Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about MakeTheQueue.
General
MakeTheQueue is queue management software for small businesses. Customers join a digital queue by scanning a QR code or tapping a link, no app download needed. They see their live position and estimated wait on their phone, and get an automatic text when it's their turn. You manage everything from one dashboard.
Create an account, name your first queue, and share the QR code or link with your customers. The whole process takes about 2 minutes. No hardware, no IT setup, no training required.
No. Customers join through any web browser: they scan a QR code or tap a link and they're in. No app downloads, no account creation, no friction.
Restaurants, barbershops, salons, clinics, retail stores, hotels, event venues, government offices, and more. Any business with a waiting line, walk-in traffic, or appointment book.
Yes. Customers scan a QR code posted at your entrance or visit a link on your website. They can also be added by staff from the dashboard, a phone, or a tablet.
Yes. The dashboard works in any web browser (phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop). There's no separate app to install.
Your data is yours. We don't sell customer data, we don't sell your business data, and we don't use it for advertising. All data is encrypted in transit and at rest.
Features and Capabilities
It replaces them. Customers join a virtual queue from their phone instead of standing in a physical line. They see their position in real time and get a text when it's their turn, so they can wait wherever they want.
Yes. Scheduled appointments and walk-ins merge into one queue. Staff see a single, unified list: no double-booking, no switching between systems.
Yes. Create separate queues for different services, departments, locations, or events. Each queue has its own QR code, settings, and analytics. All managed from one dashboard.
Yes. After joining, customers see a live view of their position and estimated wait time on their phone. It updates in real time as the queue moves.
Yes. Upload your logo, set your brand colors, and customize the messaging on the join page and text notifications. Customers see your brand, not ours.
Yes. The Business plan includes an analytics dashboard that tracks wait times, service times, peak hours, no-show rates, and throughput by queue, location, and time of day. Use real data for staffing and scheduling decisions, and export it to CSV.
MakeTheQueue includes a full REST API on paid plans, so your developers can connect it to your own systems and internal tools. There's also an embeddable widget that lets customers join your queue straight from your website.
Pricing and Plans
Yes, and a free plan too. MakeTheQueue starts free, forever. Every new signup also gets a full trial of the Business plan, which includes every feature. When the trial ends, you move to the Free plan unless you upgrade to a paid plan. No credit card required to start.
There's a free plan that stays free forever and covers a single location with email notifications, the kiosk, the TV display, and the widget. Paid plans are flat-rate, billed monthly or annually, and add features like two-way SMS, appointments, API access, unlimited queues, analytics, and multi-location support. A Custom plan covers larger organizations. Current prices for every plan are posted on our pricing page.
Yes. Sign up, use it for your event, and cancel anytime. No contracts, no cancellation fees. The free trial included with every new account covers most single events at no cost.
Yes. Switch between plans anytime from your account settings. Changes take effect immediately.
SMS notifications are included at no extra cost per message. Each paid plan includes a monthly SMS allowance that varies by plan (the Free plan uses email notifications), and current allowances are listed on our pricing page. If you hit the cap, you can buy add-on packs. There are no per-message fees and no limits on how many customers can join your queue.
Event and Experiential Use Cases
Yes. MakeTheQueue is built for conferences, expos, brand activations, product demos, festivals, and pop-ups. Attendees scan a QR code to join, no app download required.
Attendees join a virtual queue from their phone and explore the venue instead of standing in line. They get a text when it's their turn. Your team sees real-time queue lengths and can adjust staffing on the fly.
Yes. Create a separate queue for each demo booth, session room, or activation. Attendees join the specific queue they want and get notified when their slot opens.
Yes. Share the queue link in advance: in emails, on your website, or on social media. Attendees can join the queue before they arrive and time their entrance.
Yes. Starter and Business include unlimited queues under one account. Each booth, activation, or session gets its own queue with its own QR code and settings.
Yes. MakeTheQueue is built for busy days and peak traffic. Attendees join from their own phones, so there's no bottleneck at the door, and there's no limit on how many people can be in a queue. Planning an especially large event? Reach out and we'll help you prepare.
Setup and Support
Most teams are live the same day. Create an account, name your queue, print a QR code, and you're running. No specialized hardware required.
No. MakeTheQueue runs in any web browser. Use your existing phone, tablet, or laptop to manage the queue. Use any tablet for a self-check-in kiosk and any TV for a display board. No proprietary hardware.
Every plan includes real human support, not a chatbot or a knowledge base. Email us and a person responds. We're a small team and we know your name.
Yes. MakeTheQueue is designed to be set up in minutes. There's no data migration needed: create your queues, share the new QR codes, and you're live. Most teams switch over in a single afternoon.
Simple pricing. Start free, upgrade when you need more.
Start on Starter with every core feature from day one, or pick Business for analytics, exports, and multi-location. Full Business trial on every new account.
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