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Check-In Policy

Quick Setup

Set age limits, check-in time, and room rules. Most properties finish in about 5 minutes.

This guide helps you set who can self check-in, when they can start, and which rooms are eligible. These rules apply to both self-service and assisted check-in flows.

Where to Find It

Settings → Check-In → Check-In Policy

Quick Reference

SettingWhat It ControlsGuest Impact
Minimum AgeYoungest guest allowed to self check-inUnderage guests are directed to the front desk
Allow DOB EditingWhether guests can correct OCR birth datesPrevents accidental age blocks from OCR errors
Allow Travel Document UploadAllows a photo upload instead of a live camera scanGuests can upload a passport or ID photo
Image Retention PolicyAutomatically deletes travel document and selfie images after set daysOlder images may be removed after you apply changes
Document StorageChooses where captured documents and signatures are storedControls storage destination for check-in records
PMS Upload PolicyControls whether check-in documents are sent to your PMSDocuments can stay in Streamliner without syncing to PMS
Allowed Check-In TimeEarliest time self check-in startsEarly arrivals see a wait message
Validate Check-In Time OnlyWhether AVA checks only the time, or both the arrival date and timeControls how strict early-arrival validation is
Long Stay LimitMaximum nights allowed for self check-inLong stays require staff check-in
Room Assignment RulesAuto-assign + allowed room statusesControls room readiness and safety
Opera Specials CodesMaps Opera specials to check-in journey stepsTracks registration, pre-auth, check-in, and check-out progress

Set Guest Eligibility

Minimum Age for Check-In

  1. Go to Settings → Check-In → Check-In Policy
  2. Enter a value in Minimum Age for Check-In (commonly 18 or 21)
  3. Click Save

How it works:

  • The age check applies to the primary guest on the reservation
  • If the primary guest is under the minimum age, self check-in is blocked
  • Age is calculated from the Date of Birth captured during registration

Allow Guests to Edit Date of Birth

Use Allow editing guest date of birth to control whether guests can fix OCR errors:

  • Enabled: Guests can correct the scanned date of birth
  • Disabled: Date of birth stays locked to the scanned document

Consider disabling when:

  • Local regulations require an exact document match
  • You need strict age verification (for example, age-restricted amenities)
OCR Accuracy

Allowing edits reduces false age blocks when document scanning misreads dates.

Allow Travel Document Upload

Use Allow travel document upload to let guests upload a document photo:

  • Enabled: Guests can upload a passport or ID photo
  • Disabled: Guests must scan with a live camera
  1. Go to Settings → Check-In → Check-In Policy
  2. Turn Allow travel document upload on or off
  3. Click Save

Set Image Retention Policy

Use Image retention policy to delete stored images after a set number of days.

If a toggle is off, Streamliner does not delete that image type based on retention.

Data deletion

Saving a shorter retention period deletes existing travel document or selfie images older than the selected days immediately.

  1. Go to Settings → Check-In → Check-In Policy

  2. In Image retention policy, turn on Travel document or Selfie

  3. Enter retention days (1-365). Default is 180.

  4. Click Save

  5. If a confirmation window appears, type DELETE IMAGES

  6. Click Save and apply now

    ✓ Your retention policy is saved and active.

Set Document Storage

Use Document storage to choose where check-in documents and signatures are stored.

  1. Go to Settings → Check-In → Check-In Policy

  2. In Document storage, use Use your own server (on-premises)

  3. Choose one mode:

    • Turn it OFF to use S3 cloud storage
    • Turn it ON to use your on-site image storage service
  4. If on-premises is ON, enter your Image storage URL

  5. If a secret is shown, click Copy next to Image storage secret

  6. Click Save

    ✓ Your document storage setting is saved.

Image storage secret

The Image storage secret field is read-only. You can copy it when a value exists.

Set PMS Upload Policy

Use PMS upload policy to control which check-in documents Streamliner sends to your PMS.

This does not change local storage or retention rules in Streamliner.

  1. Go to Settings → Check-In → Check-In Policy

  2. In PMS upload policy, turn on or off:

    • Upload travel document to PMS
    • Upload registration card to PMS
  3. Click Save

    ✓ Your document sync policy is saved.

AVA PMS

If your active PMS is AVA, these toggles are disabled. This policy does not apply to AVA PMS.

Set Check-In Time

  1. In Allowed Check-In Time, choose your official check-in time
  2. Click Save

Format rules:

  • Use 24-hour format (example: 14:00)
  • Leave empty to allow check-in at any time

Guest experience:

  • Before check-in time → the early arrival message appears
  • After check-in time → guests can continue if other rules allow it

Validate Check-In Time Only

Use Validate Check-In Time Only when you want AVA to check the time without comparing the arrival date.

  • Yes: AVA validates using check-in time only
  • No: AVA validates using both arrival date and check-in time
  1. Go to Settings → Check-In → Check-In Policy

  2. Turn Validate Check-In Time Only on or off

  3. Click Save

    ✓ Your check-in time validation rule is saved.

