Apply Overnight Pricing Based on an Event Time Cutoff

Use a Lead End Date/Time filter to identify events ending after a specific time and/or automatically apply an overnight rate or late-pickup fee. This can update pricing on both staff-created leads and online quotes. 

Prerequisites

• Access to Settings, Filters, and either Inventory or Promotions & Fees.
• Autosave Leads must be enabled under Settings > General Preferences.
• A defined cutoff time, such as 8:00 PM.
• An existing item price or a fee amount to apply after the cutoff.

Create an End-Time Filter

1. Go to Settings > Filters.
2. Click Add Filter.
3. Enter a descriptive name, such as Event Ends After 8PM.
4. Select the filter type required by its destination:
   • Pricing: Use the filter with an inventory item's conditional pricing.
   • Lead: Use the filter with a promotion, fee, report, or compatible automation.
5. Under Field Name, select Lead End Date/Time.
6. Select the time comparison that represents Is After Daily Time. 
7. Enter the cutoff time, such as 8:00 PM.
8. Click Add to add the rule.
9. Save the filter.

Apply the Filter to Conditional Item Pricing

1. Go to Settings > Inventory.
2. Open the inventory item that requires overnight pricing.
3. Locate the Pricing section.
4. Click Show Conditional Pricing.
5. Choose how the overnight price should affect the regular price:
   • Add to Price: Adds an overnight surcharge to the applicable item price.
   • Override & Stop: Replaces the regular item price with an overnight pricing structure.
6. Select the end-time filter in the Filter field.
7. Enter or select a Price Name.
8. Configure the overnight price and click Done.
9. Save the inventory item.
10. Repeat these steps for each item that uses the end-time pricing rule.

Apply the Filter to an Overnight Fee

1. Go to Settings > Promotions & Fees.
2. Click Add Promotion.
3. Enter a name or code, such as After 8 PM Fee.
4. Set Type to Fee.
5. Under Match, select the compatible end-time filter.
6. Under Pay, select and configure the fee:
   • % Fee on Rentals
   • % Fee on Total
   • $ Fee
7. Save the fee.

Test the End-Time Rule

1. Create a test lead or submit a test quote through your website.
2. Set the event end time to a time before the cutoff, such as 7:30 PM.
3. Confirm that the regular price applies.
4. Change the event end time to a time after the cutoff, such as 8:30 PM.
5. Confirm that the overnight price or fee is applied.
6. If using conditional item pricing, repeat the test for each configured inventory item.

Feature Options & Parameters

Use Cases

• Charge an overnight or late-pickup fee when an event ends after the business's evening cutoff.
• Apply a different item price to late-ending events while keeping the regular price for earlier events.

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Why is the filter missing from conditional pricing?

Confirm that the filter was saved with Filter Type set to Pricing. Only compatible filter types appear in conditional pricing.

Why is the filter missing from Promotions & Fees?

The filter type may not be compatible with the fee. Create or duplicate the rule using the filter type required by Promotions & Fees.

Why is the overnight price or fee not being applied?

• Confirm that Autosave Leads is enabled.
• Verify that the event ends after the configured cutoff.
• Confirm that the correct filter is attached to the price or fee.
• Make sure the filter, price or fee, and inventory item were saved.
• Test with a new lead or update the event time and allow the lead to recalculate.

Will an event ending exactly at the cutoff match?

A Later Than or Greater Than condition normally excludes the exact cutoff time. Use an inclusive comparison, such as At or After, if that option is available and the cutoff itself should qualify.

Why is the overnight amount being added instead of replacing the regular price?

The conditional price is using Add to Price. Select Override & Stop when the overnight price should replace the regular item price.

Does this detect rentals that cross midnight?

This rule checks the event's end time against a time-of-day cutoff. To identify rentals that cross midnight, use a filter based on Lead Number of Nights instead.

Does one conditional pricing rule apply to every inventory item?

No. The filter must be assigned to each inventory item that uses conditional overnight pricing. Use a fee when one rule should apply across the event.

Related Links

• Filters
• Enable Autosave Leads
• Conditional Pricing
• Overnight Pricing by Inventory Item
• Overnight Pricing Using Fees
• Promotions & Fees