Managing Your Inventory
Add-Ons & Extras - Offer Additional Items to Customers
To create an add-on in RecSystems, go to Account → Addons > Create Add-On, enter the name and price, choose pricing options (per booking or per day), assign it to fleets, and publish.
Add-ons let you offer additional items and services with your rentals. From coolers and life jackets to fuel packages and damage waivers, add-ons are a great way to increase revenue and improve the customer experience.
What Are Add-Ons?
Add-ons are extra items or services customers can include with their rental booking. They appear in the cart after a customer selects a rental, giving them the option to enhance their experience.
Common add-ons: - Equipment — Coolers, tubes, water skis, fishing gear - Convenience — Fuel packages, delivery, captain services - Protection — Damage waivers, insurance, weather protection - Accessories — Life jackets, Bluetooth speakers, umbrellas
Creating an Add-On
Step 1: Navigate to Add-Ons
From the navbar, click Account → Addons. You'll see a list of your existing add-ons.
Step 2: Create New Add-On
Click New Add-On to open the creation form.
Step 3: Enter Basic Information
| Field | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Display name for the add-on | "Premium Cooler with Ice" |
| Description | Brief description of what's included | "48-quart cooler stocked with ice, ready for your day on the water" |
| Price | The cost of this add-on (in cents) | 1500 (for $15.00) |
Step 4: Configure Billing Settings
Choose how the add-on is charged under Billing Frequency:
| Option | Description | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| One-Time | Charged once per booking | Fuel packages, damage waivers |
| Per Day | Charged for each day of the rental | Equipment rentals, tube rentals |
Example: - A $15 cooler with One-Time pricing costs $15 whether you rent for 1 day or 7 days - A $15/day tube with Per Day pricing costs $15 × 3 days = $45 for a 3-day rental
Step 4b: Choose Payment Collection Method
This is where you decide how the add-on gets billed — through Stripe or separately by your staff.
| Option | What Happens | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Online with booking | Charged through Stripe at checkout. Included in the booking total, taxes, and receipt automatically. | Most add-ons — coolers, tubes, damage waivers |
| On-site at check-in | Your staff collects payment when the customer arrives. Not processed through Stripe. | Captain hire, guide services, equipment confirmed in person |
| On-site at return | Your staff collects payment when the customer returns. Not processed through Stripe. | Fuel surcharges assessed after the trip, usage-based charges |
Important: On-site add-ons appear on the booking for tracking, but your staff is responsible for collecting payment using their own method — cash, card reader, Venmo, or however your business operates. Tax collection on these items is also your responsibility.
Third-party collection: If someone else collects the payment (like a freelance captain who invoices the customer directly), your staff can mark it as "Third party collected" during check-in or return. This keeps your revenue reporting accurate — the booking value is tracked, but it's not counted as money your business received.
Step 5: Set Usage Quantity Mode
Control how customers interact with the add-on under Usage Quantity Mode:
| Mode | Description | Example Use |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed | Customer gets exactly 1 (checkbox on/off) | Damage waiver, fuel package |
| Customer Selects | Customer chooses how many | Coolers, tubes, life jackets |
| Matches Booking | Quantity matches rental quantity | Insurance per boat |
Customer Selects example: If a customer wants 2 coolers, they can select quantity 2 and pay for both.
Matches Booking example: If someone books 3 jet skis and adds insurance, they automatically get 3 insurance policies.
Step 6: Assign to Fleets
Add-ons are linked to fleets, not individual units. Check the boxes for each fleet where this add-on should be available.
Example: - "Premium Cooler" → Available for Pontoon Boats, Fishing Boats - "Damage Waiver" → Available for all fleets - "Wake Board" → Available only for Wake Boats fleet
Step 7: Add Image (Optional)
Upload an image to help customers visualize the add-on. This displays in the cart alongside the add-on name.
Step 8: Publish
Toggle Published to make the add-on visible to customers. Unpublished add-ons are saved but won't appear in the booking flow.