When to use this

Use Yes if your property wants a time-only rule for arrivals. Use No if you want arrival date and time checked together.

Payment Settings Moved

Payment gateway setup and Opera payment policy controls now live in Settings → Payment.

Use that page to configure:

  • Gateway connection (Stripe or Red Dot)
  • Deposit and full payment collection
  • Opera mapping and Opera payment policy controls

Configure Opera Specials Codes

Use this section only when your active PMS is Opera.

These codes mark key steps in the guest journey inside Opera.

  1. Go to Settings → Check-In → PMS Specials Codes

  2. Enter each code exactly as configured in Opera:

    • Specials code for registration
    • Specials code for pre-authorisation
    • Specials code for check-in
    • Specials code for check-out
  3. Click Save Check-In Policy

    ✓ Your specials code mapping is saved for Opera check-in workflows.

Exact code match required

Entered values must match Opera Specials exactly. Wrong values can break status mapping.

Housekeeping Coordination

Prompt Housekeeping to Confirm Same-Day Checkout

Enable this if you want housekeeping to confirm checkout before finishing a same-day cleaning update. It helps staff close out rooms that were missed by front desk.

Long Stay Restrictions

  1. Enable Block Long Stay Check-ins
  2. Set Maximum Nights for Kiosk Check-in
  3. Click Save

Reservations longer than this limit must check in with staff.

Room Assignment Preferences

Enable Automatic Room Assignment

When enabled, AVA assigns a room automatically if the PMS provides eligible rooms.

Auto-Assign and Dirty Rooms

If Allow Vacant Dirty Rooms is enabled, automatic room assignment is disabled to avoid assigning unclean rooms.

Allow Room Assignment Without Housekeeping Status

Enable this if your PMS does not send housekeeping status. When enabled, AVA ignores room status filters.

Allowed Room Statuses

Choose which room statuses are eligible for check-in:

  • Allow Vacant Inspected Rooms (recommended)
  • Allow Vacant Clean Rooms
  • Allow Vacant Dirty Rooms (emergency only)
Safety Standard

Allowing dirty rooms can create health and service issues. Use only when you have a manual process in place.

Required Selection

At least one room status must be enabled for self check-in to work.

Troubleshooting

Guests are blocked unexpectedly

What you see: Valid guests sent to front desk

Check:

  1. Minimum Age and DOB accuracy
  2. Allowed Check-In Time
  3. Validate Check-In Time Only
  4. Long stay limit
  5. Room status eligibility
  6. Payment setup in Settings → Payment

Upload option is missing

What you see: Guests only see live camera scan

Fix:

  1. Turn on Allow travel document upload
  2. Save your changes and test again

Confirmation button stays disabled

What you see: Save and apply now is gray in the confirmation window.

Fix:

  1. Type DELETE IMAGES exactly as shown
  2. Click Save and apply now

Retention days field is gray

What you see: You cannot edit the retention days.

Fix:

  1. Turn on Travel document or Selfie
  2. Enter the number of days

On-premise storage URL keeps reverting

What you see: The Image storage URL does not stay saved.

Fix:

  1. Turn ON Use your own server (on-premises)
  2. Enter a full URL, for example https://image-storage.yourhotel.local
  3. Click Save and refresh the page once

Copy button is disabled for image storage secret

What you see: Copy is gray and cannot be clicked.

Fix:

  1. Turn ON Use your own server (on-premises)
  2. Confirm a secret value exists in Image storage secret
  3. If empty, ask your admin team to set the secret first

PMS upload toggles are disabled

What you see: You cannot change Upload travel document to PMS or Upload registration card to PMS.

Fix:

  • Check your active PMS provider
  • If it is AVA PMS, this is expected
  • Use a non-AVA PMS provider to configure these toggles

Automatic room assignment is disabled

What you see: Toggle is off or disabled

Fix:

  • Ensure Allow Vacant Dirty Rooms is OFF
  • Make sure your PMS sends room status updates

Early arrival message never appears

What you see: Guests check in early without a message

Fix:

Check-in time validation feels too strict

What you see: Guests are blocked even when the check-in time looks correct.

Fix:

  1. Check Validate Check-In Time Only
  2. Set it to Yes if you want time-only validation
  3. Set it to No if you want arrival date and time checked together
  4. Save and test with a new reservation

Opera specials codes are not taking effect

What you see: Journey progress is not marked correctly in Opera.

Fix:

  1. Confirm your active PMS is Opera
  2. Check each code matches Opera exactly (including spelling)
  3. Save again using Save Check-In Policy
  4. Test with a new check-in session

Still Stuck?

Contact success@vouch-technologies.com if:

  • ❌ Guests are blocked but should be eligible
  • ❌ Room assignment is not working as expected
  • ❌ You need help setting age or payment rules

Helpful to include:

  • Screenshot of your policy settings
  • Example reservation that is blocked
  • PMS provider and property type