tumpamit

Since CA DMV has enabled e-verification of DL using the DMV.ca app, combined with Google Pay/Wallet, I no longer carry any physical ID or CC with me. The other night I checked-in physically at midnight at a Marriot property in SoCal (since the mobile key in the app could not be activated for some reason). I was turned away as I did not have any physical ID and cc for the front desk to complete the check-in process. I was told this was to ensure guest safety.

Once in the past, I had misplaced my wallet when flying back from ATL to LAX. The TSA personnel were super helpful in resolving the issue, accepting a USPS delivered letter I happened to have in my bag. I was told they have a process to validate traveler information in case I did not have any form of ID or anything else on my person which would help verify my identity.

That time I would have been stuck in a new city with no way to check-in to the Marriott while I waited on new credit cards being overnighted to me. Thankfully I was returning home so TSA and Uber saved my ....

This time in SoCal, it was still a 90-min drive home to get my ID and CC. Finally checked in after driving back another 90-min. All this time my family was waiting in the lobby getting super stressed by the "customer service" on display.

So my Question to this august group is, is there a work-around I could have used to verify my identity and my cc (I have a cc saved on my Marriot Bonvoy account). It sounds illogical to me that a Lifetime Platinum member cannot be verified by alternate methods.

mahasamatman

Thankfully, no.

Diamondkellen

So no one with you had an ID as well? As someone who never carries a physical I.D. or wallet and haven't for years. It's an absolute no no to travel without them. As a lifetime platinum you should know this.

Now for a work around, if you don't have an ID you can always call the Marriott Customer service and have them add an additional person into your reservation that does have I.D.

After all the issues with fraud at Hotels, I.D. will continue to be a thing. Reminder Europe requires your passport. I understand you had a digital one, but individual hotels can still enforce their own rules.

Sorry for the stressful night and hopefully this helps other flyer talkers out.

tjk1976

Are you saying the hotel refused to accept your state-approved Google Pay/Wallet digital DL and insisted on seeing a physical card?

Orange County Commuter

Honestly what is it with this board and their "ID" Issues.


And if you do a quick search you will quickly learn that this is not a "universal" program and merchants are NOT required to accept the digital ID yet. Nor is law enforcement. Maybe you should start carrying the thing again??


https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/ca-dmv-wallet/

Important Usage Information

– Continue to carry your physical driver’s license or state-issued ID card. Law enforcement, state government agencies, and businesses aren’t yet accepting the mDL.

tjk1976

A good lesson in why it's important to always read the T&Cs (90% of the posts here would be unnecessary if people did).

KRSW

I can't imagine depending on a fragile, unreliable mobile device for my ID and financial needs whilst on the road.

For the digital ID to work, you need:
1) your phone to work,2) the cell network to work,
3) the app to work,
4) the connection between your phone and the DMV's servers to work,
5) the DMV's servers to work.
I'm an IT guy...I travel with TWO phones, my normal one and a spare...and still use good 'ol physical ID, physical credit cards, and physical cash. I still carry printed boarding passes, confirmations, etc.

No matter the device, Blackberry, iPhone, Android, I've had all of them fail on me on the road. Cell networks, internet, power, apps, servers (especially Marriott.com) all fail.

The reason the TSA let you through is that they subscribe to Lexis-Nexis and other databases, which have a ton of personal info saved on them and they verified you through that. It's real fun when the databases are incorrect.

tumpamit

Yes, Physical card mandatory,

MePlatPremier

Quite a large number of hotels require a physical card at check-in because, as per most card networks rules, card-present cc transactions (i.e. magnetic-swipe or chip-and-pin) represent a significantly lower risk for merchants in case of a chargeback.

SacTownGuy

I am a minimalist so try to reduce what I carry around. I laugh at people that carry gas station cards, library cards and hotel cards to name a few. However, I always carry my ID. Hopefully you too start to carry it with you. This was a very unnecessary situation to have happen to you.

emma dog

I get your point, but 2-5 don’t need to work for my GA eID to work.

I left my DL at the BNA TSA on Wednesday. I’ll be without ID until 10 business days when the GA DMV makes me a new one. I’m dependent on my Global Entry card and eID to get me around for the time being.

Just saying this because laziness and excessive reliance on technology are not the only reason to not have a drivers license.

Alex_I

- Exactly 1 year after 9/11 (no digital wallets and hotel apps at that time!) I was checking into a Holiday Inn in Myrtle Beach, SC which is about 3 h drive from my house. Only then I realized that I left my wallet at home. The front desk told me that they do not need an ID or a credit card because my reservation was prepaid. I was traveling with a colleague who stayed in another room. He gave me some cash to survive for two days we were in SC.

KRSW

...and just how does that work without using an app (#3)? Apple Pay / Google Wallet / Samsung Pay are indeed separate applications, even if they come with the phone. I also imagine that the phone is required to connect to a remote server somewhere periodically to verify that the eID is still valid. That's one of the selling features to the various agencies -- the ability to remotely revoke a credential.

Ironically, Friday night the app for my grocery store loyalty card refused to work. It'd open, show the logo, and nothing more. After 2 minutes I gave up and entered my phone# into the terminal instead.

KRSW

On tonight's 6pm news:
https://nbc-2.com/news/crime/2023/11...-county-hotel/
A Hampton Inn and Fentanyl involved in this one.

tjk1976

The fact that the FD agent insisted that they pull the ID out of the wallet must have been what cracked this case (such clean cut looking people would have gotten away with it otherwise).