Which is the better fit?
Boomerang is the guest experience platform for venues. It keeps working around the clock. Lost & Found and KeepSafe are its products. Your team runs the desk. We provide the software, onboarding, training, SOPs and signage.
Boomerang keeps inventory private. Guests describe what they lost, and staff and the guest both confirm before anything ships.
iLost publishes found property so guests can search a catalogue, then book shipping or pickup after staff confirm a match.
Boomerang includes guest-paid labels at discounted carrier rates guests typically pay under $15 for. iLost uses guest-booked courier pickup at your location.
Best for Boomerang: You want private inventory, deep AI matching, guest-paid labels in the platform, KeepSafe, and multi-property controls.
Best for iLost: You want guests to search published found items, integrated appointment booking, and worldwide shipping iLost describes.
iLost describes itself as the search engine for lost and found items: staff photograph and describe found property, and guests search iLost for a match, then book pickup or worldwide shipping. Boomerang keeps inventory private, runs AI matching that never stops looking, and includes guest-paid shipping and KeepSafe in the same portal.
Who should choose Boomerang
- You want found items kept private, with verification by both staff and guest
- You want returns shipped from inside the platform at discounted carrier rates guests typically pay under $15 for
- You want several properties in one account, or KeepSafe at security checkpoints
Who should choose iLost
- You want guests to search a public catalogue of found items soon after staff log them
- You want integrated appointment booking and courier pickup at your location
- ISO 27001 certification on the vendor side matters to your security review
What do partners report?
- accepted matches the engine finds at one of the top 5 theme park operators in the world, logging upwards of 13,000 items a month and thousands of claims a month. It keeps taking on more of the work.
- 9 of 10
- accepted matches the engine finds at one of the top 5 theme park operators in the world, logging upwards of 13,000 items a month and thousands of claims a month. It keeps taking on more of the work.
- On average, Boomerang triples a partner's return rate
- 3x
- On average, Boomerang triples a partner's return rate
- more claims once lost and found goes digital
- 1.5 to 2x+
- more claims once lost and found goes digital
“Following the Boomerang demo, we were blown away... it had everything that we didn't know we needed.”
How do they compare at a glance?
| Feature | Value | Boomerang | iLost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who runs the desk | ValuePartner | BoomerangYour venue's team, with Boomerang software, onboarding, training, SOPs and signage. Not a managed service. | iLostYour team runs iLost; the venue still handles found items and packaging |
| Found-item visibility | ValueGuest | BoomerangPrivate inventory; guests describe what they lost | iLostPublic search model: guests search registered found property on iLost after staff log photos and details |
| Chain of custody | ValuePlatform wide | BoomerangActivity history and audit trail on every item and claim, with who and when for every edit, move and decision | iLostStaff match when characteristics fit the claim; pickup and shipping after a match |
| Matching | ValuePlatform wide | BoomerangAI on photos, descriptions, dates, locations and venue context, confirmed by staff and then by the guest | iLostStaff match claim description to logged characteristics; public search helps guests find items |
| Verification | ValueGuest | BoomerangStaff confirm each match, then the guest reviews and approves | iLostStaff decide when characteristics match the guest's claim description |
| Shipping | ValueGuest | BoomerangBuilt in: discounted USPS, UPS, FedEx and Royal Mail labels; guest pays the carrier rate, typically under $15 | iLostGuest books and pays; a courier picks up at the business location; worldwide shipping listed |
| Guest payments | ValueGuest | BoomerangHandled in the platform (Stripe); card data never touches Boomerang | iLostGuest pays for shipping and booking through iLost's flow |
| Guest updates | ValueGuest | BoomerangCo-branded emails at every step, a guest account and Boo, an AI support agent, 24/7 | iLostNot listed |
| Multiple properties | ValuePartner | BoomerangA group can run every property from one account, with its own storage, branding and reporting | iLostNot listed |
| SSO | ValuePlatform wide | BoomerangSupports SSO (SAML and OIDC) | iLostNot listed |
| Integrations | ValuePlatform wide | BoomerangSSO (SAML and OIDC), shipping carriers, Apple Find My on claims, claim link and QR signage. No public API or PMS connector | iLostOnline lost-and-found management; Boomerang does not claim a PMS integration either |
| Multi-location and admin | ValuePartner | BoomerangLocation selector, custom roles, access limited by location, exports, group reporting | iLostNot listed |
| Prohibited items at security | ValuePartner | BoomerangBoomerang KeepSafe | iLostNot listed |
| Price | ValuePartner | BoomerangVenue subscription with revenue share; quoted on a demo | iLostPricing not publicly listed; customer contract |
| Hosting / compliance | ValuePlatform wide | BoomerangWorking toward SOC 2 Type II with Drata | iLostPublishes ISO 27001 certification |
| Second product | ValuePlatform wide | BoomerangBoomerang KeepSafe | iLostNot listed |
| Product focus | ValuePlatform wide | BoomerangGuest experience for venues: Lost & Found and KeepSafe | iLostWeb-based SaaS for organisations; hotels, events and amusement parks |
See the guest and staff side
How does each product handle the work?