Making Add-Ons Required
Some add-ons should be mandatory for all rentals. To make an add-on required:
- Edit the add-on
- Toggle Required to ON
- Save
What happens with required add-ons: - Automatically added to every booking for the assigned fleets - Customers cannot remove them from their cart - Displayed with a note indicating they're required - Always charged, no customer decision needed
Common required add-ons: - Damage waivers - Mandatory safety equipment - Fuel charges - Cleaning fees
Pricing Examples
One-Time Pricing
| Add-On | Price | 1-Day Rental | 3-Day Rental |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel Package | $50 | $50 | $50 |
| Damage Waiver | $25 | $25 | $25 |
| Delivery | $75 | $75 | $75 |
Per-Day Pricing
| Add-On | Price/Day | 1-Day Rental | 3-Day Rental |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tube Rental | $20/day | $20 | $60 |
| Extra Cooler | $10/day | $10 | $30 |
| Wake Board | $35/day | $35 | $105 |
Quantity Examples
| Add-On | Price | Quantity | Rental Days | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Life Jacket | $5/day | 4 | 2 | $40 |
| Cooler | $15 (one-time) | 2 | 3 | $30 |
| Insurance | $25 (per boat) | 3 boats | 1 | $75 |
Managing Add-Ons
Editing Add-Ons
Click on any add-on to edit its details. Changes apply to future bookings—existing bookings keep their original pricing.
Archiving Add-Ons
To remove an add-on without deleting it: 1. Edit the add-on 2. Toggle Archived to ON 3. Save
Archived add-ons don't appear to customers but remain in your records for historical bookings.
Viewing Add-On Performance
In your dashboard, the Add-Ons list shows: - How many times each add-on was purchased - Revenue generated by each add-on - Attachment rate (% of bookings that include it)
Best Practices
Pricing Strategy
- Don't underprice — Add-ons provide real value; charge accordingly
- Bundle when possible — "Deluxe Package" with multiple items
- Consider per-day vs. one-time — Equipment usually per-day, services usually one-time
Naming and Descriptions
- Use clear, descriptive names
- Explain what's included
- Highlight the benefit to the customer
Good name: "Premium Cooler with Ice (48 qt)" Vague name: "Cooler"
Which Add-Ons to Offer
High-value add-ons: - Damage waivers (peace of mind) - Fuel packages (convenience) - Equipment bundles (value) - Delivery/pickup (time savings)
Consider your customers: - Families → Kids' equipment, extra life jackets - Fishing charters → Tackle, bait, coolers - Party groups → Speakers, extra tubes, coolers
Required vs. Optional
Make required: - Anything operationally necessary - Damage waivers you want on every rental - Mandatory fees (cleaning, fuel surcharge)
Keep optional: - Nice-to-have equipment - Upgraded accessories - Premium services
Collecting On-Site Add-Ons
When you have add-ons set to "On-site at check-in" or "On-site at return", your staff will see collection prompts at the right moment in the rental lifecycle.
During Check-In
1. Complete the normal check-in wizard (verify ID, select bookings, waivers, payment) 2. In Step 5 (Final Details), any on-site add-ons due at check-in will appear 3. For each add-on, choose: - Collected — select who collected (your staff or a third party) and the payment method - Waived — you chose not to charge (optionally note why) - Collect at return — defer to when the customer brings the rental back 4. Complete check-in normally — recording collection is optional, not required
During Return/Final Inspection
- Process the return as normal (photos, damage, fuel, misc charges)
- On-site add-ons due at return will appear alongside your other charges
- Any add-ons deferred from check-in will also reappear here
- Record collection the same way as check-in
Viewing Collection Status
On the booking detail page, each on-site add-on shows its collection status: - Collected (Cash) — green badge showing payment method - Third party collected — blue badge (e.g., captain collected directly) - Waived — yellow badge - Deferred to return — pending, will appear at return - On-site — not yet recorded
In Your Reports
The KPI dashboard shows your add-on revenue broken down by billing method: - Online (Stripe) — processed through your Stripe account - On-site (your staff) — real revenue your team collected - Third party — revenue collected by external partners (captains, guides)
This helps you understand your true add-on revenue vs. booking value you facilitated for partners.
Customer Experience
Here's what customers see:
- In Cart — Add-ons appear below their rental with checkboxes
- Selection — Customers check boxes or adjust quantities
- Pricing — Total updates in real-time as they select
- Required items — Pre-selected and cannot be unchecked
- At Checkout — Full breakdown shows add-on costs
Troubleshooting
Add-on not appearing for a unit?
- Check that the add-on is assigned to the unit's fleet
- Verify the add-on is published (not archived)
Wrong pricing showing?
- Confirm one-time vs. per-day setting
- Check the quantity mode setting
- Verify the base price is correct
Customers can't select quantity?
- Change the quantity mode from "Fixed" to "Customer Selects"
---
Related Articles: - Understanding Fleets - Understanding Pricing - Booking Basics
Need more? Search the live help desk or email wecare@recsystems.com.