Using bands
How to stop wristband fraud
Updated 2 min read Paper Bands by Adalwin
Wristband fraud comes in four kinds: bands passed on, bands copied, old bands reused and stock stolen before the event. A tamper-evident closure fastened by staff stops the first, printing and numbering stop the second, a new colour each night stops the third, and counted stock stops the fourth.
Four kinds, four fixes
Passed on
A guest takes the band off and hands it to a friend outside. Fix: a tamper-evident adhesive closure, fastened by staff with two fingers of room, so it cannot slide over the hand or peel off unseen.
Copied
Someone buys plain bands in the same colour. Fix: print your venue or event name on the band, and number it. A plain band from a shop then looks wrong at a glance.
Reused
Last night’s band comes back tonight. Fix: a new colour every night or day, on a rota guests cannot see.
Stolen stock
A box of unused bands walks out of the office. Fix: count bands out to each gate and count them back, and keep stock locked until the event.
A checklist for the gate
- Staff fasten every band; guests never fasten their own.
- Check the colour, the print and, if numbered, that the number is in tonight’s range.
- Scissors at every lane, so a wrong band comes off at once.
- One person bands, another checks tickets.
- Unused bands counted back at closing.
After the event
Reconcile the numbers: bands issued per gate against tickets scanned and money taken. A gap tells you where to look next time.
For scanning at the gate, see QR code wristbands.
Questions
Can a paper wristband be removed and reused?
Not when it is fastened properly. Our bands close with a self-adhesive tamper-evident tab, made to show any attempt to remove it.
Do numbered bands stop fraud?
They make it visible. A number outside tonight’s range, or two guests with the same number, tells the door something is wrong.