The gatehouse, security’s weakest link
In many condominiums visitor control is still a notebook at the gate: the guard writes down names, ID numbers and plates by hand, calls the house to confirm, and that information is exposed to anyone who walks by the gatehouse. It’s slow, unreliable and, under Costa Rica’s data protection law (Law 8968), a liability for the condominium.
How visitor control works in CondoCMS
1. Residents pre-authorize from their phone
From the portal, residents register the visit: date, time window, plate if arriving by car and reason. Once saved, they can share a QR pass with their visitor from their phone (WhatsApp, email or any app) or download it as an image.
2. A QR pass that can’t be forged
The pass carries the CondoCMS logo and a cryptographic signature only the condominium’s system can validate. It contains no names or ID numbers: anyone who sees or photographs the QR gets no personal data. It’s single-use, and if plans change, the resident revokes it and the old pass stops working.
3. The guard scans and logs in seconds
At the gatehouse, the guard scans the pass with a tablet or phone camera, a USB reader or by typing the code. The system shows whether the pass is valid, already used, revoked or not yet within its window, and logs the entry with one tap.
4. The resident gets notified
When the visitor enters, the resident gets a notification. No calls to the house and no waiting at the gate.
Unannounced visits too
Not every visit is announced. The guard can log a walk-in from the gatehouse, and the system records separately who authorized and who logged each entry.
Designed for Law 8968
- The QR exposes no personal data.
- Only authorized staff see visit details.
- The log lives in a system with role-based access, not in an open notebook.
For gatehouse logging best practices, read our guide on visitor control without breaking data-protection law.
Frequently asked questions
How secure is the QR pass?
Each pass carries a cryptographic signature that only the condominium’s system can validate, so it can’t be forged or altered. It is single-use, and if the resident revokes it, the old pass stops working immediately.
Does the QR code contain the visitor’s personal data?
No. The QR only carries an identifier and the signature. The visit details stay in the system and only authorized staff see them, which helps comply with Costa Rica’s data protection law (Law 8968).
Does the gatehouse need special equipment?
No. It runs in the browser of a tablet, phone or computer with a camera. It also accepts USB barcode readers or typing the code by hand.
What about visitors who arrive unannounced?
The guard can log a walk-in visit from the gatehouse. Who authorized and who logged each visit are recorded separately.