Successful hosts understand the importance of building a great reputation. Rather than remain anonymous, they earn credibility by opting for Airbnb ID verification.
As a savvy host, you are no doubt focused on providing guests with the best experience possible. The booking process is part of that experience. Guests feel more protected, and comfortable when booking with a professional host who has undergone Airbnb identity verification. This way they can guard against fraudsters, who attract guests with false listings before cheating them into making a false booking.
Airbnb ID verification can put guest’s minds at ease, helping them to avoid fraudulent bookings. As a host, you also need to guard against Airbnb scammers. You can do this by always screening guests and checking if their ID has been verified prior to accepting the booking.
Airbnb is keen to protect both hosts and guests, and Airbnb identity verification helps ensure the safety of the platform. Let’s explore Airbnb ID verification further and check out why your account needs it.
How Does Airbnb ID Verification Work?
The Airbnb identity verification process is quite simple, you don’t need to provide lots of documents to confirm your identity. You just need to supply a photograph of one of these forms of official government identification:
– Passport
– Driver’s license
– National identity card
Though your library, school or gym card may also contain a photo, they are not defined as “official government ID”, and therefore will not pass the Airbnb ID verification procedure. After you have decided on the document you want to present to the platform, you will need to select the option of adding your ID for verification. You can then:
– Take a photograph of your ID with the Airbnb mobile app.
– Take a photograph using the web-camera on your computer or mobile.
– Upload an existing photo.
To complete your Airbnb host verification you may also be asked to take a brand-new photo of yourself. This way Airbnb can easily compare your existing ID picture with the new one – and makes sure you are who you say you are!
The final (and arguably) best part of Airbnb ID verification process is earning an “ID Checked” badge on your profile. It may seem like a pretty small deal, but don’t underestimate the power of gaining that badge!
Is Airbnb ID Verification Safe?
A lot of hosts and guests admit to being a little concerned about the safety of providing their IDs to Airbnb. After all, identity theft is a very real issue. Airbnb combat this by vowing not to disclose any data to its users. So if a host uploads their ID, guests will never get a chance to see it.
This also applies to guest ID’s, hosts will not see the full ID of their guests (even if they ask Airbnb to provide it). The data provided by Airbnb to hosts only includes the guest’s name and their profile picture, states whether the guest is older or younger than 25 years of age and whether the guest has added a government-issued ID.
Airbnb ID verification process is governed by the Airbnb Privacy Policy. Therefore, the information you provide while verifying your ID is encrypted using SS. This is a standard security technology that websites use to transmit credit card numbers.
Though Airbnb is doing a great job to protect your data, we suggest that you refrain from using public Wi-Fi networks when uploading information for your Airbnb account verification. An unsecured Wi-Fi network is a haven for hackers. This is a place where they can easily read and steal your data. So, avoid sharing your personal data via unsecured Wi-Fi spots, otherwise, your identity could be stolen.
What Are the Advantages of Airbnb ID Verification?
The introduction of Airbnb ID verification has been an important step forward for the whole Airbnb community. It has helped to lay the foundations of trust, so guests and hosts alike can feel secure about using the Airbnb platform.
Guests do have concerns when booking an Airbnb, most travelers say they have worries about their reservation being unexpectedly canceled, causing them a huge inconvenience. However, booking with a host who doesn’t even exist seems to be an even worse scenario. Past Airbnb users have shared real horror stories about arriving at their dream vacation rental only to realize that the property listing and the host are completely fake.
By verifying your host profile, you are eliminating the worries of potential guests. They know that you are a real person and they have someone to address if any problems arise with their reservation. Verifying your ID helps build trust with prospective guests. It could be also an influential factor when they are choosing which vacation rental property to book. Wouldn’t it be nice to increase the chance of your vacation rental being booked more frequently?
As a host, you can justifiably request prospective guests get their ID verified by Airbnb too. Trust goes both ways – sorting out your own ID verification will encourage potential guests to get their profile verified.
Although Airbnb won’t give you out all the details of your guest’s ID you can take comfort in seeing the ID verified badge on your guest’s page. This helps eliminate the risks associated with renting out your property to a complete stranger, reducing the chance of any unpleasant surprises.
Be the Host to Trust and Take Care Of Your Own Safety Too!
Make your guests feel comfortable from the moment they first glance at your listing. If your profile isn’t completely filled in and doesn’t clearly show who you are, travelers are unlikely to feel convinced about making a reservation. Airbnb ID verification is a great way to add real credibility to your listing.
Whilst demonstrating your trustworthiness is a notable act, you also need to keep in mind your own safety. Airbnb ID verification is a really useful tool, but it doesn’t guarantee the perfect behavior of your guests. Even if their profile has been verified, you should rely only on your own judgment. So, communicate with your guests and try to run your own background checks prior to accepting a reservation.