Zoos and aquariums
Timed entry, annual passes and the gate on one guest record
VenueOra is zoo ticketing software for UK zoos and aquariums, with zoo annual pass software built into the same checkout. The timed-entry ticket, the annual pass, the keeper talk booking and the locker sit on one guest record, with Posso on the café tills.
A day at your venue
What happens, in order
- 01
A family books a morning slot
The family picks a date and an arrival session from the branded checkout. Each session has its own capacity, adult, child and concession tickets each carry their own price and capacity, and the tickets arrive in Apple or Google Wallet.
- 02
Passes scanned at the gate
Gate staff scan the QR code and the ticket is marked used; a second scan is rejected. Pass holders are found by member search in reception mode, and live capacity shows how many are on site before the penguin feed.
- 03
Lunch at the café
The café till runs on ePOS supplied and installed by Posso, our hardware and installation partner, with a kitchen display behind the counter. VenueOra provides the payment processing on the Posso platform.
- 04
Buggies and bags into a locker
LockVault, our smart-locker service, fits locker banks of 24 to 240 doors near the entrance. The hardware runs on VenueOra Locker Management, so a locker is assigned to a ticket and opens by NFC tag or an emailed PIN.
- 05
Keeper talks as ticketed events
The keeper talk or feeding experience is an event with its own ticket types and capacity, and a members-only ticket type opens it to pass holders first. Scheduled publishing releases the summer programme at the time you set.
- 06
The annual pass renews in spring
Annual passes are subscription plans priced by the zoo. Renewal reminders go out before the due date, lifecycle emails follow due, lapsed and win-back members, and a pass holder sees outstanding payments in their account.
The stack
What the venue runs on
-
01
Timed entryTimed entry for busy days
Sessions on a calendar carry their own capacity and buffer time, spreading half-term and bank holiday crowds across the day. Staff move a booking between sessions from the order, and the daily capacity report shows every session against its cap.
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Annual passes that renew
Annual and monthly subscription plans priced by the zoo, with renewal reminders and lifecycle emails for due, lapsed and win-back members. Members-only ticket types give pass holders free entry slots and first call on events.
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Gift shop and catering ePOS
Tills for the gift shop and cafés, kitchen display systems and digital menu boards, supplied, installed and supported by Posso. VenueOra provides the payment processing, so card data never touches the tills.
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Lockers near the entrance
Fitted banks of 24 to 240 lockers in four sizes, with charging variants carrying USB-C, USB-A and Qi pads. LockVault funds, installs, runs and maintains them at no upfront cost, and the zoo receives a share of rental revenue.
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05
PaymentsPayments, refunds and reports
Apple Pay, Google Pay and card at checkout, discount codes for off-peak days, refunds and reissued tickets from the order, and payouts after merchant verification. Reports cover sales, VAT, year-on-year comparison and daily capacity.
The dashboard
Annual passes with renewals in view
Subscription management shows which passes are active, expiring soon or expired, with plans priced by you, and the lifecycle manager sends the due, lapsed and win-back emails.
Screens show a live venue. Personal and venue details are blurred.
Outcomes
What changes for your venue
01
Passes that renew without chasing
Renewal reminders go out before a pass falls due and lifecycle emails follow members who are due, lapsed or worth winning back, so annual pass income holds through the winter without a phone round in February.
02
One record per family
The timed-entry ticket, the annual pass, the keeper talk booking, the locker assignment and every message sit on one guest record, so a campaign for the summer programme reaches the families who came at Easter.
03
Lockers without capital spend
LockVault funds, installs, powers, runs, maintains and insures the lockers and sends an itemised statement on the 1st of each month. You give floor space and footfall and receive a share of rental revenue.
Why one platform
The annual pass is a relationship with a family
A zoo or aquarium lives on families who come back, and most of that return is an annual pass, a booked slot and a keeper talk. VenueOra keeps the ticket, the pass and every message on one guest record, with Posso installing the café and gift shop tills and LockVault running the lockers.
Timed entry and passes together
An annual pass holder books a session through a members-only ticket type the same way a day guest does, and scans the same way at the gate. Session capacity counts both, so a sunny Sunday is planned rather than discovered.
Messages that reach pass holders
Email campaigns with merge tags go to audiences built from members, ticket buyers or saved segments, SMS covers orders and lifecycle messages, and the shared inbox keeps every reply from a pass holder in one thread.
Card data stays off your tills
Card payments at the gate, the café, the gift shop and the locker run through a PCI DSS Level 1 acquiring partner. Card data never touches your tills, kiosks or lockers.
FAQ
Questions venues ask
What should zoo ticketing software in the UK include?
Timed entry with capacity per session, annual passes that renew, QR check-in at the gate and reports for sales and VAT, all on one guest record. VenueOra provides each of those from one platform, with tickets delivered by email and to Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, a gate that rejects a used ticket, and reports for sales, VAT, year-on-year comparison and daily capacity. Posso installs the café and gift shop tills and LockVault supplies the lockers.
How does zoo annual pass software handle renewals?
Passes are annual or monthly subscription plans priced by the zoo. Renewal reminders go out before the due date, and a lifecycle manager sends emails to members who are due, lapsed or worth winning back. A pass holder signs in by password or magic link, sees outstanding payments with their status and pays from their account. Members-only ticket types and scheduled publishing give pass holders first call on keeper talks and seasonal events.
Can pass holders book a timed slot without paying again?
Yes. You create a ticket type on the day’s event that is visible to members only, at no charge, with its own capacity. A pass holder signs in, books their session and receives a QR ticket like any other guest, so they count towards the session capacity and scan at the gate the same way. The ticket rule can also require a particular plan, so a standard pass and a premium pass can carry different entitlements.
Who supplies the gift shop and café tills?
Posso, our hardware and installation partner, supplies, installs, trains on and supports the ePOS tills, kitchen display systems and digital menu boards, with UK-based support. VenueOra provides the payment processing on the Posso platform. Gift shop and café sales report from the Posso tills; VenueOra reports cover tickets and passes. Card data goes to a PCI DSS Level 1 acquiring partner and never touches your tills, kiosks or lockers.
What do the lockers cost a zoo or aquarium?
Nothing upfront and nothing to operate. LockVault, our smart-locker service, funds, installs, powers, connects, runs, maintains and insures the lockers; you provide floor space and footfall and receive a share of rental revenue. An itemised statement arrives on the 1st of each month with payout by the 15th. Fitted banks run from 24 to 240 lockers in four sizes, including charging variants, and a proposal follows within 48 hours of a site review.
Where is guest and pass data held?
Ticketing and membership data is UK-based, and VenueOra is a UK company with UK-based support. Card data never touches your tills, kiosks or lockers; it goes to a PCI DSS Level 1 acquiring partner. Staff roles from Owner to Accountant limit who sees payments and member records. Your own data protection assessment still applies to how you use guest records, and we can walk your team through the data flows before you sign.
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ReadSee VenueOra on your own venue
Tell us what your venue sells and we will walk you through the guest record, the gate and the till with your own numbers.