Verifying IDs with Required Selfies?

[Tom Dieringer]

Just wondering who goes the extra step and protects against bookings with stolen IDs by also requiring an upload of a selfie?

We don't currently do so but I've heard it recommended. Not sure how widely adopted that practice is and for those that do it, do you ever meet resistance or have transactions to that end up not consummating because of too many hoops for guests to jump through?

[Andrew Steffens]

We had a rash of stolen CC bookings 2 years ago.  The bookings mostly came thought Marriott and Homes2Go. HCSO said it was likely human trafficking.  We now to "require" selfies and submission of the card used through a secure system.  95% there is no pushback on it from guests.  For the 5% that do we do offer them the option to stop in our office or meet an employee at check in.  There are still a few that do not want to do it and we have to let them go, but I do make exceptions for further out bookings.  All of the fraud ones have a MO where its a last minute booking and they usually had local phone numbers despite the billing address being in another state.  I also only require this for bookings where we are the merchant of record, if its Airbnb or another OTA whom collects payment we do not mess with it.