Using Third-Party Validation with PassEntry

PassEntry supports validating passes at physical locations using NFC or barcodes, for use cases such as event access, membership verification, ticketing and loyalty check-ins. By default, PassEntry validates scans internally. With third-party validation, each scan is sent to your own system, allowing you to apply custom business logic, control reader responses and optionally update loyalty balances as part of the same validation flow.

What is Third-Party Validation?

With third-party validation, your system takes full control over how passes are validated. Instead of PassEntry checking pass validity, every scan is sent to your own endpoint, where you decide the logic.

PassEntry Internal vs. Third-Party Validation

Feature	PassEntry Default Validation 📦	Third-Party Validation 🔧
Setup	📦 Out-of-the-box, no setup required	🛠️ Requires a custom validation endpoint
Validation Logic	🔒 PassEntry validates against its own database	⚙️ Your system defines all validation rules
Scan Value Format	🔑 Must be pass UUID or external ID	📜 Can contain any data or combination of values (e.g., `customerID-promoCode`)
Reader Instructions	📡 Pre-defined reader instructions	🎨 Full control over instructions (e.g., messages, LED colors, sounds)
Scans Logging	📊 Yes	📊 Yes
Support for NFC/Barcode	📡 NFC & Barcode (only if barcode is configured as pass UUID)	📡 NFC & Barcode
Association to the pass	🔄 Yes	📡 Only if `passId` provided by your endpoint
Current Compatibility	🔗 Works with VTAP & PassEntry Reader	🔗 Works with VTAP & PassEntry Reader
Loyalty Management	✨ Automatically updates points or stamps, and sends notifications if included	🎯 Full control – your endpoint must handle loyalty updates and send any notifications

When to Use Third-Party Validation

Use third-party validation when you need full control over validation logic, such as enforcing custom access rules, validating external identifier or updating loyalty balances based on business-specific conditions. If you do not need custom logic, PassEntry’s default validation is recommended as it requires no setup and works out of the box.

How to Enable Third-Party Validation

To start using third-party validation, follow these simple steps:

1. Ensure You Have a Reader Set Up

Third-party validation is currently supported only on PassEntry readers. If you haven’t set up a reader yet, follow this guide to do so.

2. Update Your Reader Configuration

Go to PassEntry Dashboard → Readers → Reader Configuration.
Find the Validation Settings section.
Change the validation type to Third-Party.
Enter an HTTPS URL of your third-party validation endpoint (this is where PassEntry will send scans for validation).
Include a Bearer token (this is a token that the reader will send to your endpoint to authenticate itself).

3. Apply Changes & Activate Third-Party Validation

Once you update the settings, the PassEntry reader will log out automatically and VTAP reader’s configuration will be automatically updated.
On the next login/reboot, it will use the new validation settings, sending all scans to your third-party endpoint.
After validation, scans will still be logged in PassEntry for tracking and reporting (only on PassEntry readers).

How It Works

A pass is scanned using a PassEntry reader or VTAP reader (via NFC or barcode).
Instead of PassEntry validating the pass, the scan is sent to your third-party endpoint.
Your system processes the validation using custom business logic.
The reader receives a response from your system and displays any necessary instructions (e.g., “Access Granted” or “Invalid Ticket”).
The scan is logged in PassEntry for visibility and reporting (only on PassEntry readers).

Third-Party Endpoint Structure

Your custom validation endpoint must be able to receive scan data and respond with validation results.

Reader Request Format

PassEntry Reader

{
    "scan": {
        "scanValue": "some-scan-value",
        "readerId": "passentry_reader_id",
        "scanType": "nfc",
        "loyalty": {
            "balance": -10,
            "message": "You have redeemed 10 points"
        }
    }
}

object

Show Properties

string

The value read from the NFC tag or barcode

string

Unique identifier of the PassEntry reader

string

Type of scan performed. Can be either "nfc" or "barcode"

object

Optional. Object containing loyalty information.

Show Properties

number

Loyalty points to add or subtract from the user’s balance. Can’t be used together with balanceOverride.

number

Optional. Override the balance of the loyalty points. Can’t be used together with balance.

string

Optional. A notification message to send to the user.

