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Troubleshooting Keys Created from PMS Reservations

Troubleshooting Keys/reservations comes from PMS

Written by Sarah Mousavi

Overview


Keys created automatically from PMS reservations behave the same way as manually created Keys.
Staff can view, edit, update credentials, and troubleshoot these Keys directly from the Portal Dashboard.


What Staff Can Edit on PMS Keys

Staff can manually update PMS-generated Keys at any time.

Available actions:

  • Change Doorcode allocation policy

  • Set Preferred or Strict doorcodes

  • Replace or assign Keycards

  • Add or remove Doors

  • Update Arrival and Departure times

  • Restrict days of the week or hours of access

  • Revoke or re-provision the Key


Changing Doorcode Allocation for PMS Keys

By default, PMS Keys use Random doorcodes.

To change to Preferred or Strict:

  1. Open the PMS Key in Key Details.

  2. Double-tap on the Doorcode section.

  3. Select Preferred or Strict.

  4. Enter the desired doorcode.

  5. Save changes.

Notes

  • Preferred allows reuse if available.

  • Strict reserves that doorcode exclusively.

  • Regenerate Doorcode by tapping on the circle icon

  • The lock must be online for provisioning.


SmartKey Behavior for PMS Keys

SmartKeys are:

  • Generated automatically after check-in

  • Activated by the guest via magic link

  • Shown as Provisioned once activated

  • To check the details, double-tap on the smartkey section.

If SmartKey is not activated:

  • The Key remains Pending

  • Staff can resend credentials manually


Key Status for PMS Reservations

PMS Keys are automatically grouped by status:

  • Upcoming – Before check-in

  • Current – During stay

  • Past – After check-out

  • Revoked – Manually or automatically removed


When Provisioning Does Not Complete

A PMS Key may fail to provision if:

  • The lock is offline

  • Provisioning is disabled on the door

  • Door mapping is incorrect

  • The guest has not activated the SmartKey

How to Fix Provisioning Issues

  1. Check lock connectivity.

  2. Verify door mapping.

  3. Confirm provisioning is allowed.

  4. Resend credentials.

  5. Re-provision the Key if needed.


Resending Credentials for PMS Keys

Staff can resend credentials the same way as manual Keys.

  1. Open Key Details.

  2. Select email or phone number.

  3. Click Send.


Revoking or Restoring PMS Keys

Staff can revoke PMS Keys manually if needed.

  • Revoked Keys immediately lose access

  • Keys can be re-enabled if the reservation is still active

  • The key can be revoked for all doors or partially.


Troubleshooting / FAQs

Portal: The guest checked in, but access is not working
Confirm provisioning status and lock connectivity.

Portal: Doorcode does not work on the lock
Check the allocation policy and ensure the code is provisioned.

SmartKey link was never activated
Resend credentials or ask the guest to complete the activation.

Portal: The room was changed in the PMS
Portal sends updated credentials automatically.

Portal: Staff changed the code, but it didn’t update on the door
Wait for the lock to come online or sync lock information via the try Portal/Staff App by standing close to the lock and Bluetooth.

Portal: Doorcode failed in locks?
The system currently retries in the following order until the code is successfully written to the lock:
1st attempt: immediately after check-in
2nd attempt: 1 minute later
3rd attempt: 1 minute later
4th attempt: 1 minute later
5th attempt: 2 minutes later
6th attempt: 3 minutes later
7th attempt and onward: every 5 minutes
If the gateway or the lock is offline or temporarily busy, the operation may fail. In such cases, the retry mechanism will attempt again automatically in the next cycle until it succeeds.

Portal: Codes are generated in Portal but take hours to work on the door. Why?

There are two separate steps between a reservation arriving and a code working on the door:

Step 1 — Code generation (PMS sync) Portal receives the reservation from your PMS and generates the code. This happens automatically after the PMS sends the reservation data to Portal.

Step 2 — Provisioning (writing the code to the lock) Portal then needs to write that code to the physical lock. This requires the lock to be online at the time of provisioning. If the lock is offline, Portal keeps retrying automatically until it reconnects — which can cause delays of minutes to hours.

The most common cause of long delays is the lock being offline or intermittently connected. Check your gateway and lock connection status in the Portal dashboard.

Portal: How long does it normally take from reservation to working code?

Under normal conditions — lock online, PMS connected, provisioning enabled:

  • PMS sync to Portal: typically within a few minutes of the reservation being created or checked in, depending on your PMS

  • Provisioning to lock: usually within 1–5 minutes once the lock is online

  • Total expected delay: under 10 minutes in most cases

If codes are consistently taking hours, it is not normal — check lock connectivity and PMS connection status.

Portal: Does the code work before check-in?

It depends on your Portal settings. By default Portal can be configured to:

  • Generate and provision the code before check-in (guests receive it in advance/Scheduled Notification)

  • Generate the code only at check-in time

If your property requires check-in before the code activates, the guest will receive the code but it won't work on the door until check-in is registered in the PMS and synced to Portal.

Check your credential notification settings in Portal: Settings → Customization → Credential notifications.

Portal: What should I check if codes are consistently delayed?

In order:

  1. Lock connection — is the lock showing online in Portal dashboard? If offline, codes cannot be provisioned until it reconnects

  2. Gateway — is the gateway powered on and connected to the internet?

  3. PMS connection — go to Settings → Integrations and confirm the PMS connection is active, not broken

  4. Allow Provisioning — confirm it is enabled on the affected reservations (Keys → reservation → Edit Door)

  5. Credential notification timing — check when Portal is configured to send the code to the guest (Settings → Customization → Credential notifications → Send on check-in)

  6. Portal is down / dashboard not loading?
    If you and your team cannot access the Portal at all, this may be a platform issue. Contact support immediately.


Best Practices

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