Guest Verify

What is Guest Verify?

Guest Verify is your pre-arrival verification system. It lets you collect everything you need from guests before check-in: a security deposit hold on their card, a verified photo of their ID, and a signed rental agreement. Guests complete the entire process from a single link you share with them.

The system is designed to be secure by default. ID photos are captured using the guest's camera in real time - no file uploads from their photo library - preventing the use of fake or downloaded documents. Deposits use a deferred hold system so guests are never charged upfront.

Security Deposits

Guest's card is saved securely. A hold is placed 24 hours before check-in - never charged upfront.

ID Collection

Camera-only capture with AI-powered Smart ID Verify+ or automated Stripe Identity KYC.

Rental Agreements

Guests draw their signature on screen. A signed PDF with full audit trail is generated automatically. Free & unlimited on all plans.

Getting Started

Connect Stripe (for deposits)

Go to Guest Verify and open the Settings tab. Click the Stripe Connect card to link your Stripe account. This is required for collecting security deposits and processing upsell payments.

You can also connect Stripe from Settings → General.

Configure your verification settings

In the Settings tab, configure each verification step per property:

• • Deposit amount - set the hold amount in your chosen currency
• • ID verification method - choose between Smart ID Verify+ (£0.35, AI-powered) or Stripe Identity KYC (£1.50, fully automated)
• • Rental agreement text - enter or paste your agreement. This text is locked at signing time for legal integrity
• • Apply to all properties - toggle this to copy settings across all your properties at once

Add guest bookings

Click Add Guest to create a booking manually. Enter the guest's name, email, check-in and check-out dates, and choose which verifications are required (deposit, ID, agreement).

You can also share your universal verification link and let guests register themselves, no manual entry required.

Share your verification link

Copy your universal verification link from the top of the Guest Verify page and send it to your guest via Airbnb messages, WhatsApp, email, or any platform. Guests do not need to create an account.

You can also generate a QR code for printed materials or in-property signage.

Managing Bookings

Each guest booking appears as a card on the Guest Verify dashboard. Cards show the guest name, check-in/check-out dates, verification progress, and any host notes you've added.

Status pills

Each step (Deposit, ID, Agreement) shows a colour-coded pill: amber for pending, green for complete. Bookings with no steps required show a grey "No steps required" badge.

Source badges

Manually added bookings show a host-created label. Self-registered guests show a "Self-registered" label. Deposit-only submissions show a violet badge.

Booking detail drawer

Click any booking card to open the detail drawer. From here you can review ID documents, view deposit status, download signed agreements, add notes, waive individual steps, or mark the booking as fully verified.

Pro Tip

Security Deposits

CheckinGuide uses a deferred hold system. When a guest completes the deposit step, their card details are saved securely via Stripe - but no money is taken. An authorisation hold is placed automatically 24 hours before the guest's check-in date.

Step 1: Card saved on submission

The guest enters their card details and confirms. No money is taken at this point. Trust badges (Apple Pay, Google Pay, 256-bit encryption) are displayed to reassure the guest.

Step 2: Hold placed 24 hours before check-in

The system automatically places a hold on the guest's card for the deposit amount. This ensures the funds are available without actually charging the guest.

Step 3: Release or claim after checkout

After the guest checks out, you can release the hold (no charge) or capture part or all of it if there is damage.

Damage Waiver Alternative

Instead of a traditional deposit hold, you can offer guests a damage waiver - a small non-refundable fee that covers them up to a set amount. This is often preferred by guests as it avoids having a hold on their card.

If Stripe is not connected, the portal automatically defaults to the damage waiver option and shows a friendly message explaining why card deposits are unavailable.

Universal Deposit Link

You can also share a standalone deposit-only link. Guests who arrive via this link only see the deposit step - no ID or agreement. These submissions appear in your dashboard with a violet "Deposit Only" badge.

Important

ID Collection

ID collection uses a camera-only capture system. Guests must take a live photo of their ID using their device's camera - they cannot upload images from their photo library. This prevents the use of fake, edited, or downloaded documents.

How Camera Capture Works

Live camera viewfinder

The guest sees a live camera feed with an alignment guide overlay (a rounded rectangle for ID, an oval for selfie). On mobile, the rear camera is used for ID photos and the front camera for selfies.

Desktop to mobile handoff

If a guest starts on desktop, a QR code is displayed so they can switch to their phone for camera-based capture. This ensures the best photo quality.

Retake option

After capturing, the guest sees a preview with "Retake" and "Use Photo" buttons. Images are compressed automatically before upload.

Verification Methods

You can choose between two ID verification methods in your Settings tab:

Smart ID Verify+ (AI)

AI-powered verification using Gemini. Checks name match, face match, and extracts document metadata (type, country, expiry, address).

£0.35 per review (added to your monthly bill)

• Traffic-light risk indicators (name, face, overall)
• Extracts document type, country, and expiry
• You make the final approval decision
• No Stripe account needed

Stripe Identity KYC

Fully automated document and selfie verification with global fraud detection. It runs on the CheckinGuide account, so you do not need your own Stripe account for ID checks.

