What Is the Key Activation Rule?
In the Portal dashboard, go to Settings → Customization to find the Key Activation Rule. This is a property-wide setting that decides when a guest's credential (Smart Key, Doorcode, or Keycard) actually becomes usable.
This setting governs future key generation — changing it does not retroactively change keys that already exist.
The Three Options
At Start Time — the credential goes live the moment the key's configured start date/time arrives, regardless of whether the PMS reservation has been checked in.
On PMS Check-In — the credential stays pending until the reservation is marked "checked in" in the PMS (front desk or system-side check-in), then it activates.
On PMS Online Check-In — the credential activates specifically once the guest completes an online check-in (a self-service flow, separate from a front-desk step).
Differences & Which One to Use
There is no single "best" option — it depends on how much control the property wants over access versus guest convenience.
At Start Time is the simplest and most guest-friendly: no dependency on PMS state. Best for self-check-in properties with no PMS check-in workflow. Trade-off: the least operational control — a key can activate before staff know the guest has arrived.
On PMS Check-In gives the most operational control, tying access to a real front-desk or system check-in event. Trade-off: a delay or failure in check-in status directly blocks the guest's access — this is the most common cause of "PMS Key Exists but Is Not Active" and "Pending Provisioning" support tickets.
On PMS Online Check-In fits fully self-service/contactless flows. Trade-off: it is the most fragile of the three, since it depends on the PMS actually flipping the reservation's status on online check-in — not every PMS integration does this reliably (for example, some Mews online check-ins do not set the reservation to "checked-in," so the key stays inactive even though the guest believes they've checked in).