Booking rules and requests
Booking rules control what customers can book through the Guest Book and booking websites. They cover public bookings. Bookings you create yourself, including their customer links, do not go through these rules.
Set hours, notice, and closed dates
- Open Settings → Channels → Global → Booking rules.
- Enable the rules you need. They are off by default.
- Choose Block or Request for each rule.
- Click Save booking rules.
| Rule | What to set |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | Days before pickup, optional values for individual pickup weekdays, and a same-day cutoff. Two days of notice covers pickups today and tomorrow. |
| Opening hours | Pickup and return hours for each weekday. Choose whether returns are allowed outside opening hours. |
| Closed dates | Date ranges when you are closed, with an option to repeat them yearly. Enter your own holidays. |
Minimum rental length and the low-stock cutoff are class settings. Configure them by editing the class card under Settings → Channels → Listings. They also affect Guest Book bookings for that class.
Block prevents the public booking. Request lets the customer ask you to approve it without taking payment. If several rules apply, a blocking rule takes priority. A request still needs available vehicle or class capacity.
For example, set Sunday pickup outside opening hours to Request if you can sometimes arrange it. Customers can submit a request, and you decide whether to accept. Use Block if you cannot offer that pickup.
Review a request
Open Bookings, find the request, and open it. The Booking request panel explains why it needs your answer. Until you answer, the request holds its vehicle or one place in the requested class.
Choose the next action:
- Accept & send payment link emails the customer a link that goes straight to payment. The request is accepted but stays pending while payment is awaited. The class payment policy determines the requested amount. Customer links, an online payment provider, and the customer’s email must be available.
- Confirm without payment confirms the booking and sends an acceptance email. Collect and record any payment separately.
- Decline cancels it and releases capacity. Choose a cancellation reason. You can edit the decline email or turn it off before confirming.
The customer receives a request-received email when submitting the request, rather than an email saying the booking is confirmed. Accepting with a payment link is not the same as receiving that payment.
Unanswered requests
A request you have not accepted is automatically cancelled with the reason “Not answered” after its pickup time passes. Accepted requests waiting for payment follow the payment workflow instead.
The Guest Book’s Inquiry only (no payment) mode makes each submission a booking request. Without an online payment provider, online submissions also become requests. Eligible cash submissions in Online or cash payment can still become ordinary bookings if no booking rule requires a request. A website’s optional general inquiry can be different and may hold no capacity; check that website’s workflow before treating it as a reservation.