You may run a kiosk session from any desktop, laptop, tablet or smart phone with internet connectivity so that volunteers may check-in and out of their assigned shifts, sign-up for available shifts*, and have all of their actual times tracked versus scheduled. The kiosk also features a quick registration form for new volunteers.

Additionally, an Advanced Kiosk features are available in Enterprise subscriptions and as a paid add-on for Professional subscriptions. They provide additional customization options for organizations that need audience-specific experiences, mobile kiosk access, or photo verification during check-in. For more information see the bottom of this article.  This article will focus on the standard kiosk functionality. 

Kiosk stations can be created and managed by administrators with the Configuration administrative role. Administrators can add kiosk stations to branches/sites/locations, update kiosk information, and remove kiosk stations as needed.

Once a kiosk station is created in your system and administrator needs to enable it on the device. Then until the device is de-registered, it can be started simply by going to the kiosk URL (https://customercode.volunteermatters.org/kiosk**).

Creating a kiosk station and running a kiosk are separate steps. The admin creates the station in Configuration, but the physical device still needs to be registered/started through the kiosk interface.

This article will first cover creating/managing the kiosk stations and then enabling and registering a kiosk station. 
 

*NOTE: For a shift to be available for sign-up via the kiosk for a volunteer, the shift must be within it's check-in period (typically one hour but is configurable per project) and the volunteer must have already met all the required qualifications (credentials) for the shift and any global credentials.  Global credentials are typically met during registration. 

**NOTE: "customercode" is assigned to your account when you subscribe to VolunteerMatters. Typically, your customercode is your base domain name from your web address. For example, if your web address is http://www.acme.net, your base domain name and customercode is 'acme', so your login would be https://acme.volunteermatters.org. If you have any questions on your customer code, please contact support.

Managing Kiosk Stations

Administrators with the Configuration administrative role can create and manage Kiosk Stations directly within VolunteerMatters.

Kiosk Station management allows administrators to:

• Create a new kiosk station for a branch
• Update existing kiosk station branch
• Change the kiosk label
• Review kiosk station details
• Remove kiosk stations that are no longer needed

To manage kiosk stations:

1. Log in to VolunteerMatters with Configuration administrative access.
2. Navigate to Configuration > Kiosks.
3. This defaults to the Kiosk Stations tab.

The Kiosk Stations page displays all kiosk stations configured within the organization.

The available information includes:

• Branch – The branch or location associated with the kiosk station.
• Label – The name used to identify the kiosk station. This will appear on the kiosk when in use. 
• Key – The unique identifier associated with the kiosk station.
• Created – The date the kiosk station was created.

Creating a New Kiosk Station

To create a new kiosk station:

1. Navigate to Configuration > Kiosks.
2. Click New.
3. Select the applicable Branch.
4. Enter a Label to identify the kiosk station.
5. Save the kiosk station configuration.

The label should be descriptive enough for administrators to identify the kiosk location.

Examples:

• Main Lobby Kiosk
• Volunteer Entrance Kiosk
• Front Desk Check-In
• Community Center Tablet

Once created, the kiosk station can be registered and used on the desired device following the instructions below.
 

Editing a Kiosk Station

To update an existing kiosk station:

1. Navigate to Configuration > Kiosks.
2. Locate the kiosk station.
3. Open the kiosk station details via the Edit button.
4. Update the available configuration fields (Branch and Label).
5. Save the changes.

Common updates include changing the kiosk label or updating kiosk-specific settings available through the kiosk configuration.
 

Removing a Kiosk Station

If a kiosk station is no longer needed, administrators can remove it from the Kiosk Stations configuration page.

Removing a kiosk station deletes the kiosk configuration from VolunteerMatters. Any device previously using that kiosk station will need to be configured again before it can be used as a kiosk.

To remove an existing kiosk station:

1. Navigate to Configuration > Kiosks.
2. Locate the kiosk station.
3. Open the kiosk station details via the Edit button.
4. Click the "Delete!" button.
5. In the confirmation window, select "Yes, delete it". 
6. You will be returned to the Kiosk Station page with a confirmation that the kiosk has been removed.

