Key takeaways

  • Visitor Passes allow residents to provide secure property access to trusted guests via QR codes or PINs
  • You can set specific access times, expiration dates, and recurring schedules for Visitor Passes.
  • Guests receive the Visitor Pass via email or text message with clear instructions, which they use by scanning the QR code at the intercom.

 


Note
: We’ve recently changed the name ‘Virtual Keys’ to ‘Visitor Passes’ to better reflect the feature’s purpose. Learn more about why we made this name change.

 

Prerequisites

  • You must have a ButterflyMX account
  • You must have our mobile app on iOS or Android
  • Your property owner or managers must enable Visitor Passes for your use. If Visitor Passes are unavailable in your mobile app, please talk to your property owner or manager about turning them on. ButterflyMX cannot turn them on at your property.

ButterflyMX Visitor Passes are the next step in access innovation. They take the form of QR & PIN codes that you send to trusted visitors like friends, family, and service providers (think anyone you’d want to give a key to your building to). They free you from worrying about a physical key that must be passed to someone. Instead, you can create them in the ButterflyMX mobile app and send them to guests as needed.

Visitor Passes are designed with your security in mind. You approve when your guests can use the keys, and you can always see who is using them. You can also delete them at any time.

 

How to issue and use Visitor Passes:

  1. Open the ButterflyMX mobile app
  2. Press ‘+ Visitor Pass’
  3. Choose a type of key
  4. Name your key
  5. Select when your key will be active
  6. Choose an expiration date
  7. Click the “Create Key” button
  8. Share your key via text message or email
  9. Your guest receives the key via a text message or email
  10. Your key is received as a QR code with instructions
  11. To use the key, a visitor clicks “Visitor Pass” on the ButterflyMX intercom
  12. The visitor lines up the key (QR Code) with the intercom

 

Step 1: Open up the ButterflyMX mobile app

Launch the ButterflyMX mobile app on your smartphone.

 

Step 2: Press the ‘+ Visitor Pass’ button

Hit “+ Visitor Pass”.

 

How Visitor Passes work with ButterflyMX

Step 3: Choose a type of Visitor Pass

Choose your type of key.

You can create a key with a custom duration, recurring access, business hours, full-day use, or a one-time key.

 

Choose a type of Visitor Pass

 

Step 4: Name your key

You’ll then need to name the key, In this example, we’ve named it ‘dog walker’.

 

Name your Visitor Pass

 

Step 5: Select when your key will be active

If you’ve chosen to create a key with custom duration or recurring access, you’ll need to select the days of the week and times of day that you want your key to be active.

If your dog walker comes on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 2:20 and 3:20, choose those options.

 

Select when your Visitor Pass will be active

 

Step 6: Choose an expiration date

Lastly, you’ll need to determine when the key expires (note: once your Visitor Pass is created, you cannot adjust these settings).

 

Choose an expiration date for your Visitor Pass

 

Step 7: Click the “Create Key” button

Click the “Create Key” button. Once the key is created, hit “Share Key Now.”

 

Visitor Pass creation confirmation

 

Step 8: Share your key via text message or email

Enter the phone number or email address of the contact you’d like to send the key and then hit “send.”

 

Share your Visitor Pass

 

Step 9: Your guest receives the key via a text message or email

Your guest receives the key via a text message or email.

This is what they will receive:

 

Guest receives Visitor Pass

 

Step 10: Your key is received as a QR code with instructions

Your recipient will receive instructions about the key and the link to it. When they click on the link, they’ll see more details about the key, including the ability to save it in their Apple Wallet and the QR code.

 

Visitor Pass QR code

 

Step 11: To use the key, a visitor clicks “Visitor Pass” on the ButterflyMX intercom

Once guests are at the door, they’ll click the ‘Visitor Pass’ button on the Video Intercom.

Pro tip: you do not have to click the ‘Visitor Pass’ button on the intercom. You can show your Visitor Pass to the intercom, and if it’s valid, the door will open.

 

Use a Visitor Pass

 

Step 12: The visitor lines up the key (QR Code) with the intercom

They will then see a prompt to line up the key on their smartphone with the smart video intercom as shown below.

 

Visitor Pass

 

Once lined up correctly, they’ll hear a chime and see a notification that the door is open. For security purposes, our Video Intercom will take a time- and date-stamped photo of the person who used the Visitor Pass, which will be stored for review in your mobile app for 365 days.

 

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Author

Eliza Quine

I manage ButterflyMX's access platform, making sure the right people can open doors at the right time. I live in Boston.

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