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Check-In Blocked by Name Mismatch

Use this guide when the reservation name does not match the guest's legal travel document name.

Legal Requirement

In most jurisdictions, hotel registration should match the guest's legal travel document name. If names do not match, update the reservation before completing check-in.

What This Looks Like​

  • The guest booked with a nickname, alias, or short name.
  • The reservation name and passport/ID name are different.
  • Staff is unsure whether to proceed.
  • The only difference is a patronymic marker like bin or binti.
Thai and CJK names

If both the reservation and document use Thai, Chinese, Japanese, or Korean, AVA may match the native-script names directly. If check-in still blocks, one side likely lacks native-script text or the names truly differ.

Additional guest scan shows a name mismatch​

What you see: An additional guest scans first, but AVA shows a mismatch against the main guest.

Fix:

  1. Confirm Allow additional guests before the main guest is enabled for this check-in mode.
  2. Use Add guest to scan the additional guest's document.
  3. Confirm the scan appears on the new additional guest row.
  4. Upload the main guest's document from the main guest row when it is available.

With additional-first enabled, AVA does not assign an Add guest scan to the main guest. This remains true when the main guest is the only guest without a document. An upload started from a selected guest row still checks that guest's name. If additional-first is disabled, AVA still accepts document uploads in any order. Room check-in waits for the main guest's registration.

Patronymic Markers Only​

What you see: The reservation omits bin, binti, binte, bte, S/O, or D/O.

Fix:

  1. Check whether the full legal name still matches.
  2. If the names only differ by the missing marker, AVA may already accept it.
  3. If check-in still blocks, look for another name difference before editing the reservation.

Approved Leading Name on a Malaysian ID​

What you see: A Malaysian ID shows one full name line, but the booking omits one leading name.

Fix:

  1. Confirm the document is a recognized non-passport ID.
  2. Confirm the booking contains every remaining document name token.
  3. Check that the selected policy is Balanced or Lenient.
  4. Retry the reservation lookup or document upload.

AVA may accept an approved leading name, such as MUHAMMAD, NUR, or MOHD, when the split is inferred. Strict and Custom modes keep the full-name requirement. Unlisted prefixes, passports, unknown document types, and two omitted prefixes still require review.

Fast Fix During Live Check-In​

  1. Verify guest identity using passport/ID.
  2. Update reservation name to legal name:
    • Cloudbeds, AVA, Mews, Opera, and eZee: edit guest in reservation details.
    • Other PMS providers: update guest profile in PMS.
  3. Confirm the updated name appears in AVA.
  4. Continue check-in after names match.
  5. Add a reservation note documenting the change.

Assisted Check-In Override​

Quick Check

Use this when you are standing with the guest in Assisted Check-In (ACI).

If your property enables the override, AVA lets verified staff confirm the mismatch. The staff device must be verified for the same hotel and ACI kiosk. The paired guest tablet cannot approve the override. You do not need to email an OTP to the guest. For current ACI document uploads, the override applies only to the guest-document pairs shown in the prompt. Legacy tablets may still verify the full reservation session.

What you see after approval

The override prompt shows Reservation name and Passport name side by side. Each name part appears as a status pill in the room-list and bulk-upload prompts. The pills use icons and labels, so colour is not the only status signal. Matches uses ✓, Similar spelling uses ≈, and No match uses ✗. Different letters are underlined when a spelling is close. AVA displays names in uppercase for easier comparison, while keeping accents. After you confirm, AVA refreshes the room list with the passport name. For a verified single-name passport, AVA updates the selected guest to that single name. When the PMS requires a surname, AVA sends the name in both PMS name fields. That same name flows into the immediate PMS sync. On tablets and larger screens, the action buttons stay pinned in the footer. On phones, the comparison may scroll, but the actions remain available.

Another arrival has this passport name​

What you see: The scanned guest has a separate booking arriving today.

Fix:

  1. Review the booking confirmation and room shown in the warning.
  2. Select Open booking to check in the scanned guest's reservation.
  3. Use Override anyway only when the passport belongs to the selected booking guest.

The warning appears only in verified ACI. It does not appear in CCI or Pre-arrival. AVA shows this warning when exactly one eligible arrival matches the scanned guest.

Avoid changing the wrong guest

Do not override because the names look like a spelling mismatch. Open the scanned guest's booking when the passport belongs to another arrival.

Read the highlighted name parts​

Use the comparison as a review aid before approving the mismatch.