Public search vs private inventory
After staff photograph and describe an item, iLost lets guests search for it on iLost, sometimes within about 30 seconds. Event pages also describe personal search pages with an overview of found property. Boomerang keeps inventory private. Guests describe what they lost, staff and the guest both verify before anything ships, which matters for wallets, IDs, payment cards and phones.
Matching that never stops looking
Boomerang's matching is why venues choose a purpose-built platform over a free tool or a bolted-on lost and found module. It searches your entire inventory the instant an item is logged or a claim is filed, turns every record into a rich semantic representation from photos, description, category, dates, location, and many other structured fields, and parses descriptions into tags that enrich the search. Dozens of signals are scored on every match, likely matches typically surface in seconds, and the engine never stops looking in the background. Request More Info answers feed back into the next search. Matching learns your venue's locations and the items you log, and quality is measured continuously through evaluations. It is just as powerful for a single desk as for a global operation: more volume only makes it sharper, because more data tailors matching to that venue. At one of the top 5 theme park operators in the world, logging upwards of 13,000 items a month and thousands of claims a month, the engine finds 9 out of 10 accepted matches their team sends to guests, and keeps taking on more of the work. Staff confirm, then the guest confirms, before anything ships.
iLost relies on staff matching characteristics to the guest's claim and on guest search of published found property.
Shipping and appointments
After a match, iLost offers pickup or shipping: the guest books and pays, and a courier picks up at your location. Boomerang lets guests choose a carrier, pay online, and get tracking without the desk handling payment for every label.
Guests pay to ship. They choose carrier and speed at checkout. Labels are created in Boomerang for USPS, FedEx, UPS and Royal Mail, domestic and international. A typical standard return is under $15. In-person pickup with signature capture is available.
Chain of custody and SSO
Every item and claim has an activity history and audit trail with who and when for every edit, move and decision. Staff confirm each match, then the guest confirms before anything ships. Guest email is verified when a claim is filed. Staff capture signatures at in-person pickup. Inventory is labeled with storage locations.
Yes. SSO with SAML or OIDC, including Microsoft, Google, Okta and more. One account can hold multiple properties with a location selector, custom roles with granular permissions, access limited by location, org-level and per-property reporting and exports, and idle session timeouts.
What does switching to Boomerang look like?
Sign the agreement, join a 30-minute kick-off call and add the claim link to your website. We bulk import your open inventory so the back room is searchable on day one.
What else do teams ask?
How does Boomerang's AI matching work?