VTAP Reader

{
    "scan": {
        "scanValue": "some-scan-value",
        "readerId": "CC123456",
        "readerType": "VTAP",
        "scanData": {
            "IP": "Local IP of device",
            "location": "Reader Location",
            "passtype": "A",
            "payload": "d9ae223c9e6cd57e18f3f61b6198cce756de8b2b",
            "rdrparam1": "Optional Reader Info 1",
            "rdrparam2": "Optional Reader Info 2",
            "serialno": "CC123459",
            "SSID": "Connected WiFi"
        }
    }
}

object

Show Properties

string

The value read from the NFC tag or barcode

string

Unique identifier of the VTAP reader

string

Type of reader

object

Additional data about the scan from the VTAP reader.

Your Endpoint Response Format

PassEntry Reader

{
    "validationResponse": {
        "status": "failed",
        "statusDetail": "Subscription expired",
        "passId": "65844fnrjkfjfkel4h4j23",
        "readerInstructions": {
            "message": "Sorry, we can't let you in"
        }
    }
}

object

Show Properties

string

required

Must be either "successful" or "failed" to indicate validation result

string

Optional. Human-readable explanation of the validation result, especially useful for failed validations

string

Optional. The pass identifier if applicable. For example, if scanValue includes a pass ext_id and promo code (e.g., 123456-HELLO10), your endpoint can decode the pass ext_id and use it as passId to associate the scan with a specific pass.

object

Optional. Instructions for the reader to display to the user (e.g., messages, future support for LED colors, sounds, etc.)

Show Properties

string

Message to display on the reader screen

VTAP Reader

{
    "validationResponse": {
        "status": "failed",
        "statusDetail": "Subscription expired",
        "passId": "65844fnrjkfjfkel4h4j23",
        "readerInstructions": {
            "VTAPaction": {
              "led": "?LEDR 00FF00,100,100,3",
              "beep": "?BEEPR 50,50,2",
              "message": "Sorry, we can't let you in",
              "success": false
            }
        }
    }
}

object

Show Properties

string

required

Must be either "successful" or "failed" to indicate validation result

string

Optional. Human-readable explanation of the validation result, especially useful for failed validations

string

object

Optional. Instructions for the reader to display to the user (e.g., messages, future support for LED colors, sounds, etc.)

Show Properties

object

Optional. Instructions for the VTAP reader (e.g. LED colors, sounds, etc.)

Show Properties

string

LED color to display

string

Beep sound to play

string

Message. Currently not supported

boolean

Whether the validation was successful

For more information on VTAP actions, see the VTAP API documentation.

Getting Started

Guides

Bulk Operations

Passes

Using Third-Party Validation with PassEntry

What is Third-Party Validation?

PassEntry Internal vs. Third-Party Validation

When to Use Third-Party Validation

How to Enable Third-Party Validation

1. Ensure You Have a Reader Set Up

2. Update Your Reader Configuration

3. Apply Changes & Activate Third-Party Validation

How It Works

Third-Party Endpoint Structure

Reader Request Format

PassEntry Reader

VTAP Reader

Your Endpoint Response Format

PassEntry Reader

VTAP Reader

​What is Third-Party Validation?

​PassEntry Internal vs. Third-Party Validation

​When to Use Third-Party Validation

​How to Enable Third-Party Validation

​1. Ensure You Have a Reader Set Up

​2. Update Your Reader Configuration

​3. Apply Changes & Activate Third-Party Validation

​How It Works

​Third-Party Endpoint Structure

​Reader Request Format

​PassEntry Reader

​VTAP Reader

​Your Endpoint Response Format

​PassEntry Reader

​VTAP Reader

What is Third-Party Validation?

PassEntry Internal vs. Third-Party Validation

When to Use Third-Party Validation

How to Enable Third-Party Validation

1. Ensure You Have a Reader Set Up

2. Update Your Reader Configuration

3. Apply Changes & Activate Third-Party Validation

How It Works

Third-Party Endpoint Structure

Reader Request Format

PassEntry Reader

VTAP Reader

Your Endpoint Response Format

PassEntry Reader

VTAP Reader