen?
- No, but any TV with a browser can show the live "now serving" display, with each call read aloud.
- How do visitors know when to come back?
- Their phone shows their place and an estimated wait, and they get a notification when their turn is coming up and when it comes.
From the blog
Sources
Competitor facts come from each vendor's own pricing, feature and help pages, checked in October 2026. Prices and plans change; check the vendor's page before you decide. Names are trademarks of their owners.
- qmatic.com/products
- randa.com.tr
- omes.net
- siramatik.com
- tumsas.com.tr
Other comparisons
Try it before you decide
The demo runs in your browser in a minute; a free account comes with 1000 tickets.