Guest verification helps you assess the risk of Direct booking requests before they are accepted.

Depending on your setup, it can be required before a booking is confirmed and may impact whether a reservation is automatically accepted or requires manual review.

How Guest Verification Works

When a guest submits a Direct booking request, they may be required to complete a verification step before the booking is confirmed.

This process typically includes:

Identity verification (such as ID upload and selfie)
Automated risk assessment based on guest data
Confirming contact details, address, and date of birth
Declaring the purpose of their stay (e.g., business, leisure)

Once completed, Hospitable assigns a risk level to the booking.

Risk Levels and What They Mean

After verification, each booking is assigned a risk level:

Low risk → Booking can be automatically accepted (if Instant Book is enabled)
Medium or high risk → Requires manual review and approval

This allows you to filter out potentially risky bookings while keeping a smooth experience for qualified guests.

Guest verification does not guarantee that a guest will be accepted. Medium- and high-risk bookings always require manual approval.

How Guest Verification Affects Booking Acceptance

Guest verification directly impacts how and when bookings are confirmed.

With Instant Book enabled (Direct Premium)

Guests must complete verification before the booking can be accepted
If the risk level is low, the booking is automatically accepted
If the risk level is medium or high, the booking remains pending for manual review

With Instant Book disabled

Guests still complete verification (if enabled)
All bookings require manual approval, regardless of risk level

Direct Basic vs Direct Premium

Direct Premium → Verification and risk scoring are handled automatically within Hospitable
Direct Basic → Verification is not enforced by Hospitable and must be handled manually by the host if needed
Verification cannot be bypassed for Direct Premium unless the guest has been previously verified

A booking will not be automatically accepted until guest verification is completed when verification is enabled.

Where Guests Complete Verification

Guests complete verification through the Guest Portal.

They can access it:

Automatically after payment completion at time of booking
From the booking confirmation email (Direct bookings)
Through messaging links using the %guest_portal% shortcode
Guests may need to enter their last name if prompted
Select "Complete Registration Tasks" to proceed

Within the portal, verification appears as a required task alongside:

Rental agreements
Security deposits (if enabled)
Other check-in requirements

Guest Portal interface displaying tasks for guest verification, rental agreement signing, and security deposit status

Host Assistance for Verification Issues

If a guest encounters issues with verification, hosts can assist in the following ways:

Share the Guest Portal Link: Provide the guest with their unique Guest Portal link to retry the verification process. This can be copied from the “Guest Verification” section in the host’s interface.
Extend Booking Expiration: If the guest needs more time to complete verification, you may request support to extend the booking expiration and avoid cancellation.
Restart the Verification Process: If the system shows incomplete steps (e.g., missing purpose of stay), ask the guest to click the verification button again to resume from where they left off.
Monitor Verification Status: Check the reservation details in your Hospitable account to track the guest’s progress.

How Verification Appears in Booking Requests

If a booking requires manual review due to verification:

The booking will show as pending
Hosts may see a Review button instead of Accept
Verification status (e.g., incomplete or needs review) is displayed in the reservation

Bookings flagged during verification (for example, suspected risk) require manual review before they can be accepted.

Relationship to Rental Agreements

Guest verification and rental agreements are separate steps, but they can work together.

Guest verification determines whether a booking can be accepted
Rental agreements are typically required before check-in

In some setups, ID verification can also be requested as part of the rental agreement signing process.

For Direct Premium bookings, guest verification is the step that controls booking acceptance, not the rental agreement.

Important Behaviors to Know

Verification must be completed before a booking can be automatically accepted
Risk level determines whether a booking is auto-approved or requires review
Verification happens in the Guest Portal as part of required check-in tasks
Hosts cannot override risk levels only accept or decline the booking

When to Use Guest Verification

Guest verification is especially useful if you want to:

Reduce the risk of problematic bookings
Automatically accept only qualified guests
Add a review layer before confirming reservations

It is most effective when combined with:

Instant Book (to auto-accept low-risk guests)
Rental agreements (to enforce terms before check-in)
Security deposits (to protect against damages)

Alternatives to Verification

If a guest cannot complete the verification process, consider the following options:

Manual Booking: Recreate the reservation as a Manual booking. Note that Manual bookings do not include Direct Premium features like damage protection or chargeback protection.
Custom Quote: For returning guests, creating a custom quote can allow you to use their already saved guest verification data. Guests will only be required to identify their Purpose of Stay.