How to set seasonal pricing for your party rentals
Seasonal pricing in Papalocal is under Rentals, then Online booking, then Holiday, season & last-minute prices. Start from a ready-made date like July 4th, or name your own dates. Type a percent to charge more, or a minus number to charge less. It can cover all rentals or only the items you tick. Last-minute tiers add more close to the party.
Step by step
Before you start: you need your rental company on Papalocal with its items added.
0:00Open the prices. In Rentals, open Online booking, and go down to Holiday, season & last-minute prices.
0:10Start from July 4th. Under Start from, tap July 4th. It fills in the date, every year. Type 20 in Price change, as a % of the rentals, and tap + Add to the list.
0:19Add weekends.Weekends ticks Saturday and Sunday, every week. Make it 10 and add it.
0:25Lower the slow season. Name it, pick the dates, and type a minus number, like -15, to lower the price.
0:31Pick the items. Under Items, choose Only the items I tick, tick the water slides, and add it to the list.
0:36Know which one applies. If a booking touches more than one of these, the one that adds the most applies. Never two.
0:43Add a last-minute tier. Tap + Add a tier. Here, a booking made within 3 days of the party costs 15% of the rentals more.
0:50Choose what customers see. Under What customers see, choose whether a higher price shows as its own line. Off, it's just the price. Lower prices always show.
0:58Save prices. Click Save prices. A booking already made keeps its price.
Good to know
Six ready-made dates. Weekends, July 4th, Memorial Day weekend, Labor Day weekend, Christmas to New Year's and Summer season. Tick Every year to repeat one.
A percent or a dollar amount. A change can be a % of the rentals or $ per booking. The video uses percents.
Rental prices only. A percent deposit follows the new price. Delivery never changes.
A holiday and a last-minute price can both apply. Only one date rule applies to a booking. With two last-minute tiers, the one closest to the party applies.
Not the same as paying in full. A last-minute tier changes the price. Having last-minute bookings pay in full, under Collecting the balance, is separate. It changes only when the money is due.
Pinewood Party Rentals and its prices are made up, including the Winter slide deal.
Written with AI from this video's script and screens.
Holiday and last-minute prices are one part of running your rental company on Papalocal.
The everything app. As simple as you want it, or as complete as you allow it to be.
Looking for event rental software? These prices sit beside your items, delivery fees, deposits and website.
The plan holds, in one place:
Your customer list: each lead and customer, with their quotes and jobs on one page
Quotes, jobs and schedule
Invoices and pay links
Your website, on a domain you own
Google Business Profile sync, for your first location
Reviews: links, QR codes and an embed
Time clock, team chat and training
The same account holds your own side too: music, books, messages, your money and your people. Some of it has paid upgrades.
Free to sign up, no card. Your account and your business page have no monthly charge. One thing is on from the start: AI replies to your reviews, $0.15 each plus AI usage. You can pause them.
Once you turn the plan on: $30 a month (one person; each added employee is $10 a month), plus 1.25% of payments your customers make through Papalocal, plus Stripe's processing fee. It's billed daily from a prepaid balance. Once your card is saved, it's charged a top-up within the hour, and again each time the balance falls under a month's charges plus 15%. You choose the top-up amount ($25 or more; $100 until you change it). You can cancel the plan online after its first 30 days; cancel any add-ons on it first.
Papalocal's founder, Garret Merkley, has started 7 local service businesses in 16 years. He bought one, sold one and closed some.
Under Holiday, season & last-minute prices, start from a ready-made date like July 4th. Type the percent and tap + Add to the list. Bookings on that date cost that much more.
Can I add a weekend surcharge?
Yes. Start from Weekends, which ticks Saturday and Sunday every week. Type the percent and add it.
How does last-minute pricing work?
Add a tier for bookings made close to the party. In the video, a booking made within 3 days of the party costs 15% more.
Can I lower prices in the slow season?
Yes. Type a minus number. A lower price shows customers its own line, and those days are marked on the calendar.
Will a new price change bookings already made?
No. A booking keeps the price it was made with.
What does it cost?
It's free to sign up, with no card. Your account and your business page have no monthly charge. One thing is on from the start: AI replies to your reviews, $0.15 each plus AI usage. You can pause them. The plan starts only when you turn it on: $30 a month (one person; each added employee is $10 a month), plus 1.25% of payments your customers make through Papalocal, plus Stripe's processing fee.
How is it billed, and can I cancel?
It's billed daily from a prepaid balance. Once your card is saved, it's charged a top-up within the hour, and again each time the balance falls under a month's charges plus 15%. You choose the top-up amount ($25 or more; $100 until you change it). You can cancel the plan online after its first 30 days; cancel any add-ons on it first.
Will Papalocal find me customers?
No. Papalocal gives you the tools. Finding customers is your work.
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