Aadhaar verification for hotels, resorts & homestays

Verify guest Aadhaar without OTPs or photocopies

Scan the guest's Aadhaar QR or upload the copy they sent on WhatsApp. StayDesk checks UIDAI's digital signature, catches fake copies and fills the booking in seconds. Free on every plan.

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UIDAI signature checked No OTP needed Full number never stored

Why hotels are moving away from Aadhaar photocopies

Every hotel in India has to check the identity of its guests, and for most Indian guests that means Aadhaar. For years the routine has been a photocopy, or a photo on WhatsApp, and someone at the desk retyping the details into a register.

UIDAI has been pushing hotels away from that routine. It has warned that storing Aadhaar photocopies breaks the Aadhaar Act and puts guests at risk, and it is moving hotels towards offline, QR-based verification instead, where only the details needed are shared.

StayDesk does exactly that. Every recent Aadhaar has a Secure QR code signed by UIDAI. StayDesk reads it, checks the signature, and fills the guest's details and photo into the booking. A copy that has been edited fails the check. Nothing is photocopied, and the full Aadhaar number is never saved.

Unlike OTP-based checks, there's no charge per guest and no need for the guest's Aadhaar-linked phone. That matters for weddings, school trips and corporate groups, where dozens of guests arrive together.

Sound familiar at your front desk?

  • Guests send Aadhaar photos on WhatsApp and staff retype everything
  • Photocopies pile up in a drawer, with full Aadhaar numbers on them
  • No way to tell if a copy has been edited
  • OTP checks fail when the guest's Aadhaar mobile number is old
  • Paying for every OTP verification adds up for groups and weddings
  • Check-in queues while the desk writes in the register
New · Aadhaar verification

Verify every guest's Aadhaar in seconds. Free. No OTP.

Scan the guest's Aadhaar QR or upload the copy they sent on WhatsApp. StayDesk checks UIDAI's digital signature, spots fakes, and fills the booking for you — without photocopies and without storing the Aadhaar number.

  1. 1
    Scan or upload
    Camera at the desk, or the photo / e-Aadhaar PDF the guest sent on WhatsApp.
  2. 2
    UIDAI signature checked
    Genuine or not, in about two seconds. No OTP, no waiting on the guest.
  3. 3
    Booking filled
    Details and photo saved with the booking. Match the face at check-in.
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Fake or edited Aadhaar? Caught.

Every Aadhaar QR carries UIDAI's digital signature. StayDesk checks it, so a doctored copy or an edited PDF fails instantly.

No typing. No photocopies.

Name, date of birth, gender and address fill the booking by themselves. The photo appears on screen for a quick face match.

Verified and signed before arrival

Send the guest a WhatsApp link. They upload their e-Aadhaar and sign the registration form on their phone, and walk in ready.

Private by design

Only the last 4 digits are kept, as XXXX XXXX 1234. No Aadhaar image and no full number is ever stored.

Why not Aadhaar OTP?

StayDesk QR checkTypical Aadhaar OTP
Cost per guestFree on every planPaid per check
Needs the guest's Aadhaar-linked mobileNoYes, and it must be working
Guest shares an Aadhaar OTPNeverEvery time
Full Aadhaar number storedNever, last 4 digits onlyUsually typed and kept
Verify before arrivalYes, WhatsApp linkHard, OTP needs the guest live
Photo for face matchYes, from the QRDepends on the provider

Included on every plan. Works with the Aadhaar card, the printed letter, e-Aadhaar PDF and the mAadhaar app.

Verify the way that suits the guest

Scan at the desk

Point the phone or laptop camera at the big QR on the card, letter or mAadhaar app.

Upload what the guest sent

A photo, screenshot or e-Aadhaar PDF from WhatsApp. Password-protected PDFs are handled too.

Guest verifies before arrival

Send a WhatsApp link. The guest uploads their e-Aadhaar on their phone and arrives already verified.

Nothing extra kept

Only the details on the card, the small photo and the last 4 digits. No image, no full number.

Which QR code to scan

Use the big QR code on the Aadhaar letter, the e-Aadhaar PDF, the back of the PVC card or in the mAadhaar app. A sharp photo where the QR fills most of the picture works best.

XXXX XXXX 1234
Letter / e-Aadhaar PDF
XXXX XXXX 1234
PVC card (back side)

Illustration only. Sample details are masked.

Paperless check-in: the guest signs on screen

After the Aadhaar check, the guest signs your registration declaration digitally. No printed form to fill, sign and file.

At the desk

Hand the tablet or phone to the guest. They read the declaration, sign with a finger and tick I agree.

Before arrival

The same WhatsApp link that verifies Aadhaar asks the guest to sign the registration form from their phone.

On the record

The signature, name, date and time are saved with the booking and print on the Guest Registration Card.

A simple electronic signature of the guest's acceptance of your declaration and house rules. Included on every plan.

Aadhaar verification is one part of StayDesk

Reservations, front desk, GST billing, OTAs and reports in one place.

Channel Manager

Rates and availability synced to Booking.com, MakeMyTrip, Goibibo, Agoda, Airbnb and more. OTA bookings land in StayDesk automatically — no double bookings.

Direct Booking Engine

Your own commission-free booking page. Guests book and pay online — the revenue is yours, not an OTA's.

Online Payments

Accept UPI, cards & net-banking through your own Razorpay account. Send payment links over WhatsApp to confirm bookings fast.