The moment a guest files a claim or your team logs an item, Boomerang searches your entire inventory. Every item and claim becomes a rich semantic representation from photos, description, category, date lost, date logged, location, and many other structured fields. Descriptions are parsed into tags that enrich the search. Each candidate is scored on dozens of signals, including dates, semantic similarity, and attributes, and likely matches typically surface in seconds. The engine never stops looking: it keeps searching in the background, like a teammate who works around the clock. Answers from Request More Info feed back into the next search. Each venue has its own context, so matching learns your locations and the items you log, and gets sharper the more you use it. It is just as powerful for a single desk as for a global operation: more volume only makes it sharper, because more data tailors matching to that venue. At one of the top 5 theme park operators in the world, logging upwards of 13,000 items a month and thousands of claims a month, the engine finds 9 out of 10 accepted matches their team sends to guests, and keeps taking on more of the work. Quality is measured continuously through evaluations. Staff confirm every match, then the guest confirms, before anything ships.
Does Boomerang match lost items from photos?
Yes. Staff log an item from a description or a photo, and AI writes the title and category. Guests can add a photo when they file. Matching runs the moment an item is logged or a claim comes in. It reads those photos and descriptions, plus dates, locations, follow-up answers and venue context, and ranks likely matches. Your team confirms every match. Then the guest sees the same details, including the photos, and approves or denies the match.
What is KeepSafe, and who runs it?
KeepSafe is spelled with a capital S. It is venue-run software for items stopped at your own checkpoint, gate or bag check. Your team runs it. KeepSafe is not a managed service, and it is not affiliated with or endorsed by any government screening agency.
Is Boomerang a managed service?
No. Your team runs the lost and found desk in Boomerang; we provide the software, onboarding, training, SOPs and signage. Boomerang is the guest experience platform for venues, and it keeps working around the clock. Lost & Found and KeepSafe are its products.
Does Boomerang publish found items for guests to search?
iLost publishes found property so guests can search within about 30 seconds after staff log a photo and details. Hotels and parks pages note you can withhold some found property from publication. Boomerang keeps inventory private: guests describe what they lost, and staff and then the guest confirm before anything ships.
How does shipping work (carriers, labels, who pays)?
Guests pay to ship. They choose carrier and speed at checkout. Labels are created in Boomerang for USPS, FedEx, UPS and Royal Mail, domestic and international. A typical standard return is under $15. In-person pickup with signature capture is available.
How do you keep a chain of custody?
Every item and claim has an activity history and audit trail with who and when for every edit, move and decision. Staff confirm each match, then the guest confirms before anything ships. Guest email is verified when a claim is filed. Staff capture signatures at in-person pickup. Inventory is labeled with storage locations.
Do you support SSO and multiple locations?
Yes. SSO with SAML or OIDC, including Microsoft, Google, Okta and more. One account can hold multiple properties with a location selector, custom roles with granular permissions, access limited by location, org-level and per-property reporting and exports, and idle session timeouts.
Does Boomerang integrate with our PMS?
Boomerang runs standalone in the browser with nothing to install. Published integrations: SSO with SAML or OIDC (Microsoft, Google, Okta and more); shipping carriers USPS, FedEx, UPS and Royal Mail with labels created in the platform (guest pays); Apple Find My links on guest claims; and a single claim link and QR signage for any venue website or app. Boomerang does not offer a public API or a published PMS connector.
Can we move from iLost to Boomerang?
Yes. We bulk import your open inventory as part of go-live, so the whole back room is searchable on day one and nobody has to log it twice.
How is Boomerang priced?
An annual platform subscription sized to your venues and volume, with every new feature included as it ships. Guests pay fair shipping. Boomerang offers multiple revenue-share opportunities, and partners on average earn back upwards of 25% of their annual contract value every year. Book a demo and we will scope it with you.
How long does go-live take?
Sign the agreement, join a 30-minute kick-off call and add the claim link to your website. Larger rollouts add on-site workshops, SOPs and signage for every location.
Competitor details come from each vendor's public website and are checked and updated periodically. Where we're not sure of a capability, we say so.
Which venue guide should you read?
Longer guides for two buying questions:
- Best lost and found software for theme parks
- Best lost and found software for airports
- Guest experience software for venues
- All guides
Questions venues ask before switching: