In this article, we’ll learn how to set up and edit Lock Types. You can choose which Lock Types to create and use on your Spektrix system, and you can have as many different types as you like.
Before setting up Lock Types, make sure you’re familiar with:
Creating a new Lock Type
Lock Types are set up and managed in the Admin Interface under Seating > Lock Types.
TIP: in order to set up Lock Types you’ll need the General Administrator user role on your Spektrix account
On this page, you’ll see a list of all available (and active) Lock Types.
TIP: by default this page only displays active Lock Types - select the View Inactive option to display inactive Lock Types as well.
To create a new Lock Type, scroll to the bottom of this page and click Add.
Each Lock Type has three sections that you can edit - Basic Details, Limits and Eligibility. We’ll take you through each of these sections and explain what’s available in each one.
Basic Details
This section allows you to apply a range of options to your new Lock Type.
- Name: the name of your new Lock, this displays in the Sales Interface but not online to customers
- Description: an internal description for this Lock to help staff understand its purpose
- Active: select this to make sure the Lock is active and available to use
- Available for website users: select this to make the Lock available to be bought online by customers
- Available for agents: select this to make the Lock available to use for ticket agents
- Seating Plan icon: select the icon you would like the Lock to display as on your Seating Plan
- Display icon online if available for website users: select this option if you want the icon to display online to customers. If this box is left unticked but Available for website users is selected, the Lock will display as a star online.
- Require a password? Select this if you want to make a password required to sell or clear the Lock in the Sales Interface.
TIP: You can also restrict lock types to staff with Sales Administrator permissions only for each Lock Type in the Settings Interface under Users > User Roles > Lock Types.
Limits
You can apply a limit to the number of locked seats that can be sold in each transaction.
- Use default limit for Instance: will default to the Max Seats for online purchase limit you set at Instance level. This will limit the number of seats per transaction.
- Maximum seats per transaction: this option will allow you to input a limit for this Lock Type
WARNING: this is a per transaction limit, so it’s possible for a customer to make subsequent bookings and purchase more of these locked seats in separate orders.
- In unreserved areas, sell eligible customers these seats before the general allocation: if your new Lock will be applied to unreserved seating, you can set the behaviour so that eligible customers are sold locked seats first. To activate this, select the In unreserved areas, sell eligible customers these seats before the general allocation option.
Customer eligibility
Here you can set rules that define which customers can unlock this Lock Type online.
This works similarly to other eligibility selections that you see elsewhere in Spektrix – by dragging and dropping, you can set eligibility using Tags, Customer Attributes, Memberships, Promotion Codes, Fixed Subscriptions, and Contact Preferences.
Payment eligibility
You can also use payment card type as eligibility criteria for Locks.
This means that seats locked with this particular Lock Type can be purchased by a customer but must be paid for using the eligible card type.
Configuring Payment Eligibility
You’ll need to switch it on in your System Settings. To do this go to:
- Settings Interface > System Setup > Payment Eligibility
- Toggle the switch marked Enable Payment Eligibility for Lock Types
Setting up Payment Eligibility
When setting up a Lock Type that uses payment eligibility, make sure that Available for website users is selected in the Basic Details tab.
You can also choose the Display icon online if available for website users option and select the Card Eligibility icon to give a visual indicator online:
This means any seats locked with this particular Lock Type will appear in the seating plan online with this icon:
You'll also see that the option to set payment eligibility appears after the Customer Eligibility tab, and will show all card types you've approved for use:
TIP: if you need to include a new card type to this list, speak to the Spektrix Support team
Tick the check box next to the card type(s) you want to make eligible, then click Save.
Eligible customers will only be able to purchase these locked seats using the specified card type. Other payment methods including gift vouchers and credit will not be accepted.
If the customer is buying seats that are locked with this Lock Type, but also has other items in the basket (tickets for seats that aren't locked or for other Instances, Merchandise, Memberships, donations), they will only be able to complete their purchase in its entirety using an eligible card type.
How to edit an existing Lock Type
Lock Types are found in the Admin Interface under Seating > Lock Types.
To edit an existing Lock Type click on the blue pencil icon next to it. You’ll be taken through the Details, Limits and Customer Eligibility tabs and given the option to update the information.
Summary
Now you know where to find Locks and how to create and edit using specific eligibility criteria. To start applying Locks to your Seating Plans and selling them to your eligible customers, check out the articles below:
- Lock Overlays: a guide to setting up Lock Overlays for your seating plans
- Selling Locked Seats: a guide to selling locked seats and clearing locks against seats in the Sales Interface
- Online Access Booking - Making Wheelchair Accessible Seats Available Online (UK/IE Version): a guide to making your wheelchair accessible seats (and other access seats) available online to customers who require them