StatusWhat it usually meansWhat to check
Matches ✓The name part appears in both names.Continue checking the remaining parts.
Similar spelling ≈The names may differ by a typo or transliteration.Compare the underlined letters with the document.
No match ✗The name part appears in only one name.Check for a missing middle name or a different guest.

The comparison ignores case, accents, punctuation, and name-part order. It can also treat joined or split parts as equivalent. The backend matcher still decides whether names match or need an override. The highlighting does not change matching rules or approval requirements.

Bulk uploads

The same highlighted comparison appears when a bulk document upload needs an ACI override. The prompt lists every mismatched reservation and passport pair covered by the confirmation. Review each displayed pair before confirming. Unlisted mismatches still require a separate review.

What to Do​

  1. Confirm the passport or ID matches the guest.
  2. On the verified staff device, select the override prompt.
  3. Continue the check-in flow.

If the override changes the booking guest's name, AVA keeps the replaced name in the check-in record. You can find that name through Command Center search later. AVA also adds a before-and-after note to the PMS reservation.

Approval prompt changes during review​

What you see: Another name-mismatch prompt appears while an earlier approval is processing.

Fix:

  1. Wait for the current prompt to finish loading.
  2. Review the displayed Reservation name and Passport name.
  3. Approve only the prompt for the guest you verified.
  4. If you started a bulk retry, keep the original guest and document selection until it finishes.

AVA ignores an approval from a replaced prompt. It also keeps bulk retries tied to their original guest, document, room, and check-in selection. This prevents a delayed response from changing a newer guest flow.

When It Does Not Appear​

What you see: The override does not appear, or AVA says "A verified assisted check-in staff device is required."

Fix:

  1. Confirm the session is ACI, not CCI.
  2. Return to the staff device if you are using a paired guest tablet.
  3. Confirm the staff device shows as verified for this hotel and kiosk.
  4. Re-verify the staff device from Settings → Kiosk if needed.
  5. Check that the override is enabled for your property.
  6. Start a new check-in session and try again.
  7. If it still does not appear, update the reservation name and continue.

If the staff device cannot be verified, AVA keeps the name check in place. Document uploads and final check-in continue through the normal name-match process.

Self-service stays unchanged

CCI still uses the normal verification flow for eligible guests. If partial-match verification is on, AVA asks for the booking name before OTP fallback.

Recover booking verification​

What you see: The guest reopened the booking, but the booking-name answer is rejected.

Fix:

  1. Open the guest's booking confirmation.
  2. Ask the guest to enter the booking name, not the passport name.
  3. Keep all booking name parts, including titles or suffixes.
  4. Retry with the displayed booking order.
  5. If the answer still fails, update the reservation name.

AVA allows order, case, accents, punctuation, titles, and joined neighboring parts to differ. It does not accept a passport-only name or a different surname.

If OTP fallback appears, use the latest code from the booking email.

No reservation found after OTP​

What you see: After OTP verification, AVA returns to the confirmation form and shows "No reservation found". The confirmation number remains filled in.

Fix:

  1. Check that the confirmation number is correct.
  2. Select Continue to retry the lookup.
  3. If no reservation appears, confirm that the booking is active in your PMS.
  4. Update the reservation name if it does not match the guest's passport or ID.

AVA closes the completed OTP step automatically. Do not request another code for the same completed verification.

PMS-Specific Workflow​

Cloudbeds, AVA, Mews, Opera, and eZee​

  1. Open reservation details.
  2. In Guest Information, click the pencil icon.
  3. Update first and last name to match legal travel document.
  4. Save and re-check the reservation in AVA.

Other PMS Providers​

  1. Open the guest profile in PMS.
  2. Update the legal name in PMS.
  3. Wait for sync to AVA, then refresh reservation details.

What to Tell the Guest​

Use a clear, policy-safe explanation:

"To complete check-in, we need the booking name to match the passport or ID name. We can update that now and continue."

Prevent This Before Arrival​

Add a reminder in pre-arrival communications asking guests to report nickname/alias bookings:

Suggested line:

"If you booked under a nickname or a name different from your passport or ID, please contact us so we can update it before your arrival."

Still Stuck?​

Contact success@vouch-technologies.com if:

  • ❌ The selected guest still receives the wrong name-mismatch result
  • ❌ A correct additional guest scan changes the main guest
  • ❌ The main guest cannot upload after returning to the reservation
  • ❌ The current approval prompt does not match the guest you verified

Helpful to include:

  • Screenshot of the affected room and guest rows
  • Reservation number and time of the scan
  • Check-in mode and whether additional-first is enabled