Help Center

Emergency Backup Codes

Emergency backup codes are off by default. This is an opt-in feature per property — if you want it, you need to turn it on in property settings. Nothing is emailed to a guest unless you’ve enabled it.

What it checks, in plain terms

Once enabled, GuestsKey runs two automatic checks in the run-up to check-in:

• 15 minutes before check-in — a lock health check. Is the lock online, and is the battery in good enough shape to work?
• 5 minutes before check-in — a code check. Did the guest’s code actually make it onto the lock? (This runs after the code is scheduled to activate, so it’s confirming the activation actually happened.)

What happens if a check fails

If either check comes back bad, GuestsKey emails the guest a backup code they can use to get in, so a lock or connectivity problem doesn’t turn into a guest locked out at the door. You get an email about it too, and if the booking has no guest email on file, it escalates to you rather than failing silently.

It won’t spam the guest

The whole thing is idempotent: a given booking will get at most one backup code distribution per hour, even if checks keep failing.

Turning it on

Enable emergency backup codes per property in property settings. Since it’s off by default, existing properties won’t have this safety net until you turn it on.