Key cards
Connect your hotel's own key-card system, so keys are made at check-in and cancelled at check-out. What it needs from your lock company.
Out of the box, keys come from the desk: the kiosk tells your staff the room, and they hand over the key. That always works, whatever system you have.
If your hotel has an electronic key-card system, you can connect it. ChatBeds then asks it to make a key when a guest checks in, and to cancel the key when they check out.
What you need
- Your own key-card system. You keep your locks, encoders and licence. ChatBeds doesn't sell locks or cards; it connects to your system.
- Your lock company's hotel-system interface. Most lock companies have to switch this on for your hotel, often for a fee. ChatBeds gives you a message to send them.
Check with your lock company first
Each brand speaks its own language. A connection to a specific brand needs that lock company's interface, either in their cloud, through a connector service, or on your key server. Until that is in place, use keys from the desk, or the test lock to try the flow.
Connect it
Go to Settings → Reception → Key cards.
Choose your system
Under The system: Salto, dormakaba, ASSA ABLOY (VingCard), Onity, or Another system.
Choose how ChatBeds reaches it
| Option | Use it when |
|---|---|
| An https address | Your lock company's cloud, or a connector service, gives you an https address. ChatBeds signs every request with a secret, shown once after you save. Give it to whoever runs the address. |
| The ChatBeds bridge | Your key server is on your hotel's own network. A small ChatBeds program runs on the desk computer and passes requests to it. Nothing is opened to the internet. Its token is shown once after you save. |
| The test lock | You want to try check-in before the real system is connected. It pretends to make keys. |
Say where keys come out
Under Keys come out of: the desk's encoder (staff hand them over) or a dispenser next to the kiosk.
Connect and test
Press Connect, then Test. ChatBeds asks for a test key and shows whether it worked.
Then, under Keys, tick From the hotel's key-card system. You can tick it only once a system is connected.
The message to your lock company
Open The message to send your lock company and press Copy the message. It asks them to switch on the hotel-system interface for your system, and explains how ChatBeds connects. Send it to your lock company's support.
The technical details for your lock company, a connector service, or whoever sets up the bridge are on the developer site: Key cards.
When keys are made and cancelled
- Self check-in at the kiosk: the key is made when the guest checks in. From a dispenser, the guest takes it there and the desk isn't asked. From the desk's encoder, the desk hands it over.
- Assisted check-in: the key is made when the desk presses Finish check-in.
- Another card, or a lost one: press Make the key on the Front Desk page.
- Check-out: any check-out, from the dashboard, WhatsApp or the kiosk, cancels the stay's keys.
A key works until the check-out time on the departure day, in your hotel's time. The name on the key is the guest's first name and initial only.
If the system fails
A key-card problem never stops a check-in. The desk is told the system's error and makes the key by hand. The Key cards box shows the last problem and a list of the latest keys and their status.
Disconnect puts keys back to the desk.
Still need help?