Quick path: Discover an event → open Event Details → tap Get Ticket (or RSVP on free events) → choose ticket type → pay if required → your digital ticket appears in My Tickets → show the QR code at the entrance for staff to scan.
Not the same as Kelal Pay: This guide is for
buying your event ticket. Paying for food and drinks
at the bar during the event uses
Kelal Pay — see the
Kelal Pay guide.
Before you start
- Sign in — you need a Kelal Gateway member account for every ticket and RSVP flow.
- Profile — your name and email must be on your profile. The app may prompt you to complete these before checkout.
- Phone number — a verified phone on your profile is required before you can get a ticket or RSVP.
- 21+ events — if the organizer marked the event as adults-only, you may need to add your birthday before continuing.
Step 1 — Open Event Details
- Browse events on the home screen, search, or open a shared event link.
- Tap the event card to open the Event Details page.
- Review date, time, venue (or private location instructions if the organizer shared them), ticket types, and price.
If the event is sold out, ended, or postponed, the app blocks purchase and shows a message instead of the ticket button.
Step 2 — Start checkout
Tap the main action button at the bottom of Event Details:
| Event type |
Button |
What happens |
| Paid event |
Get Ticket |
Choose ticket tier (General, VIP, etc.), optional menu items, then pay |
| Donation event |
Get Ticket |
Enter your donation amount (minimum 1 ETB), then pay |
| Free event (ticket style) |
Get Ticket |
Confirm ticket type; no payment — digital ticket issued immediately |
| Free event (RSVP style) |
RSVP |
Confirm attendance; may include optional menu selection — still issues a digital ticket |
Ticket selection & menu add-ons
- If the event has multiple tiers, pick the type you want (e.g. General Admission or VIP).
- When the organizer enabled the menu for your ticket type, you can add free or paid menu items to your order before payment. Paid items are included in the checkout total.
- Some private paid events show ticket selection only; follow the on-screen steps.
Step 3 — Choose how to pay (paid events)
After ticket selection, the payment slide opens with your ticket number and total in ETB.
Option A — Kelal Payment (wallet)
Pay from your Kelal wallet balance (KDC) if you have enough funds. Confirm the amount and complete — the ticket is issued right away and you are sent to My Tickets.
Option B — Payment with ETB
Tap Payment with ETB to open local payment gateways. Choose one and follow the prompts in Telebirr, your bank app, or M-PESA:
- Telebirr — mobile money (in-app SDK, browser, or Telebirr Super App context)
- Commercial Bank of Ethiopia — CBEBirr Plus or CBE account mobile/internet banking
- M-PESA — Safaricom mobile money
- NIBTera — NIB Mobile Banking push payment
- AwashBIRR Pro and COOP eBirr — shown in the app; availability may be limited while rollout continues — use Telebirr, CBEBirr, or M-PESA if another method is unavailable
Stay on the flow until finished. Many gateways open Telebirr, your bank, or a browser tab. After you approve payment, return to Kelal Gateway. On mobile, the app usually sends you to My Tickets automatically when payment succeeds.
Step 4 — What happens after successful payment
- Kelal Gateway confirms payment with the gateway and creates your digital ticket in the database.
- You are routed to My Tickets (menu → My Tickets, or
/my-tickets).
- The app may show “Opening your ticket…” briefly while it loads your new ticket.
- Your digital ticket opens automatically with a large QR code, event name, date, venue, and ticket number.
- You may receive a push or in-app notification that your ticket is ready.
Payment succeeded but no ticket yet? Open My Tickets manually and pull to refresh. The page polls for new tickets for a short time after payment. If you paid via NIB and see an error, check My Tickets anyway — your ticket may still have been created.
Step 5 — My Tickets (your ticket home)
All your event tickets live in My Tickets:
- Open the menu → My Tickets.
- Each card shows the event, ticket type, and whether you are checked in.
- Tap a ticket to open the full-screen digital ticket with QR code.
- Increase screen brightness at the venue so staff can scan easily.
- If you have not checked in yet, you may see a Transfer option to send the ticket to another registered member (until it is scanned at the door).
Free and RSVP tickets appear here the same way as paid tickets — always use My Tickets as your source of truth at the door.
Step 6 — At the event entrance
- Arrive at the venue and go to the check-in desk or entrance line.
- Open My Tickets → tap your ticket → show the QR code on your phone screen.
- Staff with the Ticket Scanner role (or the organizer on the Event Dashboard) scan your QR with the in-app check-in scanner.
- If the organizer enabled ticket verification, the scanner sees your name and photo and must confirm before check-in completes — this helps prevent ticket sharing.
- After a successful scan, your ticket shows as checked in in My Tickets and on the organizer’s dashboard.
One scan per entry ticket. Each QR is tied to your account. Once checked in, that ticket cannot be transferred or reused for entry. VIP drink QR codes (if the organizer sent them) are separate — bartenders scan those at the bar; see
Kelal Pay and the
menu guide.
Free & RSVP events (no payment)
On free events you still get a digital ticket in My Tickets — the entrance QR scan works the same way. RSVP-style events may ask you to confirm details or pick menu items first, then issue the ticket immediately.
Troubleshooting
- “Sign in” or profile prompts — complete sign-in, name, email, and phone verification first.
- Payment failed or canceled — no ticket is issued; try again or pick another gateway.
- Paid but ticket missing — open My Tickets and wait a moment; check your SMS/bank receipt, then contact support@kelalgateway.com with your order reference.
- QR won’t scan — brighten screen, zoom if needed, or ask staff to enter your ticket number manually from the scanner.
- Already checked in — the ticket was scanned; contact event staff if you believe this is an error.
Related guides