How haku Helps Events Run Seamless Onsite Payments, Terminals, and Kiosks

Bring connected payments into registration, check-in, ticketing and other physical event experiences.

Registration, ticketing and payments do not stop when event day begins.

Participants still need to register. Guests arrive without tickets. Staff need to accept payments, complete check-in and keep lines moving. At galas and auctions, organizations may need to securely collect payment information for purchases made later in the event.

haku extends connected payments into these physical experiences through its integration with Stripe Terminal.

Organizations can use supported Stripe readers with haku’s kiosk to accept in-person payments within eligible modules. Guest Hub supports ticketed-event experiences, while Register Someone supports onsite registration.

What are onsite payments from haku?

Onsite payments allow event staff to accept an in-person card or contactless payment through a supported Stripe Terminal reader while completing an eligible workflow in haku.

The payment is not processed through a disconnected point-of-sale system. It remains connected to the registration, ticket or customer action that generated it.

An event team can move through one connected process:

1. Identify the participant or guest.
2. Complete the registration or ticket transaction.
3. Collect payment through Stripe Terminal.
4. Receive payment confirmation in haku.
5. Complete the appropriate check-in workflow.
6. Retain the relationship between the customer, transaction and event activity.

The value is not simply having a card reader. It is connecting the physical payment to the person and activity behind it.

What can organizations do today?

The initial Stripe Terminal capabilities in haku focus on onsite registration and ticket sales through supported haku kiosk modules.

Availability may depend on the haku product, event configuration, connected Stripe account, supported hardware, geography and rollout eligibility.

Onsite registration and automatic check-in

Traditional onsite registration may require staff to move among a registration form, payment tool and check-in system.

With haku, registration, payment and check-in can become one connected workflow.

A staff member can:

1. Begin an onsite registration in haku.
2. Collect the required participant information.
3. Send the payment to the connected Stripe Terminal reader.
4. Have the participant complete the in-person payment.
5. Receive payment confirmation in haku.
6. Automatically check in the participant following the successful registration payment.

This can help event teams:

• Reduce duplicate data entry
• Eliminate a separate payment handoff
• Shorten the path from registration to participation
• Reduce onsite lines
• Maintain a connected participant and transaction record
• Avoid accepting payment without completing registration
• Avoid completing registration without confirming payment
• Give staff one workflow to manage

The differentiation is not simply accepting a card onsite. It is connecting payment to the participant action that the payment completes.

Onsite ticket sales through Guest Hub

Guest Hub helps organizations manage the in-person experience for ticketed events.

When someone arrives without a ticket, an authorized staff member can sell the appropriate ticket and collect payment through a connected Stripe Terminal reader as part of the Guest Hub workflow.

This can be relevant for:

• Galas
• Fundraising events
• Auctions
• Ticketed nonprofit experiences
• VIP events
• Expos
• Hospitality programs
• Corporate events
• Events allowing walk-up attendance

Instead of recording the guest in one system and collecting payment somewhere else, the transaction remains connected to the ticket and guest activity in haku.

That gives event teams a more complete view of:

• Who attended
• What they purchased
• How the transaction was completed
• Which event generated the revenue
• Whether the guest completed check-in
• How the payment should appear in financial reporting

How does Stripe Terminal work with haku?

Stripe Terminal provides the payment infrastructure and supported in-person readers. haku supplies the event, customer and operational workflow surrounding the transaction.

For an eligible workflow, event staff can:

1. Open Guest Hub for a ticketed-event workflow or Register Someone for onsite registration.
2. Select and connect an available Stripe Terminal reader to the kiosk.
3. Complete the customer’s registration or ticket selection.
4. Send the payment amount to the connected reader.
5. Have the customer present an eligible card or supported contactless payment method.
6. Receive payment confirmation in haku.
7. Complete the related registration, ticketing or check-in workflow.

This connection matters because the terminal transaction does not become an unexplained payment collected at the event. It remains associated with the customer activity that created it.

Why do connected onsite payments matter?

A standalone point-of-sale system may collect money. It does not necessarily understand why the payment occurred.

That separation can create operational and financial questions:

• Was the participant’s registration completed?
• Was the guest issued the correct ticket?
• Was the participant or guest checked in?
• Which event, category or product generated the payment?
• Does the transaction appear in the customer’s history?
• Can Finance connect the payment to the correct activity?
• Are online and onsite transactions reported separately?
• Does staff need to export and match transactions manually?

Connected onsite payments preserve more of that context.

With haku, the organization can maintain the relationship among:

• The customer or participant
• The registration or ticket
• The onsite payment
• The event
• The check-in activity
• The resulting revenue
• The financial record

This helps Operations and Finance work from a more consistent source of information across digital and physical experiences.

Keep online and onsite revenue connected

A physical transaction should not create a separate financial reality.

When an organization uses an unrelated point-of-sale tool, onsite revenue may need to be exported, categorized and manually matched with event activity. The deposit may be visible, but the underlying registration, ticket or customer context can be difficult to reconstruct.

haku’s approach connects onsite payment activity with the transaction it completes.

That can help an organization answer:

• Who paid?
• What did they purchase?
• Which event generated the revenue?
• Was the customer registered or issued a ticket?
• Was the customer checked in?
• How was payment collected?
• How should the transaction be reported?
• How does onsite revenue relate to the organization’s other payment activity?

The differentiation is not merely producing another terminal report. It is preserving the relationship between the customer, the transaction and the revenue.

Secure in-person payments powered by Stripe

Stripe Terminal is designed to support secure in-person payment acceptance through certified payment hardware.

