diff --git a/src/services/checkin/checkin-router.ts b/src/services/checkin/checkin-router.ts
index 7d9c19f..7a4bbd9 100644
--- a/src/services/checkin/checkin-router.ts
+++ b/src/services/checkin/checkin-router.ts
@@ -51,12 +51,20 @@ checkinRouter.post(
     RoleChecker([Role.Enum.ADMIN, Role.Enum.STAFF]),
     async (req, res, next) => {
         try {
-            const { eventId, userId, isCheckin } = EventValidator.parse(
+            const { eventId, userId } = EventValidator.parse(
                 req.body
             );
 
-            await checkInUserToEvent(eventId, userId, isCheckin);
-
+            try {
+                await checkInUserToEvent(eventId, userId);
+            } catch (error: unknown) {
+                if (error instanceof Error && error.message == "IsDuplicate") {
+                    return res
+                        .status(StatusCodes.FORBIDDEN)
+                        .json({ error: "IsDuplicate" });
+                }
+                return res.sendStatus(StatusCodes.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR);
+            }
             return res.status(StatusCodes.OK).json(userId);
         } catch (error) {
             next(error);
diff --git a/src/services/checkin/checkin-schema.ts b/src/services/checkin/checkin-schema.ts
index 3e0e8c0..c3307c0 100644
--- a/src/services/checkin/checkin-schema.ts
+++ b/src/services/checkin/checkin-schema.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ const MerchScanValidator = z.object({
 const EventValidator = z.object({
     eventId: z.string(),
     userId: z.string(),
-    isCheckin: z.boolean(),
 });
 
 export { ScanValidator, MerchScanValidator, EventValidator };
diff --git a/src/services/checkin/checkin-utils.ts b/src/services/checkin/checkin-utils.ts
index 85e4130..acefb1d 100644
--- a/src/services/checkin/checkin-utils.ts
+++ b/src/services/checkin/checkin-utils.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { Database } from "../../database";
 import crypto from "crypto";
 import { Config } from "../../config";
+import { EventType } from "../events/events-schema";
 
 export function getCurrentDay() {
     const currDate = new Date();
@@ -47,6 +48,7 @@ async function updateAttendeePriority(userId: string) {
     );
 }
 
+
 async function updateAttendanceRecords(eventId: string, userId: string) {
     await Promise.all([
         Database.EVENTS_ATTENDANCE.findOneAndUpdate(
@@ -83,24 +85,35 @@ async function assignPixelsToUser(userId: string, pixels: number) {
     );
 }
 
+async function markUserAsCheckedIn(userId: string) {
+    await Database.ATTENDEE.findOneAndUpdate(
+        { userId },
+        { $set: { hasCheckedIn: true } }
+    );
+}
+
 export async function checkInUserToEvent(
     eventId: string,
     userId: string,
-    isCheckin: boolean = false
 ) {
     await checkEventAndAttendeeExist(eventId, userId);
     await checkForDuplicateAttendance(eventId, userId);
+    
+    const event = await Database.EVENTS.findOne({ eventId });
+    if (!event) {
+        throw new Error("Event not found");
+    }
 
-    if (!isCheckin) {
+    // check for checkin event, and for meals
+    if (event.eventType == EventType.Enum.CHECKIN) {
+        await markUserAsCheckedIn(userId);
+    } else if (event.eventType != EventType.Enum.MEALS){
         await updateAttendeePriority(userId);
     }
 
     await updateAttendanceRecords(eventId, userId);
 
-    const event = await Database.EVENTS.findOne({ eventId });
-    if (!event) {
-        throw new Error("Event not found");
-    }
+
     await assignPixelsToUser(userId, event.points);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/services/events/events-schema.ts b/src/services/events/events-schema.ts
index c7de781..9b8cc40 100644
--- a/src/services/events/events-schema.ts
+++ b/src/services/events/events-schema.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ export const EventType = z.enum([
     "SPECIAL",
     "PARTNERS",
     "MEALS",
+    "CHECKIN",
 ]);
 
 export const externalEventView = z.object({