# Set Up a Multi-Stage Check-In (/how-to/activities/set-up-multi-stage-check-in)



Use stages to separate arrival, paperwork, equipment preparation, and the point when a booking is ready to go. Every activity starts with **Check-in → Checked in** and no requirements, so a custom flow is optional.

You need activity write permission to change these settings. Staff need booking write permission to move bookings through the flow.

Choose Your Stages [#choose-your-stages]

Requirements must be met **before leaving their stage**. Leaving the first stage marks the booking checked in. Reaching the last stage completes the flow.

For a jet-ski rental, you could use:

| Stage         | Requirements to leave it                                   | Advance automatically?                                            |
| ------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Arrival**   | Guest information complete                                 | No. Staff confirm arrival and select Check in.                    |
| **Waivers**   | Rental waiver; guardian waiver for minors where applicable | Yes, once the necessary signatures are active.                    |
| **Equipment** | Equipment assigned; Authorization-only hold                | No. Staff review the assigned units and hold, then move to Ready. |
| **Ready**     | None                                                       | Final stage; there is no next step.                               |

This example records check-in before paperwork is finished. If your operation needs signatures before a booking is marked checked in, put those waiver requirements on **Arrival** instead.

Configure the Flow [#configure-the-flow]

1. Open the activity's **Settings → Check-in**.
2. Rename the stages and use **Add stage** to insert any additional steps. A flow needs at least two stages, each with a unique name.
3. Use the up/down controls to put the stages in order.
4. Add the requirements for leaving each stage.
5. Enable **Equipment assignment** if any stage requires **Equipment assigned**.
6. Choose **Advance automatically** for stages that should move on as soon as their requirements are satisfied.
7. Click **Save Changes**.

Keep the final stage free of requirements that must block progress. Its optional reference requirements are displayed but do not prevent completion.

An automatic stage with no requirements passes straight through when advancement is evaluated. Leave automatic advancement off where staff need to explicitly confirm readiness. Changing a requirement later does not automatically send already-advanced bookings backward.

Set the Waiver Rules [#set-the-waiver-rules]

Select a waiver from the current location for each regular waiver requirement. Turn **All guests sign** on for personal signatures, or leave it off when one signature for the booking is enough.

For personal signatures, enable **Minors exempt** only if known minors should be excluded. Add the separate minor waiver requirement for guardian coverage. A guardian can cover multiple minors in one submission, but each must be included. Only one minor waiver requirement is allowed per flow.

Require complete guest information and collect dates of birth if you rely on minor rules. Missing guest records keep a per-guest waiver incomplete, and a guest without a date of birth cannot receive the minor exemption.

Enable **Allow portal signing** on regular waivers customers should sign ahead of time. Also enable **Allow Customers to Pre-Sign Waivers** in the location's customer portal settings. The portal gathers eligible waivers across all stages; the separate minor waiver is handled outside that portal list.

Require an Auth Only Charge [#require-an-auth-only-charge]

Turn on **Authorization-only hold** at the stage where the hold must be present. Staff place the hold through the booking's payment tools.

The requirement accepts any positive, active card authorization recorded on that booking. It does not set a required amount or charge the customer automatically. Capturing, releasing, refunding, or expiring the hold means it no longer satisfies this requirement on an incomplete or revisited step.

Copy from Another Activity [#copy-from-another-activity]

To reuse only the check-in configuration on an existing activity:

1. Open the destination activity's **Settings → Check-in**.
2. Select **Copy from Activity**.
3. Choose another activity in the same location.
4. Review the flow preview and equipment-assignment setting.
5. Select **Copy settings** to replace the current draft.
6. Make any adjustments, then click **Save Changes**.

Copying replaces the draft stages, their requirements and signature options, automatic-advance settings, and equipment-assignment setting. Nothing is persisted until you save. Booking progress, arrival marks, and history are not copied from the source.

The copied stages are independent. Required waivers still refer to the existing location waivers, so editing a shared waiver affects every activity using it.

To create an entirely new activity with the rest of its configuration too, use [Clone an Activity](/how-to/activities/clone-an-activity). Cloning includes the check-in flow.

Change a Flow Already in Use [#change-a-flow-already-in-use]

The editor shows booking counts and asks for confirmation when deleting stages or resetting the flow. Review the affected bookings before saving.

Bookings keep their stage when it still exists. If their stage is removed, they resolve to the first stage when not checked in, or the second stage when already checked in. Saving a copied flow replaces the destination's stages, so this fallback also applies to bookings using its old stages. Stage history and arrival marks remain.

If a workflow targets a stage or waiver you remove, update its target before enabling or saving it as enabled. You can still disable that workflow while repairing the configuration.

Try the Staff Process [#try-the-staff-process]

Open a booking's **Check In** tab or the [activity board](/docs/activities/tour-schedule). Check that the stages, requirements, and next destination match your process.

Staff can use **Override and continue** for an exception on a blocked step. Each exception requires a reason and confirmation and is recorded in history; it does not change the activity's rules.

Status refreshes while visible, so waiver signatures and changes made by another staff member appear without reloading the page. To send a reminder when a booking remains at Waivers, add a [stage-triggered workflow](/docs/marketing/workflows#check-in-waiver-reminder) with a delay and **Send Check-in Waiver Invite**.