Customers present their card or compatible device directly to the Stripe reader. This allows payment information to be collected through purpose-built payment hardware instead of being written down, manually handled by event staff or entered through an improvised process.

Together, haku and Stripe help organizations combine:

• Secure in-person payment capture
• Swipe, chip and contactless acceptance
• Real-time payment confirmation
• Connected event and customer workflows
• Centralized operational context
• Connected online and onsite revenue
• Payment infrastructure that can support digital and physical experiences

Organizations remain responsible for managing staff permissions, devices and event-day security procedures appropriately.

Device management matters on event day

Adding payment hardware creates responsibilities beyond the transaction itself.

Event teams should establish a plan for:

• Ordering or obtaining supported readers
• Assigning devices to the correct events and locations
• Connecting each reader to the correct haku kiosk and module
• Testing readers before doors open
• Confirming network connectivity
• Charging and securing devices
• Tracking where each reader is deployed
• Restricting device access to authorized team members
• Troubleshooting connectivity or payment issues
• Disconnecting and collecting readers after the event

Organizations should also define:

• Who is authorized to connect a device
• Which users can initiate payments
• How failed or interrupted transactions will be handled
• Who will provide onsite technical support
• How devices will be stored between events
• How equipment will be accounted for after the event

The terminal experience should be part of event-day planning—not a last-minute hardware setup.

Auction and gala workflows: available today and on the roadmap

Today’s terminal workflows include onsite registration through Register Someone, automatic check-in following a successful registration payment and onsite ticket sales through Guest Hub.

Guest Hub also supports bidder setup during check-in for eligible ticketed events linked to an auction event.

The linked-event workflow is available now. A dedicated Auction kiosk and payment processing for won bids remain on the roadmap.

What remains on the roadmap

haku is evaluating a purpose-built Auction kiosk that would remove the need to begin with a linked ticketed event.

That roadmap work may allow staff to find a bidder record directly, collect payment information through Stripe Terminal and save it to the bidder profile.

haku does not currently support collecting or processing payment for won bids through this terminal workflow, but we are exploring the possibilities to make that seamless.

Roadmap areas under evaluation include:

• Looking up a bidder directly without relying on a linked ticket attendee
• Collecting payment information through Stripe Terminal and saving it to the bidder profile
• Reducing the need for staff to handle or record card details manually
• Preserving the relationship among the guest, bidder and auction activity
• Supporting payment collection or settlement for won bids

Available today in Guest Hub

For eligible configurations, organizations can link a ticketed event to an auction event and create bidders from ticket attendees. Guest Hub then supports:

• Creating or confirming bidder profiles during check-in
• Associating guests with bidder or paddle numbers
• Collecting payment information for the ticket attendee
• Saving that payment information to the person’s community record and linked bidder profile
• Using the linked ticket attendee and bidder records to connect the workflows
• Working through Guest Hub rather than a dedicated Auction kiosk

This linked-event workflow is available today for eligible configurations. 

Frequently asked questions

Does haku support onsite registration payments?

For eligible configurations, event staff can register a participant onsite and collect payment using a supported Stripe Terminal reader.

Can a participant be checked in automatically after paying?

Yes. The onsite registration workflow can automatically check in the participant following successful registration and payment, reducing the need for a separate check-in step.

Can organizations sell tickets onsite?

Yes. Guest Hub supports onsite ticket sales with payment collected through a connected Stripe Terminal reader.

Which in-person payment types are supported?

The demonstrated readers support swipe, chip and contactless payment experiences. Exact payment-method and hardware availability can vary by reader, geography and Stripe account configuration.

Does the terminal work independently of haku?

Stripe supplies the terminal hardware and payment infrastructure. haku connects the payment to supported registration, ticketing, Guest Hub and event workflows.

Does haku connect onsite payments to reporting?

The objective is to retain the relationship between the payment and the registration, ticket, customer and event activity behind it. This helps prevent onsite revenue from becoming disconnected from the organization’s broader financial picture.

Can haku collect bidder cards during check-in?

For eligible configurations, yes. When a ticketed event is linked to an auction event and a bidder is created from a ticket attendee, staff can collect payment information for that attendee. haku saves it to the person’s community record and linked bidder profile. This does not include collecting or processing payment for won bids, and haku does not yet provide a dedicated Auction kiosk for looking up a bidder and adding payment information outside the linked ticket workflow.

Is Stripe Terminal available in every country?

Stripe Terminal hardware, payment methods and availability vary by market. Organizations should confirm that their Stripe account, selected reader and haku configuration support the intended location and workflow.

Will haku provide the terminal devices?

Device access, rollout eligibility, pricing and terms should be confirmed with haku. These details may vary as the terminal program expands.

How can I get a terminal?

haku will have a limited number of terminal devices available for loan based on customer eligibility and event timing. Organizations can also purchase supported terminal devices directly through Stripe.

Please contact your haku Customer Success representative to discuss device options, confirm compatibility and determine the best approach for your event.

Bring connected payments onsite

Event-day payments should not become disconnected from the registrations, tickets and people behind them.

With haku and Stripe Terminal, organizations can bring payment acceptance into supported haku kiosk workflows, including Register Someone for onsite registration and Guest Hub for ticketed-event experiences.

The result is:

• A faster, more connected customer experience
• Less switching among systems for event staff
• Fewer manual payment and registration handoffs
• Better context for financial reporting
• A unified view of online and onsite activity
• Support for eligible linked ticketing and auction workflows

The value is not the terminal alone. It is extending haku’s revenue platform into the physical event experience while preserving the relationship between the customer, activity, payment and resulting revenue.

Talk to haku about using onsite payments and Stripe Terminal at your next event.

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