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Keycafe is a key management system with physical SmartBox terminals in which keys are stored securely and picked up with a code. With this integration, anny can automatically assign keys per booking to the right customer. With Keycafe you can do the following in anny:
  • assign keys to customers automatically for the booking period
  • configure lead and follow-up times for key pickup
  • view active and inactive key access permissions per booking in the admin area
The integration is especially useful if you manage physical keys for vehicles, rooms or equipment and want to avoid manual handovers.
Available from the Professional plan onwards.

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Typical use cases

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How the Keycafe connection works

Authentication runs through a dedicated Keycafe user account (email + password + SMS verification). anny signs in to Keycafe with these credentials and gets access to the keys stored there. After the setup, you connect anny resources with Keycafe keys. For every confirmed booking, anny transfers the booking information to Keycafe, which automatically assigns the linked key to the booking customer for the booking period. Only confirmed bookings create access: requested bookings that have not been accepted yet and internal blockers do not trigger a key assignment. For recurring bookings, anny does not create the access immediately. It schedules the access and only creates it shortly before the respective appointment. The email with the booking code then reaches the customer a few days before the appointment, not directly after the booking.

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Connect Keycafe

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Requirements

Before you connect Keycafe, make sure you have the following:
  • A Keycafe account with at least one registered key in a SmartBox terminal
  • A dedicated Keycafe user account (full user) for the anny integration
  • Admin rights with access to the Integrations in anny
We recommend creating a separate Keycafe user account specifically for the anny integration. Creating a user account at Keycafe is free.

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Set up the connection

1

Create a Keycafe user

In Keycafe, go to Add → User → Full user and follow the steps to create a new user. This account is used for the connection with anny.
2

Open the integration in anny

Open Integrations from the menu bar and go to Keycafe.
3

Authenticate

Enter the email and the password of the Keycafe user you created and click Get SMS verification code. Enter the code you receive in the anny admin area and confirm it with Check authentication.
4

Check the connection

After a successful authentication, anny shows the Keycafe integration as active. You can now connect resources with keys.
As soon as the connection is active, you can create rules that link anny resources with Keycafe keys.

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Settings & options

After the authentication, you configure the key assignment with rules:
1

Create a rule

Click Add to create a new connection.
2

Assign a resource and keys

Select the resource that should grant access when booked, and one or more related Keycafe keys.
3

Define the time window

Define Access before the booking and Access after the booking for key pickup and return.
As soon as a rule is active, the linked key is assigned automatically for every booking.
You can edit or delete existing connections via the three dots to the right of the rule.

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Booking process for customers

The process after a successful booking:
  1. The customer receives an email with a booking code from Keycafe.
  2. At the pickup time, the customer enters the code at the Keycafe terminal.
  3. The compartment with the key opens.
  4. After the booking, the customer returns the key by entering the code at the terminal.

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View access permissions in the admin area

In the booking detail view, you find the active and removed access permissions under Smartlock access. Clicking an access permission shows:

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Limitations

The Keycafe integration does not support:
  • Permanent community access: keys can only be assigned through bookings, not permanently for community members.
  • Remote Open: because Keycafe works with physical keys at a terminal, there is no remote opening function.
  • Preventing a late return: anny has no influence on the usability of the key outside the access times. Customers can physically keep the key.

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Disconnect

If you want to keep existing access credentials but stop new ones from being created, deactivate the integration. If everything should be reset and deleted, delete the integration.
You can do both under Integrations: deactivate via the toggle in the top right, delete via the three dots → Delete.

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FAQ

Keycafe sends the booking code by email directly to the customer. The email comes from Keycafe, not from anny.
Yes. You can assign several keys to one rule, and the customer then gets access to all of them. However, only one rule is possible per resource. For different resources, you create a separate rule each.
When the booking is cancelled, the access is removed in Keycafe. The customer can no longer pick up the key.
For recurring bookings, anny schedules the access and only creates it shortly before the respective appointment. The Keycafe email with the booking code therefore arrives a few days before the appointment, not directly after the booking. Until then, the access has the status Scheduled in the admin area.
You need a Keycafe account with at least one registered SmartBox terminal and key. Creating a user account is free.

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Troubleshooting

The email is sent by Keycafe, not by anny. Check whether the Keycafe integration is active in anny and whether the resource is correctly linked with a Keycafe key. Also ask the customer to check the spam folder.
anny has transferred the access to Keycafe, but Keycafe has not confirmed it yet. Check whether the Keycafe authentication is still valid and whether the key is available in the Keycafe system.
anny has no influence on the physical return. Keycafe sends return reminders automatically. Contact the customer directly if the key has not been returned.
As long as the integration is active, the credentials cannot be changed. Deactivate it first via the toggle in the top right and then authenticate again with the new credentials.