Hospitable offers hosts the ability to verify your guests once their reservation is accepted. This verification process works for reservations on any platform: Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, and Direct bookings.
Requesting verification
In Hospitable, go to the messaging thread with the guest you'd like to verify.
In the Guest verification section of the left sidebar, click Request verification.
Select which checks you'd like to run on the guest. You can select one, or both checks.
Identity verification — $2 per check (first check is free)
Full guest verification — includes ID verification, sex offender search, and risk factors — $5 per check
Review the suggested message to send to the guest requesting additional confirmation, and make any changes you'd like. This message must include the
%guest_portal%short code, which will contain the link to the guest verification process.
Agree to the additional charges, which will be added to your next invoice and click Confirm & send.
⏰ Guest verification is only available once the reservation is accepted and before the check-in time!
When verification is requested, messages scheduled in the future are paused until the guest is approved. You remain in control and can choose to allow check-in manually at any point, even when a guest is not approved.
The first Identity Verification check on your account is free. Full guest verification is always billed, including on a first request. Once you confirm on the acknowledgment screen, charges are added to your next invoice and are non-refundable, even if the guest does not complete verification.
Check out our article highlighting the guest's experience getting verified, to understand what steps are required of your guests.
Understanding Billing Policies for Guest Verification
The first Identity Verification check on your account is free. Full guest verification is always billed, including on a first request. Once you confirm on the acknowledgment screen, charges are added to your next invoice and are non-refundable, even if the guest does not complete verification.
Overview of Guest Verification Billing
Guest verification is an essential step in ensuring secure bookings. The charge is applied once you confirm on the acknowledgment screen — not at the moment you click "Request verification". After confirming, the charge applies regardless of whether the guest completes verification. For example:
If you initiate a guest verification and the guest fails to complete it, you will still be charged for the verification request.
Similarly, ad-hoc verification requests are non-refundable. Once requested, these verifications are billable, even if the guest does not finalize the process.
First Verification and Special Billing Cases
The first Identity Verification check on your account is free. Full guest verification is always billed. Subsequent identity checks are $2 per check; Full guest verification is $5 per check.
System logs track all verification requests, and charges appear on your account once a request is made, even if it is not completed.
Charges may appear under specific booking platforms, and authorization for verification billing depends on request history.
Integration with rental agreements can complement guest verification, ensuring that guests adhere to specified policies beyond verifying their identity.
Understanding the statuses of a guest verification
Throughout the verification process, you will see different statuses in the sidebar to indicate where in the verification process the guest is. Manual reviews may be triggered by common issues such as discrepancies in guest information, use of flagged keywords like "party," or pending system updates that have not yet finalised reservation statuses. These flags ensure that all guest details meet platform standards before approval. Additionally, discrepancies in guest contact information, such as outdated phone numbers or emails, may also lead to manual reviews to ensure accurate verification processes.
For direct bookings, most verification processes are automated, but critical risks such as blurry ID photos may require manual intervention.
Status | Meaning | Impact on messages |
Not requested | Verification has not been requested. | Messages will be sent as scheduled. |
Pending | Verification has been requested, but the guest has not completed the verification steps in the guest portal. | Scheduled messages are paused unless you choose to cancel the verification request. |
Needs Review | Hospitable has flagged this guest, and your review is required. | Scheduled messages will continue to be paused unless you choose to ignore the warning and allow check-in. |
Approved | The guest has been approved. | Messages will be sent as scheduled. |
Cancelling and re-requesting verification
If a verification request was cancelled by mistake, or you need to restart the process, you can send a new request. Cancel is only available while verification is still Pending — Approved verifications cannot be cancelled and re-requested this way.
Cancelling resets all guest progress. Any ID work, partial completion, rental-agreement ID checks, and approvals tied to the cancelled verification do not carry over. The guest portal will show a completely fresh verification flow — the guest must start from scratch.
Upgrading from Base to Full verification? You do not need to cancel first. The first upgrade from Base Identity to Full verification reuses the same verification record — no duplicate charge, no fresh start. Only cancel if you actually want to discard the current verification. Once cancelled, the record is gone; re-requesting after a cancel starts a brand new verification, not a resume.
To cancel a pending verification request:
Go to the conversation thread with the guest.
In the Guest verification section of the sidebar, click on the verification status.
Select Cancel request. Scheduled messages will resume once the request is cancelled.
To request a new verification:
After cancelling, use the same steps as the original request — click Request verification in the sidebar and follow the process. This gives the guest another opportunity to complete verification with corrected photos or updated details.
Each new verification request is billed separately. Cancelling the original request does not provide a refund for that charge.
Restricting and allowing check-in
When Guest verification is Pending or in Review, your action is required to allow check-in. You must review the results of the verification by clicking the Guest verification status to open the guest details.
From the thread, in the Guest verification section of the sidebar click on the status
Review the information in the modal to decide if you'd like to allow check-in, or continue restricting it
If you'd like to allow check-in, click on Allow check-in anyway. This action can not be undone. The verification will be approved, and the messages will be sent as scheduled.
Note: The allow check-in option is only available for ad hoc verifications. It is not available for Direct Premium reservations.
Allowing check-in
You may review the guest verification details and decide that you're willing to take the risks highlighted. Ignoring warnings and allowing check-in cannot be undone, but you remain in control and can make that decision at any point.
Restricting check-in
When a reservation is pending or in review, no action is required from you to restrict check-in.
Restricting check-in will not cancel the reservation, but will prevent messages with check-in instructions from being sent from Hospitable so that the guest does not have the information needed to access the property.
If errors occur during verification, such as delays due to the system updating reservation statuses, they will often resolve automatically. It is recommended to wait briefly before attempting to process a confirmation again for flagged reservations.
Additionally, when a guest fails to complete verification, check-in instructions and access codes will not be sent to the guest to maintain security. Check-ins can only proceed if the host manually approves the reservation after the verification is completed.
OTP (SMS code) delivery issues caused by outdated or incorrect phone numbers or alternative contact methods not being updated can also result in verification delays. Hosts may address these by contacting support and asking for guest details to be updated. This can be done automatically by the Hospitable support AI bot.
Because ad-hoc guest verification happens on already accepted reservations, the host is responsible for cancelling any reservations if they want to, based on the verification results. This cancellation cannot be initiated by Hospitable, and the request must be made directly with the platform that the reservation came from. If you want further evidence to provide with your request, you can reach out to our support team. Please provide the reservation code in your request.
Tips for Successful Verification Management
Regularly check your inbox and push notifications for updates on flagged reservations.
Communicate transparently with guests to ensure alignment with booking policies.
Address flagged concerns promptly to avoid delays or escalations during the check-in process.