Understand Passport and Confirmation Booking Lookup
AVA uses stronger checks for guests who are already checked in or due out. This protects room details and access codes.
This guide explains how AVA finds a booking from a passport, the last 4 confirmation digits, or the full confirmation number.
Go to: Settings → Security → Identity Verification
Quick Reference
| Setting | What It Controls | Guest Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Passport Scan Booking Lookup | Lets guests scan a passport or ID to find a booking | Guests can start without entering a confirmation number |
| Quick Lookup with Confirmation Number Suffix | Lets guests search with the last 4 confirmation digits by default | Available for unique due-in reservations |
| Full confirmation number | Uses the complete booking reference | Required for checked-in or due-out confirmation lookup |
This guide uses “last 4 confirmation digits” because 4 is the default. Your property can configure between 4 and 10 trailing characters. Guests should enter the ending characters from either the hotel confirmation number or booking-site reference.
How AVA Finds a Reservation
| Scenario | Handling |
|---|---|
| Passport finds one due-in reservation | Fetch normally. |
| Passport finds multiple or no reservations | Ask for the confirmation number. |
| Passport finds one checked-in or due-out reservation | Fetch only if it exactly matches the passport previously verified for that same guest. Otherwise, ask for confirmation. |
| Last 4 confirmation digits find a due-in reservation | Fetch if the result is unique, even if the names differ. |
| Last 4 confirmation digits find a checked-in or due-out reservation | Never fetch. Require the full confirmation number. |
| Full confirmation number is entered | Fetch even if the document and reservation names differ, subject to normal reservation checks. |
Finding a reservation does not skip document checks later in check-in. Your document and name-matching settings still apply.
See a Booking Preview While Lookup Finishes
Some passport lookups show a limited booking preview before AVA finishes loading the reservation. This reduces waiting time while AVA confirms live booking details.
| Preview shows | Preview hides until confirmation |
|---|---|
| Stay dates | Room numbers |
| Room types | Confirmation and OTA references |
| Number of rooms and guests | Other guests' names |
You may see a You booked [number] rooms message and room cards with pending details. The guest row and verification checklist appear in the preview. Only Fill is available until confirmation finishes.
-
Review the previewed room types, dates, and guest count.
-
Select Fill to start entering guest details.
-
Continue when AVA replaces the preview with confirmed booking details.
✓ Your typed guest details stay with the correct guest while the booking finishes loading.
The preview uses the same passport match as the full lookup. AVA can show a preview from any snapshot that lookup still trusts, up to 24 hours old. Snapshots with an unknown age or missing preview details remain excluded. For enabled staged lookup properties, AVA can hold a repeat preview until live booking checks finish.
Repeat a preview for an attached passport
If a guest abandons or restarts check-in, they can scan the same passport again. AVA may show the limited preview again when all conditions below are true:
- The scan is a trusted passport scan.
- The same passport belongs to the same current guest.
- The live reservation still includes that guest.
- The booking is not checked in.
- The reservation remains the selected booking.
AVA waits for the live reservation fetch before showing this repeat preview. The repeat scan does not save another document or return live billing details. Other documents, untrusted scans, changed guest details, cancelled bookings, and checked-in bookings do not show this preview.
Why Checked-In Protection Is Stricter
A checked-in or due-out reservation may contain an assigned room, door code, or other access details.
AVA therefore never opens these reservations using only the last 4 confirmation digits.
The guest must provide either:
- the full confirmation number; or
- the same passport that AVA previously verified for that guest.
When a Repeat Passport Scan Can Fetch
AVA checks all of the following before reopening an existing check-in:
- The scan contains trusted passport data.
- The passport number matches the previously verified passport.
- The passport belongs to the same guest-specific PMS record.
- The previous document upload completed successfully.
- The birth date matches when both records contain one.
- No other guest owns the passport record.
- The check-in belongs to an exact room confirmation in the selected reservation.
If any check fails, AVA asks for the full confirmation number.
The repeat preview and the final reservation fetch are separate checks. A booking can show a limited preview first, then require confirmation if live data no longer matches.
When a completed Pre-arrival check-in matches, AVA reuses that check-in. It keeps the verified document and does not ask you to upload it again.
When AVA Finds an Older Cached Match
If a newly completed Pre-arrival is not visible yet, AVA may first find an older cached reservation. AVA compares the scanned document with the document previously verified for that reservation.
If the identities conflict, AVA refreshes the affected lookup once and checks the candidates again. When the new reservation is available, AVA selects it before saving the document.
Ordinary verified matches still use the cache and usually avoid a full PMS scan. Recent PMS changes can still take time to appear during the normal cache period. Use the full confirmation number when you need the newest reservation immediately.
Companion guests may share a reservation reference. AVA does not use that shared reference alone to approve a repeat passport scan.
Turn Passport Booking Lookup On
-
Turn Passport Scan Booking Lookup on.
-
Click Save Identity Verification.
✓ Guests can start check-in by scanning a passport or ID.
Turn Passport Booking Lookup Off
-
Turn Passport Scan Booking Lookup off.
-
Click Save Identity Verification.
✓ Guests start with confirmation-number lookup.
Troubleshooting
Full confirmation is requested after the last 4 digits
What you see: The last 4 digits find a reservation, but AVA requests the full number.
Why it happens: The reservation is already checked in or due out. This is expected security behaviour.
Fix: Ask the guest to enter the full confirmation number.
A repeat passport scan does not open the reservation
What you see: The guest scans their passport again, but AVA requests confirmation.
Check:
- The same passport was previously uploaded successfully.
- The passport belongs to the same guest.
- The passport details are clear and readable.
- The guest is using the correct property's Self Check-In link.
If any point is uncertain, use the full confirmation number.
If AVA asks for confirmation after the scan, it keeps the temporary scan for the fallback flow. The guest does not need to scan the passport again after entering the full confirmation number.
Passport scan finds multiple or no reservations
What you see: AVA cannot continue directly from the passport scan.
Fix: Ask the guest to enter the ending characters from their hotel or booking-site reference. If needed, ask for the full confirmation number. AVA will not guess between possible reservations.
A newly completed Pre-arrival is not shown
What you see: A repeat passport scan opens an older reservation after the guest completed Pre-arrival.
Fix:
- Wait for AVA to complete its automatic lookup refresh.
- Confirm the selected reservation has the guest's latest arrival details.
- If it still does not appear, enter the full confirmation number.
- Contact support if the full number opens the wrong reservation.
AVA retries this conflict once before saving the scanned document. The retry does not guarantee immediate visibility of every recent PMS change.
The preview changes or disappears
What you see: The preview shows one booking, then confirmed details change or the preview closes.
Why it happens: AVA confirms the booking against live PMS data before completing the lookup.
Fix:
- Wait for the confirmation to finish.
- Review the confirmed room cards and stay dates.
- Continue with the confirmed details.
- Ask the guest for the full confirmation number if the lookup returns to the start.
The preview returns to confirmation lookup
What you see: The preview stops, and AVA asks for the confirmation number.
Why it happens: The lookup could not finish safely, or the preview session expired.
Fix:
-
Enter the full confirmation number.
-
Select Continue once.
-
Use the same passport image when AVA asks for it again.
✓ AVA can continue without requiring another passport scan.
Still Stuck?
Contact success@vouch-technologies.com if:
- ❌ A full confirmation number opens the wrong reservation
- ❌ A verified repeat passport opens another guest's reservation
- ❌ The guest still cannot find the reservation using the full number
Helpful to include:
- Time of the lookup
- Property name
- Masked confirmation number
- Screenshot of the message shown to the guest
Do not send full passport images through an unsecured channel.