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Set early bird and last minute pricing

Reward early bookers with discounts or charge premium rates for last-minute bookings. Time-based pricing adjusts rates automatically based on how far ahead customers book.

How it works​

Use flexible pricing with "Additional charges" to create time-based rates. Add conditions like "Booked in advance" to apply discounts or surcharges based on booking timing.

Early bird example: €10/hour off for bookings made 30+ days ahead.

Last minute example: €15/hour extra for bookings within 24 hours of departure.

Setting up early bird discounts​

  1. Go to flexible pricing
  2. Set your base rental pricing (e.g., Duration in hours × €50)
  3. Scroll to Additional charges section and click Add
  4. Enter name: "Early Bird discount" (internal reference)
  5. Enter customer-facing line: "Early Bird discount" (what customers see)
  6. Under Price, choose Formula
  7. Set to: Duration in hours × -10.0 (negative = discount)
  8. Click Add condition and select Booked in advance
  9. Choose "exactly or longer than" → 30 → Days (30 × 24h) before departure
  10. Click Add charge and save your pricing structure

Customers booking 30+ days ahead automatically see "Early Bird discount -€20" on a 2-hour booking.

Setting up last minute surcharges​

  1. Go to flexible pricing
  2. Set your base rental pricing
  3. Under Additional charges, click Add
  4. Enter name: "Last minute surcharge"
  5. Enter customer-facing line: "Last minute surcharge"
  6. Under Price, choose Formula
  7. Set to: Duration in hours × 15.0 (positive = surcharge)
  8. Click Add condition and select Booked in advance
  9. Choose "exactly or shorter than" → 24 → Hours before departure
  10. Click Add charge and save

The surcharge applies automatically for bookings under 24 hours notice.

Prevent last-minute bookings​

Rather block last-minute chaos entirely? Set minimum advance booking requirements in your booking and cancellation rules.

Combining strategies​

Stack multiple charges in one flexible pricing structure:

Base rate: Duration in hours × €50

Additional charges:

  • Early bird discount: Duration in hours × €-10 (condition: 30+ days ahead)
  • Last minute surcharge: Duration in hours × €15 (condition: under 24 hours)

Result:

  • 30+ days ahead: €40/hour (discount shows on booking)
  • 1-29 days ahead: €50/hour (standard)
  • Under 24 hours: €65/hour (surcharge shows on booking)

Each charge has its own condition. System applies all matching charges automatically.

Using percentages instead​

For percentage-based pricing, use Advanced mode:

15% early bird discount:

Duration in hours * Base price * -0.15

20% last minute surcharge:

Duration in hours * Base price * 0.20

Access advanced mode when setting up the charge formula. See pricing formulas for formula syntax.

Testing your setup​

Before going live:

  • Create test bookings at different advance times
  • Verify calculations match expected prices
  • Check booking form displays charges with correct names
  • Test edge cases (exactly 30 days, exactly 24 hours)