What is the Online Check-in Form

The Online Check-in Form allows you to collect:

1. Guest information - Names, phone numbers, emails, IDs, and selfies - before check-in, for all of the staying guests or only the main guests
2. Estimated Arrival and Departure times - Which will automatically adjust the reservation, cleanings, and all relevant automation
3. Custom questions - These are linked to customized fields, to collect special requests and preferences from your guests. If you wish, you can also include the Rental Agreement in the form, as well as Upsells
   
   

Where can you find this feature?

1. Go to Listings > Edit > Go to the Guest Portal tab 

2. To activate the Online Check-in Form for a listing turn on the Online Check-in Form toggle

3. You can bulk-copied to other listings. When doing so, all of the form’s settings are copied as-is, there is no option to select which settings to copy

Recommendations & Limitations

1. The Online Check-in Form will be available in the Guest Portal between a certain number of days (i.e. 3 days before check-in) and until check-in time
2. Guests can save the form as a draft and get back to filling it out later, in case they need more time to collect the information
3. The link will be active until the form is submitted
4. Guest information for all staying guests will be added to the Guest Book and can be used for marketing purposes
5. We collect guest information only for adult guests (18+)
6. Hostaway does not check the ID of the Guest to make sure that it is not a fake
7. Once check-in time has passed, the Online Check-in Form will no longer be accessible via the Guest Portal. It will still be accessible via its unique URL, so guests can fill it out even after check-in

To learn more watch the Walkthrough Video on:

• Setting up the Online Check-In Form
  
• Sharing the form with guests
• Filling out the form
• Viewing the answers

Online Check-in Form Settings

1. Channels - The form can be active for all channels or only for some channels. For example, you may feel that Airbnb guests' identity is validated well enough, so they do not need an extra layer of validation, and turn off the form for Airbnb guests
2. Form activation time - This determines when the form will be accessible via the Guest Portal. The form is only accessible via the Guest Portal if the Reservation status is Confirmed as Modified. The form is available via its unique URL until it is submitted
3. Text Displayed - You can write a custom text to appear at the beginning and the end of the form
4. Checkboxes to determine which information should be collected:

• Estimated arrival time
  • Guests cannot enter an arrival time that is earlier than the default check-in time in the reservation
  • This also activates the non-mandatory "arrival method" field, and if "Plane" is selected as the arrival method, then flight numbers can be collected as well. It will display in the guest reservation plage
  • Changing those in the form will affect all relevant automation, cleanings, etc
• Estimated departure time
  • Guests cannot enter a departure time that is later than the default check-out time in the reservation
• Rental agreement
  • Will be included only if it has not been signed yet
  • It can be found on the guest reservation page
• Guest information
  • The following fields can be mandatory or not
  • All of these fields can be collected for the main guest only (the one that made the reservation) or all staying adult guests
  • Changing the main guest’s name in the form will change it in the reservation as well
  • All guest information can be found on the reservation page and the Guest Book (Name, Email, Phone Number, Birth Date, Nationality, ID Number, ID photo, and Selfie)
• Additional Questions - These are linked to custom reservation fields and can be used to collect further information. For example, if a parking space is required or if they are traveling with a pet. Answers appear in the reservation under Custom Fields and can be used to create custom automation flows or display specific information in Tasks

Add Upsells to your Online Check-in Form

To set up which Upsells will be displayed in the Online Check-in Form follow these steps:

1. Go to Listings > Edit > Price & Fees
2. Select the fee you would like to edit
3. Go right and click on the grey engine icon > Edit fee
4. Select "Online Check-in Form" in the "Appears in" dropdown
5. Save

Sending the Online Check-in Form to guests

• The form has a unique URL that exists as a dynamic field and can be used in Message Automation
• The form is accessible via the Guest Portal starting from the form activation time (as set in the settings) until check-in time
  
  

Filling out the Online Check-in Form

1. When the guest accesses the form, they should fill out all the mandatory fields to submit it
2. Guests can save the form as a draft
3. Once submitted, the guest is prompted whether they want to purchase upsells. They can skip this stage
4. If there is a credit card in the reservation, the upsells will be immediately and automatically charged to that credit card. If not, the guest will be prompted to enter a credit card
5. Submitting the form is irreversible, and guests cannot edit their responses. The information can be edited from the Hostaway Dashboard