What this does
When a guest already has an active key — for example, an in-house guest with another booking — Portal gives their new key the same doorcode or keycard by default, so they only have one code or card to carry.
The Reuse User's Active Credential setting lets you turn this off, so that every key gets its own doorcode or keycard.
When to turn it off
Turn it off if separate rooms are often booked under one guest's name — for example, a group leader or company booking several rooms. With the setting on, all of those rooms would share one doorcode, and one keycard can't be handed to the occupants of several rooms.
Guests sharing a single room are not affected: every guest on a reservation already gets their own key.
Turning it on or off
Go to Settings, then select Customization.
Find Reuse User's Active Credential.
Switch it on or off. If saving fails, the switch returns to its previous position — simply try again.
Important: The setting is on by default for every property, existing and new. Turning it off does not change doorcodes or keycards that have already been issued — it only applies to keys allocated from then on.
How it works
With the setting on (default)
A guest's new reservation reuses the doorcode and keycard from their active key, as before.
With the setting off
A guest who already holds an active doorcode or keycard receives a different one for their new reservation.
Two overlapping reservations for the same guest in different rooms show different doorcodes and different keycards.
A key you create on the Portal dashboard for a guest who already holds an active doorcode or keycard also gets a different one.
Each room of a group booked under one name takes its own keycard from your property's keycard pool.
Either way, a new doorcode or keycard never clashes with one held by another active key.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if there are no free keycards left?
With the setting off, the new key shows that no keycard is available instead of reusing the guest's existing card. Add more keycards to your property's keycard pool.
What happens if I move a guest's reservation to another room?
The guest keeps the doorcode and keycard they already have, even with the setting off.
Can I still give a guest a specific doorcode or keycard?
Yes. Doorcodes and keycards that staff set or pick by hand are not affected by this setting, and a guest who requests a specific one they already hold still gets it.
Why did a returning guest get a new doorcode even though the setting is on?
Portal chooses the doorcode or keycard 24 hours before a key starts, and reuse only happens if the guest's other key is still active at that moment. So a booking that starts more than about a day after the previous check-out gets a new one, whatever the setting.
What if the same person has two profiles in our PMS?
Guests are matched by their PMS profile. The same person under two PMS profiles is treated as two different guests and never shares a doorcode or keycard.
What happens if a key is revoked outside Portal and then recreated?
With the setting off, the recreated key gets a new doorcode or keycard.