Account Verification is Required

‘Dear Reader,

I was attempting to book a reservation at a popular restaurant in Manhattan. I located the restaurant location on Google Maps. I noticed that the Google Maps app offers the ability to reserve a table via an API with Opentable (a popular restaurant reservation platform).

I tapped through the process of reserving the table and discovered a multiple-step and confusing process.

1.)Be logged into my google account to use the app option to “Reserve Table,”
2.) The interface asks me to select the date and time and enter the number of guests.
3.) Next, I need to enter my mobile number and receive a text requiring me to enter a confirmation code.
4.) I figured this second layer of verification was the last step because I had to enter my email address and enter a confirmation code emailed to me.

To review: Dinner reservations now require three steps of verification:
- Be logged into your google account to use the reservation system on Google Maps;
- Enter my phone number and the confirmation code that followed in a text;
- Enter my email address and the confirmation code followed in an email.

I was wrong to assume that I had verified my identity because next, I received a text from an anonymous four-digit code asking me to respond with “1” to confirm my dinner reservation.

Thanks for reading.

Seamlessly yours,
Christian