Disclosure: DokiFinder sells lost and found tools for organisations. This checklist is written to be useful whichever vendor you choose — ask every provider, including us, the same questions.
Lost property is a small part of running a hotel, airport, stadium, university or transport network — until it is not. A spreadsheet and a cupboard work for a handful of items a week. Beyond that, the costs show up as staff time, guest complaints, items that cannot be traced, and data protection risk. Good software fixes all four. Here is what to compare.
1. Intake speed
How long does it take staff to log an item, on a phone, at the moment it is found? Photo capture and automatic descriptions matter more than any other feature, because slow intake means items are logged late — or not at all.
2. Matching
How are guest enquiries matched to stored items? Look for matching that works on descriptions and photos, not only on exact keywords — guests describe the same item in very different words.
3. Reach beyond your own enquiries
Most systems only match items against people who contact your venue. Ask whether found items can also be matched with loss reports made elsewhere — many owners do not know where they lost something.
4. Claimant verification
How does the system confirm the person collecting an item is its owner? Look for a structured claim with evidence, and an ID check at handover.
5. Chain of custody and audit log
Every action — logged, moved, claimed, released, shipped, disposed of — should be recorded with who did it and when. This protects staff when a guest disputes what happened.
6. Storage and locations
Can you record where each item is physically stored, and manage several sites, desks or stations with their own staff?
7. Returns and shipping
Who books the courier, who pays, and how is the guest kept informed? Ask whether the guest can pay for shipping themselves so returns do not cost you.
8. Data protection
Found items carry personal data: ID documents, bank cards, phones. In Europe, the GDPR applies to how you store and share it — see the European Commission's data protection overview. Ask where data is hosted, who can see what, and how documents are handled.
9. Retention and disposal
How long are items kept, and what happens next? The system should flag items reaching the end of their holding period and record what was done with them.
10. Integrations
An API and webhooks let lost property connect to your property management, ticketing or help desk systems. A search widget on your own website lets guests check for their item without calling.
11. Languages
International guests write enquiries in their own language. Check which languages guests and staff can use.
12. Pricing model and exit
Is it per item, per location or per month? Is there a free tier to start with? Can you export your data if you leave?
Questions to ask every vendor
- Show me intake on a phone: how many taps from "found" to "logged"?
- How do you verify the person collecting an item?
- Can found items be matched with owners who never contacted us?
- Where is our data hosted, and how do you handle ID documents?
- What does a full audit trail for one item look like?
- Can we export everything if we leave?
Where DokiFinder fits
DokiFinder for organisations covers intake, claim review, in-person release with an ID check, pickups, shipping, multi-location teams, storage tracking, analytics, a full audit log, an API with webhooks, and an embeddable search widget for your website, in 13 languages. What is different is the network: your found items can be matched with loss reports from the public DokiFinder platform, not only with people who contacted you. It starts with a free plan — see DokiFinder for business.
Other established providers in this space include Chargerback, NotLost, Pixit (formerly Crowdfind), ReclaimHub and iLost. Our honest guide to lost and found apps and services explains how the different types of solution fit together.
FAQ
What is lost and found software?
Software that helps organisations log found items, match them with owners' enquiries and return them, while keeping a record of every step.
Do small hotels need lost and found software?
Below a few items a week, a careful log may be enough. Once items, sites or staff grow, software saves time and reduces disputes — and a free tier lets you start without cost.
Who pays for returning items to guests?
Usually the guest pays postage or courier costs. Good software lets the guest pay directly, so returns do not cost the venue.
Is lost and found data covered by the GDPR?
Yes, where it involves personal data — for example ID documents, cards or phones. Handle and store it accordingly.