The customer portal is a web page your customers open on their phone — no app to install and no account to create. They reach it through a link or QR code you share, then see their work order’s live progress, approve or decline services, pay their invoice, and message your shop. This article covers how customers get in and what they can do, so you can answer their questions and share the right link.
How Customers Get In
There’s no customer login with a password. A customer opens a link, and Wenmar Pro recognizes them. There are three ways in:
1. Check-In QR (self-service at the counter)
Every location has a Check-In QR Code that customers scan to check in for service. When they scan it, they enter their License Plate and Phone or Email, and Wenmar Pro matches them to their vehicle and customer record.
To view or print it, open the check-in QR modal from the work board or location. It shows the QR, a Check-in Link you can copy, and Print and Regenerate QR actions.
⚠️ Important
Regenerate QR makes the old check-in link stop working immediately. Only regenerate if a customer reports a stale scan, and make sure no one is mid-check-in.
2. Share Progress Link (one customer, one work order)
From a work order’s overflow menu, choose Share Progress Link. This opens a drawer with a QR code and a Portal link you can copy. The customer scans or opens the link to track that specific work order’s progress, totals, and status. The link stops working when the work order closes.
3. Automated Share Links (sent by Wenmar Pro)
Wenmar Pro sends portal links automatically as part of normal workflows — no extra step for you:
- Send to Customer (when you send an estimate) — the customer gets a text or email with a link to view and authorize their estimate
- Payment requests and receipts — links to view and pay the invoice
- Status changes and DVI approval requests — links to the work order
What the Customer Can Do
Dashboard
After checking in or opening a link, the customer lands on a dashboard listing their active work orders, each with the vehicle, WO #, status, and last-updated time. If online booking is enabled, they see a Book an appointment button.
Work Order
Opening a work order shows:
- Progress timeline — a status tracker (“pizza tracker”) showing where the work order is, with a CTA to view the inspection report when it’s ready
- Estimate — each service listed with Approve and Decline buttons, then Authorize (which opens a signature pad) or Decline All
- Inspection report — the DVI results
- Invoice totals — once the work is done
- Pay — pay the invoice and sign
- Messages — a two-way chat with your shop
- Courtesy car agreement — if a loaner is assigned
- Receipt and Print view
Profile
From the portal, a customer can edit their first name, last name, company name, preferred contact method, and mailing address.
💡 Pro Tip
Phone and email are read-only in the portal — the customer sees “Contact the shop to change your phone number/email.” This is intentional. If a customer asks to change their contact info, update it on their customer profile in the app.
Driver and Fleet Manager Sessions
Not every portal session is the same:
- Driver — when a check-in matches a driver (not the account holder), the session is scoped to that one vehicle. A driver can see the work order and message the shop, but cannot see estimates, invoices, payments, or the profile.
- Fleet manager — from the work order’s Fleet Manager Access action, a fleet manager gets a link to access all work orders for their fleet vehicles, approve estimates, and pay invoices.
What You Control vs. What the Customer Edits
| You control (in the app) | Customer self-edits (in the portal) |
|---|---|
| Phone and email | First and last name |
| Billing terms | Company name |
| Fleet identifier | Preferred contact method |
| Vehicle assignment | Mailing address |
For Service Advisors
- When you send an estimate with Send to Customer, the portal link goes out automatically — you don’t need to share a separate progress link.
- If a customer says a link doesn’t work, check the work order is still open and portal-accessible, then share a fresh Share Progress Link.
- If a customer wants to change their phone or email, update it on their profile — they can’t do it themselves.
Troubleshooting
“The link doesn’t work.”
The work order may be closed (share links stop working when a work order closes) or the customer’s session expired. Share a fresh Share Progress Link from the work order.
“The customer can’t change their phone number.”
That’s by design. Phone and email are read-only in the portal. Update them on the customer’s profile in the app.
“The old check-in QR is still being scanned.”
Use Regenerate QR in the check-in QR modal. The old link stops working immediately.
“The driver sees different things than the customer.”
Driver sessions are scoped to one vehicle and hide estimates, invoices, and payments. If the driver needs full access, share a link with the account holder instead.
Related Topics
- Sending Estimates — Sending the estimate link for approval
- Customer Messaging — Two-way chat and sharing portal links
- Collecting Payments — Payment links and the money loop
- Managing Work Order Status — How portal actions update status
Questions? Contact us at help@wenmarpro.com