How to Complete a Check-In
Most check-ins take 3-5 minutes when documents are ready. This guide describes the guest check-in experience on AVA's self-service kiosk or assisted check-in device.
This guide helps you understand and support the guest check-in process from reservation lookup to room access. Guests complete check-ins using AVA's check-in kiosk (accessed via QR code or URL) in three modes: self-service (CCI), staff-assisted (ACI), or pre-arrival.
How guests access check-in:
- Scan the QR code displayed at your property
- Visit the check-in URL you provide
- Staff can assist using the assisted check-in (ACI) interface
To manage reservations and room assignments from your staff dashboard, go to the Reservations page (home screen). This guide focuses on the guest-facing check-in experience.
This short video shows the full multi-room check-in journey from the guest perspective.
Quick Reference
| Step | Who completes it | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|
| Reservation Lookup | Guest or staff | Check In, Reservation Lookup, or Staff Access |
| Document Upload | Guest or staff | Guest Verification on each room card |
| Bulk Upload | Staff (for groups) | Upload All Documents button above room cards |
| Guest Information | Guest or staff | Guest Information → Fill |
| Signature | Guest (sometimes all guests) | Signature → Sign |
| Facial Verification | Guest (self check-in only) | Facial Verification → Verify |
| Deposit / Payment | Guest (self check-in only, when enabled) | Reservation Requirements |
| Check-In / Pre-Arrival | Guest or staff | Proceed to Check-In or Complete Pre-Arrival |
| Room Access | Staff or guest | Room Information |
Check-In Modes
| Mode | Best for | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Arrival | Guests before arrival | No facial verification. Use Complete Pre-Arrival. Room access is issued on arrival. |
| Self Check-In (CCI) | Guests on kiosk | Facial verification may appear. Deposit or payment can block Proceed to Check-In. |
| Assisted Check-In (ACI) | Staff-led check-in | Staff use Staff Access search. Room access stays hidden until handover. |
This short video shows the full assisted check-in (ACI) flow from the staff perspective.
Before You Start
Confirm these items:
- The reservation is active (not cancelled or no-show)
- The guest has a passport or ID ready
- The room is ready or can be assigned
- Your keycard encoder or smart lock system is online
Step-by-Step Check-In
1. Find the reservation
-
On the Check In screen, scan the guest's passport or ID
-
If scanning is not available, select Use Confirmation Number Instead
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Enter the confirmation number and select Continue
✓ You should see the reservation's room cards
Scan lookup only matches arrivals from yesterday and today. Use confirmation number for early or future arrivals.
If you are using Assisted Check-In (ACI)
- On the welcome screen, select Check In
- Open Staff Access
- Search by guest name, reservation ID, or external booking ID
- Select the correct reservation
✓ You will see the room list
Staff Access only shows arrivals from yesterday and today. To find any other date, search by confirmation number.
If the guest completed pre-arrival
Find the reservation by confirmation number, then continue with Proceed to Check-In on arrival.
2. Review rooms and guests
Confirm each room has the correct guests. The ★ marks the main guest.
If the reservation has multiple rooms
- Select Set Your Rooms
- Move guests into the correct rooms
- Use Change Room to move a guest later
- Select I'm Done when all guests are assigned
If you need to add missing guests
- Select Add Guest for that room
- Upload the guest's document
- Complete their guest information
If a guest is not present
- Select Check In Later under that guest
- When they arrive, select Check In Now to resume their steps
✓ The guest is skipped and does not block the main guest
3. Upload documents
-
In the guest's Guest Verification section, select Document Upload → Upload
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Scan the guest's passport or ID
✓ The document status switches to complete and the document number appears
Tip: If multiple guests are checking in, use Upload All Documents at the top of the page. See the section below for details.
Need to confirm which IDs are allowed? See Accepted Travel Documents.
If you see a duplicate document warning
You may see "Passport Already Uploaded" or "This passport is already registered to...".
- Select Scan Another Guest's Passport to continue scanning
- Select Go to Existing Guest to review the original guest
Using Upload All Documents for multiple guests
When checking in a group, Upload All Documents lets you scan all passports in one session before saving them.
Step 1: Scan all passports
- Select Upload All Documents at the top of the room list
- Scan each guest's passport one at a time
- A progress tracker shows each passport's upload status
- If a scan fails, select Rescan passport to try again
Step 2: Review and assign
After scanning, you see a list of all passports ready to assign.
- The system suggests which guest each passport belongs to based on matching names
- If the suggestion is correct, no action is needed
- To assign a different guest, select them from the list
- To add someone new, select Create new guest
Assignment display:
- 3 or fewer guests: card-style selection buttons
- More than 3 guests: dropdown menu for compactness
Step 3: Save assignments
- Review all passport-to-guest assignments
- Select Insert Guests to` save
- Any errors appear next to the affected passport
- Fix issues individually and retry if needed
Common errors:
- "Document number not detected" → rescan with better lighting
- "Already uploaded for [guest]" → assign to a different guest
- "Guest limit reached" → assign to an existing guest instead of creating new
4. Complete guest information
-
Select Guest Information → Fill
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Confirm all fields. Required fields show a
* -
Update the Document Number if needed
-
Select Save
✓ The Guest Information step shows as complete
If you see a warning under Document Number, double-check the ID. Warnings do not block check-in.