Enabling and Registering a Kiosk Station

1. To enable the kiosk and register to a branch/site/location, you will open up a browser on the device and enter https://customercode.volunteermatters.org/kiosk in the address bar. 
   
   This will bring you to the screen to enable your kiosk.  Click on the "Enable this Station" button.
   
   
    
2.  This will bring you to the login screen where you must login with Configuration Administrator privileges.  Once logged in you will be returned to the kiosk where you can register the kiosk for one of your branches/sites/locations.  When you know which branch/site/location you wish to run, click the "Register" button next to it. 
   
   
    
3. This will bring you back to the kiosk admin page where you will just click the "Kiosk Start" button and the kiosk will be ready to use!
   
   

Disabling or De-Registering a Kiosk Station

 If you find you must change the branch/site/location for the kiosk or wish to disable it completely on the device you can do so following these steps.

1. To disable the kiosk or register it to a different branch/site/location, you will open up a browser on the device and enter https://customercode.volunteermatters.org/kiosk in the address bar. 
   
   This should bring you to the main kiosk search screen. To start the disable or deregistration process, click on the "Admin" link at the bottom of the screen.
   
   
    
2. This will bring you to the Volunteer Station setup screen where you will click the "Disable this Station" button. 
   
   
    
3.  This will bring you to the login screen where you must login with Administrative privileges.  Once logged in you will be returned to the Volunteer Station setup page and the kiosk will be de-registered.  
   
   
   
   If you wish to disable the kiosk permanently all you need to do is close the browser and it will need administrative setup once again the next time you wish to run it.  If you wish to change the branch/site/location registration you can proceed to the next step.
    
4. To change the branch/site/location registration for the kiosk station, from the Volunteer Station setup page click "Enable this Station" button.
   
   
    
5. This will bring you to the registration page where you can register the kiosk for one of your branches/sites/locations.  When you know which branch/site/location you wish to run, click the "Register" button next to it. 
   
   
    
6. This will bring you back to the kiosk admin page where you will just click the "Kiosk Start" button and the kiosk will be ready to use!
   
   

Volunteer Project Kiosk Settings

For a project to be accessible via the kiosk, it's Shift Attendance Mode settings must be set to either "Check In" or "Check In and Out".   You can review those settings and make sure your project settings meet that criteria by following this solution: https://support.volunteermatters.com/hc/en-us/articles/360036367014-Edit-Project-Setup

Note: The kiosk does not utilize geolocation. 

Kiosk Registration Field Configuration

With the kiosk, new volunteers can register and sign global credential agreements. Then they can review and sign-up for available shifts.  The registration form for the kiosk can include any of your contact fields and those can be set as required or optional fields. 

We highly recommend a limited number of fields for a quick registration process as you may have a lot of volunteers needing to register for some events. 

The default fields on the kiosk registration are:

1. Name
2. Email
3. Birth
4. Mobile Telephone

If you wish to modify the kiosk registration fields, please contact support. 

Note: Volunteers who register via the kiosk only have a contact record created.  A site user record (system access) can only be created via the regular registration form (https://customercode.volunteermatters.org/register).  Any new volunteers who registers via the kiosk who desires access to your volunteer portal will need to be instructed to use the registration form and enter the same email they used during kiosk registration and follow the process for those types of contact records (imported or manually created by an admin).

Advanced Kiosk Features

Organizations that require additional customization of the kiosk experience can use the Advanced Kiosk add-on.

Advanced Kiosk provides additional configuration options beyond the standard kiosk functionality, including:

• Kiosk Audiences – Customize the kiosk experience for different types of users, such as volunteers, visitors, partners, or contractors. Each audience can have its own registration settings, required agreements, credentials, welcome messaging, and project filters.
• Require Check-In Photo – Require volunteers to capture a photo using the kiosk device camera before completing check-in.
• Mobile Access – Allow volunteers to use their own mobile devices as temporary kiosk stations. Mobile kiosk sessions can be secured by requiring the device to be physically located within a configured distance of the kiosk location.

Advanced Kiosk is useful for organizations that need to support different user groups at the same kiosk location or provide additional verification during the check-in process.

For more information about configuring Advanced Kiosk features, see:

Advanced Kiosk Configuration