Background Checks with Authenticate.com

If you want more thorough screening beyond the identity check, you can add a background check step to your guest verification flow. Background checks are powered by your Authenticate.com account and screen guests against criminal records and global watchlists.

Adding a background check step

Create the step
- Click Add New and choose Background Check
- Give it a nickname (only visible to your team)
- Set the sort order to control where it appears in the guest’s verification flow
Choose your Authenticate.com account

Select which Authenticate.com account to use from the dropdown. If you have connected multiple accounts, pick the one you want to use for this step.
Set source rules (optional)
- Length of stay — Only require background checks for stays longer or shorter than a set number of days
- Booking sources — Include or exclude specific sources (Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, etc.)
- Returning guests — Toggle to skip the step for guests who have stayed before
Assign and activate
- Assign the step to one or more portals, properties, or property groups
- Toggle the step to Active so guests can see it

What guests see

After you add the background check step, guests will see a Background Check item in their pre-check-in form. They go through the following screens:

Consent — The guest reads and agrees to the background check terms
Form — The guest fills out their personal details:
- First name and last name (prefilled from the reservation when available)
- Date of birth
- Email (prefilled when available)
- Phone number
- Last four digits of their Social Security Number
- Address, city, state, and zip code (optional)
Results — The guest sees their check outcome:
- Clear — No records found
- Flagged — Records found, with details on criminal history and global watchlist status

Guest background check form

Guest background check consent

Guest background check submission

Reviewing background check results

Open a guest’s reservation and scroll to the verification section. Click on the Background Check step to see:

Status — Whether the check is pending, complete, or encountered an error
Criminal record — Whether any criminal records were found
Global watchlist — Whether the guest appears on any international watchlists

If a background check is flagged, review the details and decide whether to approve or decline the guest based on your company’s policy.

Authenticate.com Integration — Connect your Authenticate.com account to SuiteOp
Identity Check — Set up AI-powered identity verification
Setting Up Guest Verification — Configure all verification steps
Override Verification — Waive or reset verification steps for specific guests