Reservations & Bookings
Reservations let your customers book vehicles in advance — hours, days, or even weeks before their rental begins. This guide covers how to enable reservations, configure pricing tiers, and manage the booking lifecycle.
Enabling Reservations
Reservations are configured under Settings → Subaccount → Reservations.
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Enabled | Off | Toggle advance reservations on or off |
| Default Deposit | $250.00 | Security deposit held when a reservation is confirmed |
| No-Show Timeout | 60 minutes | How long after the scheduled pickup before the customer is marked as a no-show |
| Late Return Fee | $15.00/hour | Charge per hour for returning the vehicle past the scheduled end time |
| Require Check-in Photos | Off | Whether pre-rental condition photos are required |
| Require Check-out Photos | On | Whether post-rental condition photos are required |
| Max Advance Booking | 90 days | How far in advance a customer can book |
| Minimum Lead Time | 2 hours | Minimum time between booking and scheduled pickup |
Pricing Tiers
Each vehicle type can have its own pricing tier with rates for different rental durations.
| Rate | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly Rate | $15/hour | For short rentals under a day |
| Daily Rate | $50/day | Standard per-day pricing |
| Weekly Rate | $300/week | Discounted rate for week-long rentals |
| Monthly Rate | $1,000/month | Discounted rate for month-long rentals |
Additional Pricing Fields
| Field | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Included KM per Day | 160 km | Free mileage allowance per rental day |
| Overage per KM | $0.40/km | Charge for each kilometer over the daily allowance |
| Deposit Amount | $250.00 | Refundable security deposit for this tier |
| Free Cancellation Window | 24 hours | Hours before pickup within which cancellation incurs a fee |
| Cancellation Fee | 10% | Percentage of the booking cost charged for late cancellations |
| Minimum Duration | 2 hours | Shortest allowed rental length |
| Maximum Duration | 30 days | Longest allowed rental length |
Pricing tiers are assigned per vehicle type, so you can have different rates for sedans, SUVs, and luxury vehicles.
Multi-Tier Strategy
Most operators offer at least hourly and daily rates. Weekly and monthly rates encourage longer bookings and improve vehicle utilization. Consider offering a meaningful discount (e.g., 15–20% off) for weekly and monthly rates compared to the daily rate.
Reservation Lifecycle
A reservation moves through these statuses:
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| Pending | Booking submitted, awaiting confirmation (deposit may be authorized) |
| Confirmed | Booking confirmed, deposit captured, vehicle reserved |
| Checked In | Customer has arrived and started the check-in process |
| Active | Rental is in progress (linked to a rental session) |
| Completed | Rental finished, vehicle returned, billing finalized |
| Cancelled | Booking cancelled by customer or operator |
| No-Show | Customer did not arrive within the no-show timeout window |
| Expired | Booking window passed without customer action |
Normal Flow
- Customer browses available vehicles and selects dates
- Reservation is created as Pending
- Deposit is authorized/captured → status moves to Confirmed
- At the scheduled pickup time, customer opens the app and begins check-in → Checked In
- Check-in completes, rental begins → Active
- Customer returns vehicle and completes check-out → Completed
No-Show Handling
If a customer doesn't check in within the no-show timeout (default: 60 minutes after the scheduled pickup time), the reservation is marked as No-Show.
When a no-show occurs:
- The vehicle is released back to the available pool
- The security deposit may be partially or fully retained, depending on your policies
- The customer receives a notification
Adjusting the Window
In areas where customers may have unpredictable transit times, consider extending the no-show timeout to 90 or 120 minutes to reduce false no-shows.
Cancellation Policies
Cancellations are governed by the free cancellation window and cancellation fee percentage configured in the pricing tier.
How It Works
- Before the free cancellation deadline: The customer can cancel with no fee. The full deposit is refunded.
- After the free cancellation deadline: A cancellation fee (percentage of the booking total) is charged. The remainder of the deposit is refunded.
Example: A $200 booking with a 24-hour free cancellation window and 10% cancellation fee:
- Cancel 48 hours before pickup → Full refund
- Cancel 12 hours before pickup → $20 fee charged, $180 deposit refunded
Modifications, Extensions, and Early Returns
Reservation plans change in real operations. Customers may need to extend, shorten, or reschedule a booking.
Common Mid-Reservation Changes
| Change Type | Typical Result |
|---|---|
| Extend return time | Re-price based on additional duration and any active dynamic pricing rules |
| Shorten reservation | Recalculate final bill and release unused reserved time |
| Move pickup later | Keep booking if vehicle availability still allows; otherwise require re-book |
| Early return | End session early and finalize charges based on actual usage |
Operational Rules
- Do not finalize an extension until the updated total and deposit sufficiency are confirmed.
- If an extension overlaps another confirmed booking, deny the extension and notify both customer and operator.
- If pricing changes due to dynamic rules or rate boundaries (hourly → daily), show the updated breakdown before confirmation.
- Always log who approved the modification (customer self-service vs operator override).
For the full workflow and examples, see Rental Extensions, Modifications, and Early Returns.
Customer Experience
Browsing and Booking
From the mobile app, customers can:
- Browse available vehicles — Filter by vehicle type, dates, and location
- View pricing — See hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly rates for each vehicle
- Select dates — Choose pickup and return dates/times
- Pay deposit — Authorize or pay the security deposit to confirm the booking
During the Reservation Period
- The customer receives a confirmation notification with booking details
- A reminder notification is sent before the scheduled pickup time
- The booked vehicle is reserved and unavailable to other customers during the reservation window
At Pickup Time
- The customer opens the mobile app and taps Start Rental on their reservation
- This initiates the standard rental session check-in flow
- The reservation status transitions from Confirmed → Checked In → Active
Need Help?
For questions about setting up reservation pricing or managing bookings, contact us at support@levyelectric.com.