Wi-Fi Vouchers Explained: Time, Data, Printing and Security

A Wi-Fi voucher is a code that gives the holder a fixed amount of internet access, such as 24 hours or 2 GB. The guest joins the network, the captive portal opens, they type the code (or scan a QR code) and they are online. When the time or data runs out, access stops.

A Wi-Fi voucher system has three parts: a voucher generator that creates codes in batches, a way to print or share them, and a captive portal and RADIUS server that check each code and enforce its limits. This guide explains how to set one up so it is quick for staff, simple for guests and hard to abuse.

Most voucher systems let you base a voucher on time, data or both. Choose based on how people use your Wi-Fi.

Time vouchers give access for a period, such as 1 hour, 1 day or 7 days. They are easy to explain and suit hotels, cafés and events. Decide whether the clock starts at first login or runs continuously; most venues use first login, so a voucher printed today can be handed out next week.

Data vouchers give a quota, such as 1 GB or 5 GB, usable over a validity period. They suit places where bandwidth is expensive or where people come and go, such as markets and transport hubs.

Combined vouchers are common too, for example 24 hours with a 3 GB fair-use cap. Always add a speed limit and a device limit, whatever the base.

Mobile OTP is the default in India, but vouchers are the better choice in several situations:

• Guests without an Indian SIM, such as foreign tourists and business visitors.
• Places with weak mobile signal, where OTPs may not arrive, such as basements, hill stations and rural sites.
• Wi-Fi included with a purchase: a café can print a code on the bill or hand out a card with each order.
• Events and conferences, where the organiser needs a fixed number of passes for delegates.
• Controlled access, where only people the staff choose should get online, such as a library reading room.
• Resale through shops, where a local store sells prepaid Wi-Fi cards for cash.

Create vouchers in batches, each tied to one plan. A batch might be “100 × 1-day, 5 Mbps, 2 devices” for the hotel front desk or “500 × 1 GB” for a partner shop. Give each batch a clear name, so reports later show which batch was used where.

Codes should be long enough that nobody can guess them, but not so long that guests mistype them. Avoid easily confused characters such as 0 and O, or 1 and I.

Print them as cards. A good voucher card shows the network name, the code, the plan (for example “24 hours”), simple login steps and a QR code that opens the portal with the code already filled in. Card sheets can be printed on an ordinary office printer and cut. For resale or accounting, export the batch as CSV.

Vouchers fail when staff do not know which card to give or when to give it. Write down a simple routine:

• Keep printed vouchers in a locked drawer, sorted by plan.
• Hand out the right voucher at check-in or with the bill, and note the room or bill number if you need to trace it later.
• For paid vouchers, take payment first; record cash sales the same way as any other sale.
• If a guest cannot log in, redeem the code for them at the counter rather than issuing a new one.
• At the end of each shift, count remaining cards against the batch.
• Generate new batches only from an authorised staff login, never a shared one.

Every voucher should have two time limits. The first is the plan duration, how long it works once used. The second is validity, the last date it can be redeemed at all. Without validity, a stack of old cards can turn up months later, possibly after you have changed your prices.

Match validity to the purpose. Front-desk stock can have a few months of validity; conference vouchers should expire the day after the event.

Voucher fraud is usually small-scale: one code shared by an entire group, a photo of a code posted online, or staff giving away paid cards. These basics stop most of it:

• Make each code single-use, so once redeemed it is tied to that user.
• Set a device limit on the plan so a shared code only works on one or two devices at a time.
• Keep codes random and long enough to resist guessing.
• Use short validity for high-value vouchers.
• Give each staff member their own login, and keep an audit log of who generated and who redeemed which batches.
• Review voucher reports weekly: unusual redemption times or sudden spikes point to a problem.

Useful voucher reports answer: how many codes from each batch have been used, how many are left, which plans are most popular, and how much data each plan actually consumes. For paid vouchers, match sold cards with cash or payments received. Export to CSV for accounts and keep batch lists with your records.

In OKWiFi, vouchers are generated in batches on time or data plans, with the plan’s speed, device and validity limits. Batches can be printed as cards with QR codes or exported as CSV, and vouchers can be redeemed at the counter by staff or by the guest on the captive portal.

Voucher login can be enabled on any portal profile alongside OTP, membership or free access, so a hotel can offer OTP on its guest network and vouchers for conference delegates. Each venue has its own staff logins and custom roles, important actions are recorded in the audit log, and usage and revenue reports can be exported.