UPBOND Private Check-in Concept Release and Call for Pilot Partners
To protect, I do not possess.
Passport images are encrypted on the guest’s smartphone before being sent. Only the necessary information and verification results are used in the hotel’s day-to-day operations. Legible passport images are not displayed on regular screens, and storage locations and decryption permissions are managed separately.
Private Check-in: What You Need to Know in 1.5 Minutes
* The screenshots are for illustrative purposes only. Actual screens and procedures will be determined based on each facility’s operations and after consultation with the relevant public health center or other authorities.
Attacks targeting reservation information—such as
—are no longer just someone else's problem.
In 2026, a series of incidents involving unauthorized access to accommodation reservation systems and OTA management accounts were reported in Japan. There have also been reports of guests receiving messages from individuals who appear to know the details of their reservations, asking them to re-enter their credit card information or make a payment.
Copies of foreign guests’ passports are important records that hotels are required by law to retain. That is precisely why the system must be designed not only to “prevent attacks” but also to anticipate what information could be accessed if an attack were to occur.
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There are a lot of people who can see it.
Many employees and contractors can view passport images on front-desk terminals and the admin dashboard.
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Managing permissions is a burden
It’s a lot of work to keep taking stock of access permissions, down to the differences in operations for retirees, contractors, and individual facilities.
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A leak would have a significant impact
If passport images are leaked, it will have a significant impact on explanations, compensation, and credibility.
Do not bring legible passport images to
as part of your daily work.
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Encrypt it on your smartphone before sending it
Guests begin the check-in process using the browser on their smartphone via the link in the reservation confirmation. No app is required. Passport images are encrypted on the device for each record before being sent.
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For day-to-day operations, only the necessary information and verification results
The front-end screen displays the reservation, required information, and the results of identity verification. Passport images are not displayed on the standard operational screen.
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Separate the storage location from the permissions to open the file
We manage the storage location for encrypted data and the permissions required for decryption separately. Even if encrypted data is removed from its storage location, it cannot be opened as a passport image without the necessary decryption permissions.
Guests should use their own smartphones.
The facility will verify their identity on-site.
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Start with the Reservation Guide
Open the link associated with the reservation and review the scope, purpose, and retention policy.
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Photograph and Verify Passport
Eligible guests take a photo of their passport and verify the scanned information themselves
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Verify the recipient and purpose, then encrypt
Select between retention required by law and voluntary retention for the individual, then encrypt the data on the device before sending it
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Verify the person's identity on-site
Upon arrival, the facility's equipment and staff verify the individual's identity.
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Check-in Complete
The hotel will receive the necessary information and confirmation results
- * A copy of a passport is required only for foreign guests who do not have a residential address in Japan.
- * This system is not designed to complete identity verification using only QR codes or location information.
It won't open with just one person's authorization.
When a request is received from the police or other authorities in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, both the hotel’s authorized representative and an administrator independent of the hotel will verify the scope, purpose, recipient, and deadline of the request and approve it. Only the specified records will be disclosed. All approvals, access, and printouts will be logged.
Requests from law enforcement agencies and others based on laws and regulations
Hotel Management
A manager independent of the hotel
Review the subject, purpose, recipient, and deadline, then approve
Only the relevant records will be disclosed.
All approvals, views, and printouts are logged.
We apply UPBOND's patented key recovery technology (an approach in which ciphertext and decryption keys are managed by separate entities).
The necessary records, for the necessary period.
The Enforcement Regulations of the Hotel Business Act stipulate that guest registers must be retained for three years from the date of creation. Private Check-in manages guest registers, copies of applicable passports, and optional copies for the guests themselves separately. Even if the copies for the guests are deleted, the retention required by law is handled separately.
* This design is intended to comply with the Hotel Business Act. Specific procedures for storing encrypted copies and verifying identities on-site will be confirmed with the relevant public health center or other authorities prior to the pilot program.
We are currently recruiting hotels to participate in the pilot program at
.
Private Check-in is currently in the preparatory phase for a pilot program. We are seeking hotels and hotel chains—starting with one property—that are willing to work with us to verify metrics such as guest registration completion rates, check-in time, and records of disclosure procedures.
Consultation
We would like to inquire about the current check-in procedures and the actual practices regarding the storage and viewing of passport copies.
Confirmation
We will proceed with both confirming details with the public health center or other relevant agency responsible for the facility in question and designing the on-site operations.
Demonstration
We will have actual guests use the service at one facility, and you will decide whether to implement it based on the results.
* We will discuss the timing and conditions of the pilot program on a case-by-case basis, based on the results of our review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will hotels no longer keep passport information?
No. In accordance with the law, copies of eligible passports will be stored as encrypted data in the hotel’s records. The only change is that we will no longer handle readable passport images on our day-to-day operational screens. We will still be responsible for managing this encrypted personal information.
Will the risk of leakage be eliminated?
We cannot say it is impossible. The system is designed to minimize the risk of encrypted data being read as a passport image if it is extracted from its storage location. We also combine this with measures to address other risks, such as when a guest’s or approver’s device is compromised.
Do you comply with the Hotel Business Act?
We are designing the system with this goal in mind. We will confirm the specific procedures with the relevant public health centers and other authorities prior to the pilot program.
Do guests need to install an app?
No, you don't need one. You can register using your smartphone's browser via the link in the reservation notice.
Do Japanese guests also need to have their passports photographed?
No. A copy of a passport is required only for foreign guests who do not have a residential address in Japan.
Will it integrate with the reservation and check-in system we’re currently using?
After reviewing the systems at each facility, we will propose a connection method within the scope of the pilot project.