5. Capture the signature (if required)
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Select Signature → Sign
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Capture the guest's signature
✓ The Signature step shows as complete
Note: By default, the main guest must sign. Some properties require all guests to sign.
6. Run facial verification (self check-in only)
If Facial Verification is visible:
-
Select Facial Verification → Verify
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Follow the on-screen camera prompts
✓ The Facial Verification step shows as complete
Tip: Facial verification appears only in Self Check-In (CCI) mode.
If facial verification fails
- Select Take another selfie for a clearer photo
- If it still fails, select Re-upload document and scan again
7. Collect deposit or payment (self check-in only)
If Reservation Requirements shows Deposit or Payment:
-
Select Pay
-
Complete the payment steps
✓ The payment requirement shows as complete
Note: Check-in cannot complete until all shown payments are successful.
8. Finalize the check-in
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Select Proceed to Check-In
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Wait for the progress screen to finish
✓ The room card shows the check-in completed state
Tip: During check-in, the system runs Checking Availability → Assigning Room → Generating Keys → Finalizing.
If this is a pre-arrival registration
- Complete all required steps above
- Select Complete Pre-Arrival instead of Proceed to Check-In
✓ The room is marked as pre-arrival completed. Room access is issued when the guest arrives.
If the room is already checked in
Select Proceed to Check-In to complete remaining guests. This does not reassign the room.
9. Provide room access
After check-in, open Room Information on the room card:
- Room Number is shown at the top
- Room Access depends on your property setup
If you use Keycards:
- Select Retrieve Keycard
- Encode each card when prompted
- If you need fewer cards, select Complete Check-In in the keycard modal
If you use Smart Locks:
- Select Show PIN
- Share the PIN with the guest
If you use Lockers:
- Share the Locker Number
- Select Show Code and share the locker code
If you see a room access message instead of a code, follow the on-screen instructions.
Tip: If WiFi is configured, the WiFi section shows the name and password. Room notes appear under General Information.
If you are using Assisted Check-In (ACI)
After check-in, the screen shows Check-In Complete and asks the guest to return the device. Confirm the handover, then share room access details from the front desk.
Troubleshooting
If a guest is waiting at the desk, start with Check-In Blocked: Fast Triage and then return here for full workflow detail.
Reservation not found after scan
What you see: "Reservation not found" or you are sent to the confirmation screen.
Fix:
- Enter the confirmation number instead of scanning
- Confirm the arrival date is today or yesterday
- Check the reservation is not cancelled or no-show
Multiple reservations found
What you see: "Multiple reservations found."
Fix:
- Search by confirmation number
- In Staff Access, search by reservation ID or external booking ID
Check-in button is disabled
What you see: Proceed to Check-In shows "Complete all steps."
Check:
- All guests have Document Upload complete
- Guest Information is saved for each guest
- Signature is complete for required guests
- Facial Verification is complete (Self Check-In only)
- Deposit and Payment are complete if shown
- Missing guests are marked Check In Later or added
Name mismatch with travel document
What you see: The reservation name does not match the passport or ID name.
Fix:
- Verify guest identity using travel document
- Update reservation name to legal name in PMS (or Cloudbeds edit flow)
- Confirm updated name syncs to AVA
- Continue check-in once names match
Use the full guide: Check-In Blocked by Name Mismatch
Room not ready or too early
What you see: "Room not ready", "No rooms available", or check-in fails after Proceed to Check-In.
Fix:
- Check room status in your PMS or Room Status
- Assign a different room if allowed
- Follow your early check-in policy
Document upload failed
What you see: "Document upload failed" or the upload stops.
Fix:
- Try scanning again with better lighting
- Select Upload Document and choose a clear photo instead
- If the issue persists, use Use Confirmation Number Instead
Bulk upload errors
What you see: Errors appear next to specific passports in Upload All Documents mode, such as:
- "Document number not detected"
- "Already uploaded for [guest name]"
- "Guest limit reached"
Fix:
- For detection errors, select Rescan passport and scan in better lighting
- For duplicates, assign the passport to a different guest
- For guest limits, select an existing guest instead of creating a new one
- If errors persist, close the modal and use individual upload for problem passports
Facial verification keeps failing
What you see: "Facial Verification Failed" or mismatch screen.
Fix:
- Retake the selfie in brighter lighting
- Re-upload the document if the portrait is blurry
- If the guest cannot pass, follow your manual review policy
Room access not showing
What you see: No code or keycard option after check-in.
Fix:
- Refresh the room card and confirm check-in is complete
- Check for a Room Access error message and follow the instructions
- If access still does not appear, contact support
Still Stuck?
Contact success@vouch-technologies.com if:
- ❌ A reservation cannot be found after scan or confirmation number
- ❌ Check-in remains blocked after all steps are complete
- ❌ Room access does not appear after check-in
Helpful to include:
- Screenshot of the error
- Reservation confirmation number
- Guest name and arrival date
- Time the issue started