🔠 Consent Management Essentials
This article details the functionality key aspects related to consents in Bookboost
This article explains the different aspects of consent management in Bookboost, including Consent Statuses, Entry Points for Consent, Consent Requirements in Campaigns, and Campaign Triggers for Double Opt-In Consent.
Initial Clarification on Consent Terms
When discussing consent in Bookboost, it is important to understand that two different concepts are often referred to by the same term: Consent Configuration and Guest Consent. While these are related, they serve distinct purposes within the platform.
1️⃣ Consent Configuration
This refers to the abstract setup of the consent definition. It includes settings like:
- Description
- Code
- Auto-granting consent upon reservation
2️⃣ Guest Consent
This represents the guest’s relationship with the defined consent and includes details like:
- Status (e.g., granted, revoked)
- Source (e.g., manual, PMS, API)
- Timestamps (e.g., when consent was granted or revoked)
🚦Consent Statuses
Consent can exist in multiple statuses, each reflecting the current state of the guest's consent:
- Revoked: The guest has withdrawn consent (e.g., unsubscribed or opted out). This consent is no longer valid.
- Pending: Consent is awaiting confirmation (e.g., in a double opt-in process). This status is not valid until confirmed. If "require confirmation" is enabled, all consents start as pending and move to "Granted" when confirmed.
- Implicit: The guest has not taken explicit action but is assumed to have given consent, for example, by booking a room. This status can be used for sending non-promotional updates related to the guest’s stay. Guests should have the option to opt out at any time.
- Granted (Explicit): The guest has actively agreed to the consent, either through an external system (e.g., PMS) or by confirming a pending consent (e.g., double opt-in). This status is valid and passes both implicit and explicit consent checks in campaigns.
🚪Entry Points for Consent
There are several ways consent can be managed or updated in Bookboost:
- Manual: An operator can manually change the consent status via the Bookboost interface. This is rare but can be used as a fail-safe if, for example, a guest requests to unsubscribe in person.
- Digital Reception (Guest App): Guests can manage their consent through the guest app by confirming pending consents, revoking existing consents, or granting new ones via their profile screen.
- API: Some API endpoints allow external systems to manage consent. These include:
- PMS Integration: If the PMS (Property Management System) supports consent management, both the configuration and guest consents can be synced with Bookboost. This works similarly to the API.
- Auto-Grant: Consent can be configured to auto-grant upon reservation. Rules can be added when it will auto-grant. For example, a rule can be set up so that consent is granted only to primary guests booked through specific channels, such as an Internet Booking Engine (IBE). These rules can also be overridden by manual or API actions.
🔏 Consent Requirements in Campaigns
When sending a campaign during the guest journey, hoteliers generally have implicit consent for operational messages. However, explicit consent is required for marketing messages (promotions, newsletters, special offers).
- No Consent Required: The campaign will be sent to all users.
- Explicit Consent Required: The campaign will only be sent if the user has granted the specific type of consent.
- Implicit Consent Required: The campaign will be sent if the user has the specific consent with a status of either implicit or granted.
In Bookboost campaigns, consent requirements are configured during the Review & Publish step of the editing process. You can select one or multiple consents for the campaign at this stage.
🔁 Campaign Triggers for Double Opt-In Consent
When explicit consent is required, two alternatives are available: Single Opt-In and Double Opt-In.
- Single Opt-In: Consent status directly changes from FALSE to TRUE/GRANTED after consent is granted.
- Double Opt-In: After initial sign-up (implicit consent), a follow-up confirmation (like an email) is needed. If not confirmed, the status remains PENDING. After confirmation, the status changes to TRUE/GRANTED
Double Opt-In Configuration:
Bookboost has two triggers specifically for handling double opt-in requirements. These triggers are configured in the first step of editing a campaign and are only available for Journey campaigns, (in Broadcast campaigns, the trigger is based on a moment in time rather than an action).
- Double Opt-In Requested Trigger:
- Activates when consent is pending.
- Any consent with the pending status will trigger this action, scheduling the campaign to the guest profile.
- You may include a token in the campaign template:
{{user_consent.double_optin_url}}, which generates a link that confirms the consent when clicked.
- Double Opt-In Confirmed Trigger:
- Activates when the guest confirms consent via the link generated by the double opt-in requested trigger.
- Any campaign configured with this trigger will be scheduled to send to the user profile upon confirmation.
To ensure the double opt-in confirmation works correctly, you must configure the consent to Require Confirmation. This can be done from the Settings.
Enabling this setting ensures that after granting consent, the guest will receive a confirmation request, which is essential for the double opt-in process to function properly. Make sure to double-check that you have selected the right property and consent type before enabling this option.
✅ Conclusion
Responsible Consent Management: A Hotelier's Commitment
Respecting guest consent is fundamental for successful hotel operations and guest satisfaction. While Bookboost facilitates consent management, the ultimate responsibility for compliance lies with the hotel. Taking proactive steps to configure and manage consents correctly helps reduce legal risks and demonstrates the hotel’s commitment to responsible communication practices.