There are three kinds of pickup QR code. Whatever the type, scanning means "this adult is here for these students." It doesn't mark the student as dismissed. Staff still mark Dismissed when the student gets in the car. That's the sign-out.
A. The parent's own code (in the Family App)
Parents don't get emailed a code. They open today's pickup in the Family App and tap Show QR code to staff. (This is only in the app, not on the parent web link.) The code identifies that parent. Staff scan it with the Orah staff app on a phone or iPad. You don't need any special scanner.
If your school uses I have arrived, the QR button appears after the parent has announced their arrival.
B. One-time code for someone else (emailed)
Parents can do this themselves from Change dismissal → Designate to another contact (see Using Dismissals in the Orah Family App).
Adding a designated pickup contact as staff
Staff can add one for a family too, for example when a parent phones the office:
Open the student on today's dismissal, on the staff website or in the staff phone app.
Click Add Designated Pickup Contact.
Choose Carpool / Playdate or One-off Pickup, then enter their photo (optional), name, relationship, email or mobile, and optionally an address and licence number.
Save. You can later edit or remove them from the same place.
You can do this before or during the dismissal, but not for a student who is Not Required that day. Parents can't edit or remove a contact that staff added.
At pickup, when staff open a student to dismiss them, Orah lists everyone who's allowed to collect them, with photos: parents, authorised contacts, and anyone designated for today (marked One-off or Carpool). Tap View contact to see their details. If the adult's code was scanned, they're recorded as the pickup person automatically.
The email
The person receives an email titled "You are assigned to pick up [student] by [parent]". It includes the date, time, pickup location and the QR code, and explains that the code is only valid on that day and shouldn't be shared.
The code is only emailed if an email address was entered. With just a mobile number, use Share QR Code to send it yourself.
Once that person has announced their arrival, they can't be changed.
Schools can turn this off with Allow authorised contacts to designate their own pickup contacts. Parents then see "Your school does not allow designating your own pickup contacts."
C. Standing pickup codes (emailed, for regular contacts)
If your school uses standing pickup codes, staff can send a long-lasting QR code to contacts already in Orah. You can do this from either:
Dismissals → Pickup Contacts → Send pickup QR code, or
Admin Console → Contact Database: select the contacts, then Send pickup QR code.
The email is titled "Your pickup QR code for [students]". The code lasts until the school revokes it, or until an expiry date if you set one.
After sending, Orah shows what happened to each contact:
Sent
PDF only: the contact has no email address.
Email failed, PDF only
Revoked, not sent or Expired, not sent
For anyone who wasn't emailed, click Download PDF to print or share their code another way. You can revoke a code ("Revoke pickup QR code for [name]?") and reinstate it later.
What happens when a code is scanned
When staff scan a code for a single student with no dismissal note, Orah announces the adult's arrival automatically. If there's a note (for example, a pickup restriction), more than one student on the code, or the student is on an early or late pass, staff are asked to check and choose first. See Scanning pickup QR codes and confirming pickups.