Dynamic Pricing Rules - Weekend, Seasonal & Demand Pricing

Dynamic pricing automatically adjusts your rates based on conditions you set. Charge more on weekends, during peak season, or for last-minute bookings—all without manual intervention.

Why Dynamic Pricing?

Dynamic pricing helps you: - Maximize revenue during high-demand periods - Fill gaps with discounts during slow times - Automate pricing that would otherwise be manual - Stay competitive with market-responsive rates

How Price Rules Work

Price rules modify your base rates using one of four methods:

The price can never go below $0.

Creating a Price Rule

Step 1: Go to Price Rules

Navigate to Account → Pricing in the navbar.

Step 2: Create a New Rule

Click Create with Rex to start the AI-guided rule creation. Describe what you want in plain English:

• "20% off for bookings made 30 days or more ahead"
• "Add $75 surcharge on Saturdays and Sundays"
• "10% volume discount when booking 3 or more units"

Rex will generate the configuration, show you a preview with calendar visualization and revenue impact, then let you select units and confirm.

You can also create rules manually by clicking New Price Rule.

Step 3: Configure the Rule

Step 4: Set Conditions

Define when the rule applies: - Days of week — Select specific days (e.g., Saturday and Sunday for weekend pricing) - Date ranges — Start and end dates for seasonal rules - Booking window — How far in advance the booking is made (for early bird/last minute) - Quantity threshold — Minimum units for volume discounts - Units — Specific units or all units - Timeslots — Specific timeslot types (hourly, daily, flexible) or all

Step 5: Set Priority and Stacking

• Priority: Higher numbers are processed first. Use this to control which rules run first when multiple rules match.
• Cumulative: When enabled, the rule applies and the next matching rule also runs. When disabled (default), the rule applies and no further rules process.

Step 6: Save

Click Save to activate the rule. You can toggle rules on/off at any time from the price rules list.

Rule Types

Standard Rules

General pricing adjustments based on conditions. The most versatile type.

Examples: - Weekend surcharge (+25% Saturday/Sunday) - Weekday discount (-10% Monday-Thursday) - Holiday pricing (+50% July 4th weekend)

Last-Minute Rules

Discounts for bookings made close to the rental date. Uses the booking window maximum setting.

Examples: - Within 2 days of rental: -15% - Same-day booking: -20% - Under 1 week out: -10%

Early-Bird Rules

Discounts for advance bookings. Uses the booking window minimum setting.

Examples: - 30+ days advance: -10% - 60+ days advance: -15% - 90+ days advance: -20%

Volume Discount Rules

Discounts based on the number of units booked together. Uses the quantity threshold setting.

Examples: - 3+ units: -10% - 5+ units: -15%

Demand-Based Rules

Tag rules for different demand levels (low, medium, high, peak). Useful for organizing rules by intended use.

Note: Automatic demand-level matching based on occupancy is not yet active. Use date ranges and days of week to target high-demand periods instead.

Common Pricing Strategies

Weekend Pricing

Settings: - Days: Saturday, Sunday - Modifier: +25% percentage - Cumulative: Yes

Result: $300 base × 1.25 = $375 on weekends

Peak Season

Settings: - Dates: June 1 - August 31 - Modifier: +30% percentage - Cumulative: Yes

Result: All summer bookings priced 30% higher

Holiday Surcharge

Settings: - Dates: July 3 - July 5 (for Independence Day) - Modifier: +50% percentage - Priority: High (e.g., 10) - Cumulative: Yes

Result: Stacks on top of other rules for premium holiday pricing

Off-Peak Discount

Settings: - Days: Tuesday, Wednesday - Dates: September 1 - May 31 - Modifier: -20% percentage

Result: Midweek off-season discount to fill availability

Last-Minute Deal

Settings: - Booking window maximum: 3 days - Modifier: -15% percentage - Rule type: Last Minute

Result: Bookings made within 3 days of the rental date get 15% off

Early-Bird Special

Settings: - Booking window minimum: 30 days - Modifier: -10% percentage - Rule type: Early Bird

Result: Bookings made 30+ days ahead get 10% off

Rule Priority and Stacking

Priority

Higher priority numbers are processed first. When multiple rules match a booking, priority determines the order.

Cumulative vs Non-Cumulative

Cumulative rules (cumulative: on) — Apply and allow the next rule to also apply. Use when you want rules to stack.

Non-cumulative rules (cumulative: off, the default) — Apply and stop all further rule processing. No other rules run after a non-cumulative rule is applied.

Example: How Stacking Works

Base price: $300/day

Saturday in July (peak + weekend): 1. Peak Season applies: $300 × 1.30 = $390 → cumulative, chain continues 2. Weekend Premium applies: $390 × 1.25 = $487.50 → non-cumulative, chain stops 3. Early Bird never runs

Final: $487.50

Important: Percentage rules compound multiplicatively. +30% then +25% = $300 × 1.30 × 1.25 = $487.50 (a 62.5% total increase), not $300 × 1.55 = $465.

Applying Rules to Specific Units

Rules can apply to:

All Units

Leave unit selection empty — rule applies to your entire fleet.

Specific Units

Select particular units the rule affects. Useful when different boats or vehicles have different pricing strategies.

Specific Timeslots

Apply only to certain rental types (hourly, daily, or flexible).

Testing Your Rules

Before relying on rules:

1. Create a test booking — Walk through the booking flow
2. Verify pricing — Check that rules applied correctly
3. Try different scenarios — Weekend, weekday, different dates, different booking windows
4. Check the price breakdown — Applied rules should show in the pricing details

Managing Multiple Rules

Keep It Simple

Start with a few key rules:

- Weekend surcharge

- Peak season

- One discount type (early bird or last minute)

Avoid Conflicts

- Use priority numbers to control processing order

- Be intentional about cumulative vs non-cumulative

- Remember: a non-cumulative rule stops the entire chain

Review Regularly

- Are rules still appropriate for current demand?

- Should percentages change with market conditions?

- Are any rules underperforming?

Rule Examples by Business Type

Boat Rental

Jet Ski Rental

RV Rental

Troubleshooting

Rule not applying

- Verify the rule is active (not toggled off)

- Check that dates and days of week match the booking

- Confirm the rule is assigned to the correct unit and timeslot

- Check if a higher-priority non-cumulative rule is stopping the chain before your rule runs

Wrong price showing

- Multiple cumulative rules may be stacking — check all active rules

- Percentages compound multiplicatively (+25% then +30% = 62.5%, not 55%)

- Check the priority order (higher numbers process first)

- A non-cumulative rule may be cutting off expected rules

Discounts not stacking

- Both rules must be marked cumulative for stacking to work

- If one is non-cumulative (the default), it stops the chain

- Check priority — the non-cumulative rule may be running first

Discount codes

- Promotional discount codes are managed through Gift Cards, not price rules

- Go to your Gift Cards settings to create coupon codes

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Related Articles: - Setting Base Rates - Understanding Pricing - Seasonal Schedules