£1.50 per verification (paid from your prepaid verification balance)

• Fully automated - no manual review needed
• Document authentication + selfie match
• Global coverage with fraud detection
• Verified details (name, address, document info) synced to your dashboard

How you are charged

Reviewing ID documents

Open the booking detail drawer and click on the ID section. For Smart ID Verify+, you will see traffic-light indicators (green/amber/red) for name match, face match, and overall risk, plus a "Verified Details" card showing extracted document metadata. For Stripe Identity, results are automatic with images synced to your dashboard.

Pro Tip

Rental Agreements

Write your rental agreement text in the Settings tab. When a guest reaches this step, they read the agreement, enter their full name, draw their signature on a canvas, and submit.

Drawn signature

Guests sign using their finger (on mobile) or mouse/trackpad (on desktop). This is a real handwritten signature, not a typed one.

PDF generated automatically

A signed PDF is created containing the agreement text, guest details, signature image, and a full audit trail including timestamp, IP address, and user agent.

Immutable text snapshot

The agreement text is locked at the moment of signing. Even if you update your agreement later, the guest's signed copy preserves the exact text they agreed to - ensuring legal integrity.

Pro Tip

Sharing Your Verification Link

Your verification link follows this format:

The quickest place to find it is the Overview tab of Guest Verify. The "Share with guests" card holds both your universal verification link and your universal deposit link, each with a copy button and a preview. Send them to guests via your Airbnb messages, WhatsApp, email, or any messaging platform. Guests do not need an account to complete verification.

QR code

Generate a QR code for your verification link - perfect for printed welcome cards, property signage, or info booklets.

Deposit-only link

Share a standalone deposit link if you only need to collect a security deposit without ID or agreement steps.

Pro Tip

What the Guest Sees

When a guest opens your verification link, they go through a clean, mobile-first flow with a "Liquid Glass" design. On desktop, a two-column layout is used with a QR code sidebar for easy mobile handoff.

Enter their details

The guest enters their name, email, phone number, check-in and check-out dates, and estimated arrival time. This registers them in your system.

Complete security deposit

If required, the guest enters their card details. Trust badges (Apple Pay, Google Pay, 256-bit encryption) are displayed. The card is saved securely and a hold is placed 24 hours before check-in.

Capture ID photo

If required, the guest's camera opens with an alignment guide. They take a live photo of the front (and optionally back) of their ID, plus a selfie. No file uploads - camera only.

Sign rental agreement

If required, the guest reads the agreement text, enters their full name, and draws their signature on a canvas.

Confirmation

The guest sees a "Verification Complete" dashboard summarising what they have completed. They can re-download their signed agreement and view previously submitted details. A confirmation email is also sent.

Auto-advance

Troubleshooting

• Guest says the verification link shows 'Property Not Found' → Make sure the property is published and the slug in the URL matches the one in your Guest Verify settings. If the guest is opening the link inside Instagram or TikTok, ask them to open it in their default browser instead.
• Deposit is not showing for the guest → Check that the guest booking has 'Deposit Required' enabled and that your Stripe account is connected in the Settings tab. The deposit step only appears when it is required for that booking.
• Guest cannot access their camera for ID photos → The guest must allow camera permissions in their browser when prompted. If they denied access, they need to reset camera permissions in their browser settings. Camera access requires HTTPS - the link must start with https://.
• Camera shows a black screen on desktop or mobile → On desktop, some browsers block camera access in preview/embedded frames. Try publishing your site or use the QR code to switch to mobile. On mobile, another app may be using the camera - close all other apps and try again. On iOS Safari, reload the page after granting permission.
• Agreement signature is not saving → The guest must draw a signature on the canvas (not leave it blank) and enter their full name before submitting. Check that the agreement text has been set in your property settings.
• I cannot see completed verifications → Open the booking detail drawer by clicking on a guest card. Each verification step (Deposit, ID, Agreement) shows its status. Completed items appear with a green badge.
• Guest received an error when paying the deposit → This is usually a card issue on the guest's side. Ask them to try a different card. If the problem continues, check your Stripe dashboard for declined payment details.
• Stripe KYC images are not showing in the dashboard → Click the 'Retry Image Fetch' button in the booking drawer. Images from Stripe Identity may take a few moments to sync. If they still don't appear, the verification may be outside Stripe's recent-access window.
• Smart ID Verify+ says 'Low confidence' but the ID looks fine → The AI compares the name on the ID to the guest's booking name. Common causes of low confidence include: nicknames vs legal names, transliterated names, or partially obscured text on the ID photo. You can still manually approve the ID.
• Guest completed everything but the booking still shows 'Pending' → Open the booking drawer and check each step individually. If all steps are green, click 'Mark as Verified' to update the overall status. Some steps may need your manual review (e.g. ID approval).

Detailed Guides

Jump to a specific topic for more detail:

Next Steps