George El-Hage
The short version: renting the show's lead scanner starts at $350 per show for one app license and runs up to $735 for a rented handheld. You pay it again at every show. A lead capture app charges per event, per seat or per lead instead. With Wave Connect's event lead capture, 1 credit is $2.50 and an event badge scan is 4 credits ($10), enriched and synced to your CRM, with no per-user fees.
I'm George, founder of Wave Connect. I've worked a lot of booths, and I talk to exhibitors about this exact choice every week. Here are the real 2026 numbers, so you can do the math for your own team.
How Much Does It Cost to Rent the Show's Badge Scanner?
On the 2026 ATD and AAOS order forms, the first app license costs $350 to $525, each extra license about $150 to $200, and a rented handheld $495 to $735. Order late and the price goes up.
Here's what the ATD 2026 order form charges:
| Item | Early | Late | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Handheld scanner (each) | $495 | $545 | |
| App, first license | $350 | $400 | |
| App, each extra license | $150 | $200 | |
| Post-show data merge kit | $990 | $990 |
ATD 2026 lead retrieval order form, checked October 1, 2026. Plus 9.75% tax. AAOS 2026 runs higher: $605 to $735 per handheld.
- The attendee's name, title, company and email from registration
- Notes and an export portal during the show
- One purchase order, on the show's own form
- A phone number or LinkedIn profile
- Leads from the dinner, the hallway or the after-party
- Anything that carries over to the next show
How Do Lead Capture Apps Price: Per Lead, Per Event or Per Year?
There are three app pricing models: per event, per seat on an annual contract, or per lead. Here's one real example of each, checked on the vendors' own pages.
| Model | Example | What you pay | Watch for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per event | Expo Pass | $250 per exhibitor, per event (standard fee) | Sold through the organizer, who can mark it up. Only at events that run on Expo Pass | |
| Per seat, annual | momencio | $100 per seat per month, 5-seat minimum, from $6,000 a year | 12-month contract. Badge scanning needs the show's event API | |
| Per lead | Wave Connect | Badge scan 4 credits ($10). Lead form, business card or LinkedIn QR 1 credit ($2.50) | No per-user fees. Volume pricing through sales |
Sources, checked October 1, 2026: Expo Pass help centre (lead retrieval payment) and momencio.com/pricing. Popl and Cvent iCapture don't publish prices; both quote through a demo.
Want the full feature comparison? I covered it in the 8 lead capture tools I'd shortlist.
What Does Wave Connect Cost?
1 credit = $2.50. An event badge scan is 4 credits ($10). A lead form, business card or LinkedIn QR code is 1 credit ($2.50).
Why does a badge cost more? A badge only shows a name and a company, so we have to find the email, phone and LinkedIn. A business card or QR code already has most of it. You pay for the work, not the scan.
The rest is simple:
- No per-user fees. Bring the whole team.
- Nothing charged for a failed enrichment or a duplicate scan.
- Free trial credits to start.
Bulk discounts are available through sales for teams capturing a lot of leads. Contact sales for volume pricing, or book a demo and we'll price it with you.
Start with free trial credits and test it at your next show.
What Does Renting Cost Across 10 Trade Shows?
A four-rep team renting at 10 shows a year spends about $8,000 to $29,400, before tax.
And none of it carries forward. Show number 11 starts from zero. To tie that spend back to pipeline, see my guide to trade show ROI and cost per lead.
When Is Renting the Show's Scanner Cheaper?
Renting is cheaper once you scan more badges than your rental bill divided by $10. For four reps, that's about 80 scans with early app licenses and about 200 with rented handhelds.
I'll be honest: below that number, paying per lead wins. Above it, renting wins at list price, and that's the moment to ask sales about volume pricing.
- You do one or two shows a year
- You send one rep and expect few scans
- Procurement wants it on the show's order form
- You send several reps
- You do many shows and want one app for all of them
- You want a verified email, phone and LinkedIn
- You meet people outside the hall
What Hidden Fees Should You Ask About?
The headline price is rarely the total. Ask these five questions before you sign anything.
| Ask | Why | |
|---|---|---|
| "What's the minimum and can I cancel?" | momencio: 5 seats, 12 months, non-cancellable | |
| "Do I have to buy anything from the organizer?" | Event APIs and data kits ($990 at ATD) | |
| "Can the organizer mark up the price?" | Expo Pass lets organizers add a markup to the $250 fee | |
| "Is CRM sync included?" | Some vendors sell it as an add-on | |
| "What does show number two cost?" | Rentals charge you again every time |
For Wave Connect, I'll be upfront about two things: a badge scan costs four times a business card, and volume pricing goes through sales. Comparing vendors? See Wave Connect vs iCapture, Wave Connect vs momencio and Wave Connect vs Popl for events.
Is a Lead Capture App Worth It vs Renting?
For teams that send more than one rep to more than a couple of shows, yes. The bigger difference isn't the price, it's what you get:
- A full contact, not just what the attendee typed at registration
- Notes, voice notes and qualifiers added at the booth
- Leads in your CRM during the show, not a spreadsheet after it
- Offline mode for when the convention center Wi-Fi dies
- One app at every show, plus business cards at dinner
Still weighing hardware? My roundup of badge scanners covers the devices, and how to capture leads at a trade show covers the booth process.
See what your next show would cost
Bring your show list and rep count. We'll run the rental math against per-lead pricing with you, live.
Book a demoFrequently Asked Questions About Event Lead Capture Pricing
Try it at your next show
Start with free trial credits. Scan badges, business cards and LinkedIn QR codes, and watch the leads land in your CRM.
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