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Rate plans by hour, day, week and month with the cheapest mix

Price each class or car by the hour, day, week, month or year in one rate plan. For every rental the system works out the cheapest mix of those periods. The same plan holds a shortest rental, a grace time on return and the deposit.

PLANSEvery plan

Compare plans How it works

The problem it solves

The counter charges nine days at the day rate when a week and two days was cheaper, and the customer notices.
A car back 20 minutes late is charged a whole extra day, and you lose a regular customer.
Every quote is worked out on a calculator, so two staff give two prices for the same car.
The deposit is a number someone remembers, not a rule.

How it works

Open Rental > Configuration > Prices > Rate Plans > New and choose the Classes it prices, or Single Items for a special car. A plan with neither prices every item.
On the Prices tab add one line per period: unit (Hour, Day, Week, Month, Year), length (4 with Week is 4 weeks) and price.
Set Shortest Rental (hours), Grace on Return (minutes), the deposit and Invoice As.
Add a booking line: the plan is found and the rent worked out. Hours are rounded up and the cheapest mix of the plan's periods that covers them is used.
Use Rental > Vehicles > Availability > Price Check to see the plan, hours charged, rent, extras, total, deposit and the mix, without booking anything.

Everything it does

Prices

Units: Hour, Day, Week, Month (30 days) and Year (365 days), each with a length
Each period once per plan
Cheapest mix: a 9-day rental on day and week prices may be one week and two days, or two weeks if that is cheaper
Shortest Rental (hours): a shorter rental is charged as this long, for example 72 for three days
Grace on Return (minutes): 59 to start with; a return this late after full days is not charged another period

Which plan is used

A plan naming the item first, then a plan for its class, then a plan for everything
Within those, a season plan before an all-year plan, then the order of the list
With corporate accounts, a customer's own rates come first
Class bookings are priced from the class's plan until a car is given

Deposit and increases

Deposit: No Deposit (to start with), Fixed Amount, or Periods of the Rate (2 with Month: two months of rent)
The deposit is worked out when the order is confirmed and a deposit record made
Rent Increase: No Increase, By a Share or By an Amount, every 12 months to start with (for long hires)

Who uses it

Rent ManagerMakes and changes rate plans, deposits and rent increases.

Rent UserQuotes with Price Check and books; the rent is worked out on each line.

CustomerSees the same price on the booking page and in the app.

Where you use it

Web: Rental > Configuration > Prices > Rate Plans; Rental > Vehicles > Availability > Price Check; the rent on each order line
Online booking page, booking API and the SmartMy Rental app use the same plans
Not in the Staff app: pricing and quoting are done on the web

What you control

Settings

Grace on Return: 59 minutes per plan
Shortest Rental: none per plan
Deposit: No Deposit per plan
Rent Increase: No Increase, every 12 months when set

Notifications

No message of its own

Questions

Does the customer always get the cheapest price?

Yes, within the plan. The system tries the mixes of the plan's periods that cover the rental and uses the cheapest.

What happens when a car comes back a little late?

Within the plan's Grace on Return (59 minutes to start with) after full days, no extra period is charged. Later than that, the time is priced the cheapest way.

Can one car have its own price?

Yes. Put the car in Single Items of a plan. A plan naming the item wins over plans for its class.

Can we set a minimum hire?

Yes. Shortest Rental (hours) charges a shorter rental as that long, for example 72 for a three-day minimum.

Can the deposit follow the rent?

Yes. Choose Periods of the Rate, for example 2 with Month for two months of rent, or a fixed amount.

Related features

RATESSeason and weekday pricesCharge more in the busy season and less in the quiet one with season plans that win over your all-year prices in their dates. For short rentals, price each weekday as a share of the day price, so a Friday and Saturday cost more than a Tuesday.RATESIncluded kilometres or hours, and excess chargesSet how many kilometres, miles or engine hours each rental includes, per day, per month or per rental, or make them unlimited. What is used beyond that becomes a charge on the hire by itself, from the readings of the handover and return checks.RATESExtras and insurance coversOffer child seats, GPS, delivery, chauffeurs, fees and insurance covers with each rental. Price them per rental, per day or as a share of the rent, with a cap. Covers show the excess the customer still pays, and mandatory extras are added by themselves.RATESDynamic price rules and price hints from utilisationRaise or lower the rent by a share for event dates, weekdays, last-minute or early bookings, longer rentals or when a class is already busy. Price Hints read how busy each class was on weekdays and weekends and make a rule for you to check and switch on.BILLING AND PAYMENTSDeposits taken, topped up, used and refundedEvery confirmed hire that asks for a deposit gets its own deposit record, held on a liability account. You take it, top it up, use it for what the customer owes and refund the rest. The order cannot be closed while money is still held.CUSTOMERSCorporate accounts with credit limits, own rates and bookersCompanies that rent from you often get a credit account with a limit. They also get their own rate plans and a list of people who may book for them. They can apply online, and you approve with the limit you give.

See your fleet on it.

Tell us how many cars or machines you hire out, from how many depots, and how bookings reach you today. We will set up your fleet with you on SmartMy Rental.

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