Know exactly who is staying in your property
Biometric comparison confirms the person who shows up matches the document they submitted. Fraud prevention, chargeback protection, and security — without slowing down check-in.
What Identity Verification does
BookCheckin uses AI-powered document analysis and facial biometrics to confirm that the guest arriving at your property is the person who made the booking.
AI document authenticity check
Our system analyses the uploaded ID document for authenticity markers: MRZ line validation, font consistency, security feature detection, and expiry date verification. Forged or expired documents are flagged immediately.
Live selfie capture
During the registration process, the guest is asked to take a live selfie. Liveness detection ensures it's a real person in real time — not a printed photo held up to the camera.
Biometric face matching
The selfie is compared against the photo on the ID document using facial recognition. A confidence score is generated. High-confidence matches are approved automatically; borderline cases are flagged for your manual review.
Support for 190+ countries' documents
Passports, DNIs, NIEs, driving licences, and national ID cards from over 190 countries. International guests are handled with the same accuracy as domestic ones.
Fraud and dispute protection
Verification records — document image, selfie, match score, timestamp — are stored against every booking. In a chargeback dispute or insurance claim, this evidence is invaluable.
GDPR-compliant biometric handling
Biometric data is processed in compliance with GDPR Article 9 requirements. Facial recognition data is not retained beyond the verification process — only the result and confidence score are stored.
Why document checks at reception are not enough
A receptionist glancing at a passport for two seconds is not identity verification. It catches obvious fakes at best. It creates no audit record. And for online-only check-ins — where the guest never stands in front of anyone — it doesn\'t exist at all.
Fraudulent bookings are a growing problem in short-term rentals. A common pattern: a booking is made with a stolen card, the guest causes significant damage, and when the chargeback comes through, the host has no verified identity information to mount a defence.
Identity verification creates a legal record that the specific person — confirmed biometrically — was in your property on those dates. This is your primary defence in any dispute: property damage, chargeback fraud, or criminal incidents reported by neighbours.
Some insurance policies for short-term rental properties now require documented identity verification as a condition of coverage. As the industry matures, this will become standard.
How identity verification works
Guest uploads their ID document
During online check-in, the guest photographs the front (and where required, the back) of their ID document using their phone camera.
Document is analysed for authenticity
AI checks the document's MRZ data, visual security features, expiry date, and format consistency. Suspected forgeries are flagged before any further processing.
Guest takes a live selfie
The guest is prompted to take a selfie in real time. The liveness check confirms the selfie is of a live person, not a photograph or screen.
Biometric comparison is run
Facial recognition compares the selfie against the ID document photo. A match confidence score is generated and stored.
Result is recorded and you are notified
High-confidence matches proceed automatically. Low-confidence matches or authenticity flags appear in your dashboard for manual review before access is granted.
What you gain
Protection against fraudulent bookings
Guests who know their identity will be biometrically verified are significantly less likely to use stolen payment cards or misrepresent who they are.
Chargeback dispute evidence
In a payment dispute, verified identity documentation — document image, selfie, match score, timestamp — is your strongest possible evidence with the payment processor.
Insurance compliance
Many short-term rental insurance policies require documented guest verification. BookCheckin's verification records satisfy these requirements automatically.
Neighbour and community confidence
In apartment buildings and residential areas, proving that you verify every guest's identity addresses the most common concern raised by communities and building administrators.
Frequently asked questions
What does identity verification actually do?+
It confirms two things: that the document the guest uploaded is authentic (MRZ check, visual security features, expiry), and that the person who took a live selfie matches the photo on that document.
How accurate is the biometric match?+
BookCheckin returns a match confidence score for every verification. High-confidence matches proceed automatically; borderline cases are flagged for your manual review before access is granted.
Is biometric data retained after verification?+
No. Per GDPR Article 9, BookCheckin processes facial-recognition data only during the verification itself. After the result is generated, only the confidence score and outcome are stored — not the biometric template.
Does it work with international documents?+
Yes. Passports, national IDs and driving licences from 190+ countries are supported with the same accuracy as Spanish DNI and NIE.
Do I need this if my insurance does not require it?+
It is your strongest defence in chargeback disputes and damage claims. As short-term rental insurance matures, documented identity verification is becoming a standard condition of coverage.
Know who is in your property — always
Add biometric identity verification to your check-in in minutes.
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