PIING
Reading Getting startedYour first check-in
Getting started
- What is Piing?
- Install the Shopify app
- Choose your setup
- Set up Retail ID
- Your first check-in
- Key terms glossary
In this guide
- The four recognition routes
- Test on Shopify
- Test Retail ID
- Test a first-time customer
- Test the outcome
- If nothing appears
- Next steps
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Getting started 5 / 6
Your first check-in
Understand the four recognition routes and validate a known visit, its downstream event and its attributed outcome.
A check-in is a known customer's store visit, recorded with the store, time, source and customer reference. It is the central Piing event and the starting point for staff context, Wallet updates, downstream journeys and visit-to-order attribution.
The four recognition routes
- Kiosk. A welcome screen on a tablet, shown before the customer identifies themselves.
- Reader. A Piing reader at the entrance or beside the kiosk, used with a compatible Wallet pass or NFC card.
- Printed sign. A store-specific QR route scanned with the customer's phone.
- Shopify POS. The Piing tile on the store tablet, used by staff.
Staff can also scan the QR printed on a customer's pass at the till. This is part of the staff and till workflow rather than a fifth product surface.
Test on Shopify
- Choose a known Shopify customer.
- Open the Piing test check-in flow or use the first recognition route being deployed.
- Select the correct store and record the check-in.
- Confirm it appears against the correct customer, location and source.
- Confirm every enabled destination receives the appropriate event.
- Confirm the Wallet pass and staff context update where that workflow is enabled.
A simulated event should be clearly labelled as a test or API source so it can be separated from real store visits in analytics.
Test Retail ID
Use the Retail ID workspace and recognition route agreed for the implementation. Issue a test pass, check in at the pilot location, and confirm the identity route, store mapping, staff context and configured destinations all agree.
If the Retail ID implementation is not yet configured, follow Set up Retail ID.
Test a first-time customer
The pre-check-in kiosk or printed join route should show the customer what will happen before asking them to continue. Complete the merchant's sign-up and consent flow, add the pass to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, then record the first visit.
Confirm the flow does not assume the customer already has a pass and that the pass opens in the real Wallet interface rather than an imitation screen.
Test the outcome
A successful check-in alone does not prove attribution.
- For a purchase test, place an order for the same customer inside the configured window and confirm the attributed order and value.
- For a no-purchase test, use another visit, do not place an order, and let the full window close.
- Confirm the receiving CRM or webhook sees different event types for the two outcomes.
- Confirm reporting shows the right day, location and recognition route.
If nothing appears
- Confirm the kiosk, reader, sign or Shopify POS tile is paired to the intended location.
- Confirm the test customer exists in the primary commerce or customer system.
- Check the connection and delivery logs for the destination being tested.
- Confirm browser camera, NFC or notification permissions only where the chosen route needs them.
- For attribution, confirm the customer reference and configured window match the test order.
- Contact us if the event needs tracing.
Next steps
Related guides
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Key terms glossary
Plain definitions for Piing recognition, Wallet passes, attribution, Intelligence and Alerts.
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