A lot of hotel owners ask this before they invest in a self-check-in kiosk.
The assumption is that you need to overhaul your entire door lock system before any of it works.
The good news is….you don't need to do it.
Modern hotel kiosks are built to work with or without a physical keycard. Depending on your property and your guests, you might not need keycards at all.
There are two access methods that require zero physical card:
1. PIN CODE
Guests receive a unique PIN code when they check in at the kiosk. It gets printed right on their booking receipt and activates immediately on the room door lock. No key card to encode, no staff interaction needed, perfect for late arrivals or anyone who just wants to get upstairs fast.
2. QR CODE
The QR code prints on the booking receipt after check-in. Guests scan it at the door with their phone and unlock the room instantly. It solves the biggest front desk headache.
No more demagnetised cards, no more lost keys, no more guests knocking at midnight because they can't get in.
Not at all. For certain guests like families, older travellers, long-stay guests, a physical card still feels more comfortable and familiar. The point is not to eliminate keycards, but to stop being dependent on them.
The smartest setup is one where all three options are available, and the hotel can issue multiple modes to the same guest at once. A guest can receive a PIN code as their primary access and a QR code as backup. If their phone dies, the PIN still works. If they forget the PIN, the QR code works. Either way, they never need to call the front desk.
What does this mean for your operations?
It means your front desk stops being the bottleneck for room access. Staff is no longer encoding cards, handling replacements, or dealing with lockout calls at 2 am. For smaller properties in Malaysia running lean teams, this can make a real difference, especially during peak season when every minute counts.
A kiosk that only supports keycards is only solving half the problem. The properties that get the most out of self check-in are the ones that give guests flexible access from the moment they walk through the door.
Softinn's kiosk supports all three access modes: keycard, PIN code, and QR code, and integrates with your existing door lock system.
Keep your existing locks. Softinn integrates with most smart lock brands. If you have Jenberg H73 locks, your guests can scan the QR code from their receipt to unlock the room. You can see all compatible door locks here.
Interested in seeing how it works for your property?
Kindly contact us, as we are happy to help.
Softinn provides hotel technology solutions for independent hotels and boutique properties across Malaysia and Southeast Asia.