Checking In a Returning Visitor
How Sermfy finds a visitor who's been to your church before, so you're not re-entering their details every time.
What "returning" means
A returning visitor is someone already in your Visitors records from a previous visit, not yet converted to a full member. Sermfy searches all active visitors for the branch, not just people already checked in during the current session, so a visitor from three weeks ago is still findable today.
Checking them in
Search by name or phone from the Check-in screen the same way you'd search for a member, a matching visitor record appears and can be checked in directly, without re-entering their information.
If a returning visitor's details have changed (a new phone number, for example), update their record while you have them in front of you rather than leaving it for later, it's a natural moment to catch it.
Best practice
When a visitor has attended multiple times, that's often a strong signal for Follow-Up to prioritize a membership conversation, check their visit count on their profile if you're deciding who to invite to a new-member class.
Related Articles
Checking People In: QR, Camera Scan, and Kiosk Mode
The three ways to check members and visitors into a service, and when to use each one.
Adding a First-Time Visitor During Check-In
Capture a new guest's details, including where they live and who invited them, right at the point of check-in.
Ending a Service Session
Why formally closing a session matters, beyond just walking away from the check-in screen.
Understanding the Check-In Screen: Unchecked, Checked, and History
What each of the three Check-In tabs shows, and how the floating Save bar works.