Reservation Management

Visual booking calendar, group and multi-room bookings, walk-ins and easy modifications.

Front Desk

Today's arrivals, departures and in-house guests at a glance. One-tap check-in and checkout.

Flexible GST Billing

Automatic GST on invoices — or switch it off for small properties under the turnover threshold.

Guest CRM & Profiles

Repeat-guest history, preferences and contact details — turn first-time visitors into regulars.

Housekeeping Board

Live room status and task assignment so rooms get turned around faster.

Store & Point of Sale

Sell food, drinks and sundries from your in-resort store — add them to the guest's folio or ring up a quick cash bill, all from one product list.

Inventory & Stores

Track consumables and assets in your own categories, with low-stock alerts and a record of what was used in which room or department. Run several storerooms — kitchen, bar, housekeeping — and move stock between them (Growth & Pro).

Expenses & Vendor Credit

Log expenses paid now or bought on credit. See what you owe each vendor, pay several bills in one go, and keep a running ledger per vendor.

Smart Reports

Occupancy, ADR, RevPAR, collections and P&L — know what drives your revenue.

Staff Roles & Access

Add your team with role-based permissions — front desk, housekeeping, managers — so each person sees only what they need.

Aadhaar Verification

Scan or upload the guest's Aadhaar and StayDesk checks UIDAI's digital signature, then fills the booking. Free, no OTP, no photocopies — the full number is never stored.

Paperless Check-in & E-signature

Guests sign the registration form on your tablet or phone — or from their own phone before arrival. The signature prints on the registration card. No paper forms to file.

Restaurant POS (add-on)

Bill your restaurant from StayDesk: counter and table orders, kitchen tickets (KOT), GST bills on a thermal printer, charge to the guest's room, credit customers, merge / split bills and QR ordering from tables and rooms.

Multiple Properties, One Login

Own more than one resort? Manage all of them with a single login and switch from the top bar. Each property keeps its own bookings, staff and billing.

Launch pricing — limited time

Simple pricing, no surprises

Founding members keep launch pricing forever.

Starter

For guest houses & homestays

₹999/month

billed monthly

Up to 10 rooms

  • Reservations & calendar
  • Check-in / checkout
  • Optional GST invoicing
  • Expenses & vendor credit
  • Inventory & store
  • 3 staff logins
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Most Popular

Growth

For small & mid resorts

₹1,999/month

billed monthly

Up to 35 rooms

  • Everything in Starter
  • Direct booking page
  • Online payments (Razorpay)
  • Multiple storerooms
  • Advanced reports
Start free trial

Pro

For full-service resorts

₹3,999/month

billed monthly

Up to 80 rooms

  • Everything in Growth
  • WhatsApp notifications
  • Custom booking domain
  • Unlimited staff
  • Priority support
Start free trial

Enterprise

For larger properties

Custom

80+ rooms

  • Everything in Pro
  • API access
  • Dedicated onboarding
  • Custom feature requests
Contact sales

Aadhaar verification for hotels — FAQ

How do hotels verify an Aadhaar card?+

The safest way is to scan the Secure QR code printed on the Aadhaar (card, letter, e-Aadhaar PDF or mAadhaar app) and check UIDAI's digital signature in it. If the signature matches, the card is genuine and unedited; staff then match the guest's face with the photo from the QR. A photocopy alone can't prove anything and exposes the full Aadhaar number.

How does StayDesk verify an Aadhaar card?+

Every Aadhaar issued in recent years has a Secure QR code that UIDAI digitally signs. StayDesk reads the QR from a camera scan, photo or e-Aadhaar PDF and checks that signature. If anything on it was changed, the check fails. If it passes, the guest's name, date of birth, gender, address and photo fill the booking automatically.

Do guests need to share an OTP?+

No. The QR check needs no OTP and no access to the guest's Aadhaar-linked mobile number. That's useful when the guest's number is old or switched off, and guests never have to read an Aadhaar OTP out to hotel staff.

Does StayDesk store the Aadhaar number or a copy of the card?+

No. StayDesk keeps only the details printed in the QR, the small photo for face matching, and the last 4 digits (shown as XXXX XXXX 1234). The full Aadhaar number and the image of the card are never stored.

Can the guest verify before they arrive?+

Yes. From the booking, staff send a WhatsApp link. The guest opens it on their phone and uploads their e-Aadhaar or a photo of the QR. The booking shows "Verified" and the front desk only needs to match the face at check-in.

What if the QR doesn't scan?+

Aadhaar QR codes are dense, so photos that WhatsApp has compressed often lose too much detail. Ask for a close-up of just the QR, or the photo/PDF sent as a Document. Very old Aadhaar cards without the Secure QR can't be verified this way; use another ID for those guests.

Can guests sign the registration card digitally?+

Yes. At check-in the guest signs your registration declaration on your tablet or phone, or signs from their own phone using the same WhatsApp link that verifies their Aadhaar. The signature, name and time are saved with the booking and print on the Guest Registration Card, so there's no paper form to file.

Is it really free?+

Yes. Aadhaar verification is included on every StayDesk plan, with no per-guest charge, because the check happens against UIDAI's published signature, not through a paid OTP service.

Does it work for group bookings and walk-ins?+

Yes. For walk-ins, use "Fill from Aadhaar" while adding the reservation and the guest details fill themselves. For groups, send the verification link to the guests before arrival.

Stop photocopying Aadhaar cards

Try StayDesk free for 15 days, or book a demo and we'll show you a real scan.

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