TIME AND MILEAGE RATE WINDOW
RATE RULES WINDOW
The Time & Mileage Rate subwindow is designed for examining rates on the transaction. The rules that govern those rates are displayed in the Rate Rules subwindow. Because the two subwindows are so closely related, BOTH are discussed in this section.
Before examining the subwindow, however, a review of the various types of rates is in order.
Non-tiered rates - without a special weekend charge - This product charges renters in the time increments of Day, Week, Month.
Weekend rates - This product has a SPECIAL charge that is day of the week sensitive.
Tiered rates - Rather than using the periods of time that a non-tiered rate uses (WEEK, MONTH, etc.), the rules define unique lengths of rentals such as 1-3 days 4-7 days, 8-14 days, etc.
Fixed tiered rates - These are a form of tiered rates (explained above) except that the tier rate that applies at the time of Open applies to all subsequent tiers.
Stepped tiered rates - These are like the tiered rates explained above except that the tiers DO build on each other.
Hourly tiered rates - Similar to tiered rates, these rates charge for blocks of hours during a single day such as 1 to 3 hrs, 4 to 6 hrs, 6 to 12 hrs, etc.
Chauffeur Hourly tiered rates - Similar to hourly tiered rates, these rates allow an extra hours charge for hours beyond the highest hourly tier. (Chauffeur logic not required to use this type of rate.)
Period rates - These rates are made up of a single price for a specific number of days and a daily rate for each additional day. These rates can be used on any day of the week.
Inclusive rates - Inclusive rates are those where items besides the time charge, such a coverages and/or taxes, are included in the rate. For more information on how inclusive rates are handled, refer to the chapter of this manual titled: Appendix - Inclusive Rates.
Yield managed rates - These rates are set up to float up and down based on the peak anticipated utilization during the time of the rental. Up to 6 levels can be defined with corresponding rates. The Planning Calendar must be set up and functioning for these rates to work.
Seasonal Rates - These rates have multiple records (with each having a different effective date). If the RA spans more than one version of the rate record, multiple versions of the rate will apply to the contract. This means that the rate in effect on the RA may change during the course of the contract. When rates are not seasonal, the Rate Product in effect at the beginning of the contract is in effect for the life of the contract.
Foreign Currency Rates - Although it is transparent to the user, some rates may be initially quoted and reserved in a foreign currency and automatically converted to local currency at the time of opening the contract.
Reservation specific Rates - These rates are defined so that the rate entered in the XDAY field is used as a daily rate for any days after the reserved time. For example, a RA is opened from a reservation that shows the return date of the 10th of the month. If the customer keeps the vehicle beyond the 10th, the rate in the XDAY field is used for any days after the 10th. The XDAYs are charged only for days after the reserved return date. If the customer picks up the vehicle earlier than the reservation pick-up date and returns by the reserved return date, the XDAY rate is not used.
Daily Averaged Rates - These rates have their prices checked multiple times during longer rentals and the daily rate is an averaged price for the whole rental period.
Some of these types of rates have differences in the way they display in the Rate subwindow and the Rate Rules subwindow. The following text will first illustrate and explain the Non-tiered Rates Products without a special weekend charge and then the differences in the others will be covered.
To access the Time and Mileage Rate window, type A(RET) at the "OPTION:"field on the main window.
User tip: Access to fields in the Time &Mileage Rate subwindow may be restricted. Access is allowed only when the user has the rate edit privilege set in the Edit User Access program AND the Rate Product entered into the Main Window is editable. No access is granted to the Rate Rules window -- it is display only.
The window for a non-tiered product without weekend rates will look like this:
| OPTION: ______________ TIME & MILEAGE RATES Page:001 Option EffDt Dy-Rate/ml Wk-Rate/ml Mt-Rate/ml Xd-Rate/ml Hrs-Rate/ml 1 RETL 06-10 49.95/100 249.95/700 980.00/3000 35.95/100 12.50/25 2 MILE .250/* */* */* */* */* 3 * */* */* */* */* */* 4 * */* */* */* */* */* 5 * */* */* */* */* */* 6 * */* */* */* */* */* 7 * */* */* */* */* */* 8 Miles Code/Yield/Qual/Free Miles */4/5/* Exchange Rate 1.196291 F2 NEXT 7 F4 PREV 7 |
|
The table below describes the columns and fields which apply to lines 1 - 7. |
|
|
OPTION |
This column displays the Rate Product Code for this RA (RETL) The charge for miles/kms, if any, is shown on the next line. Refer to the discussion on Mileage later on in this section. |
|
EFF DT (Effective Date) |
The date the rate takes effect on this contract is displayed in this column. For all rates other than seasonal rates, the effective date is the date the RA Opened. Seasonal rates may have more than one line if there are multiple effective dates. |
| FIELDS 1 - 7 DY-RATE/ML
(Day Rate/Miles) |
If the Rate is editable and the user's User Access record authorizes editing at Open, the data in the remainder of the columns can be edited. However, the amount of the edit to the rental rate may be restricted by a percentage field in the User Access record. If the restriction is in place and the edit is greater than the percentage restriction, the following message will display:
This column is used for the daily rate and the free allotment of miles/kms that correspond to it. In the example above the daily rate is $49.95 with 100 free miles. User tip on Upsells: When the upsell option (option type "U") is on a RA, the rate product, rate class, and rates in the A subwindow cannot be edited. |
|
WK-RATE/ML |
This column is used for the weekly rate (if there is one) and the free allotment of miles/kms that correspond to it. In the example above, the weekly rate is $249.95 with 700 free miles. |
|
MT-RATE/ML |
This column is used for the monthly rate (if there is one) and the free allotment of miles/kms that correspond to it. In the example above, the monthly rate is $980.00 and carries an allotment of 3000 miles. The number of days that make up a month are defined in the Edit Miscellaneous Control File. In addition, a field on the Rules Record can also affect the definition of a month. |
|
XD-RATE/ML |
This column is used for the extra day rate (if there is one) and the free allotment of miles/kms that correspond to it. In the example above, the extra day rate is $35.95 and carries an allotment of 100 miles per extra day. If nothing is entered into this field, the rate in the Day column will be used for rental days beyond the first week. |
|
HRS-RATE/ML |
This column is used for the extra chargeable hours rate and the free allotment of miles/kms that correspond to it. At check-in time, the total hourly charges will not exceed the daily rate. The number of hours charged may be affected by the grace period established in the Rules Record for the Rate Product. Whether hourly charges should or should not be charged on the first rental day is controlled by a flag in the Edit Miscellaneous Control File. |
|
MILE |
The charge for miles/kms, if any, is shown on this line. As mentioned above, each rate in the columns above display the mileage/km allotment included. These fields are editable only if the rate product is editable. Mileage/km allowances can be applied to contracts in one of 3 methods. (The method is defined on the Rate Rules record.) The methods cannot be edited from this screen. However, they can be changed by using a Free Mile Modifier Code. The methods are:
The above method codes can be combined on a single Rate Product to produce various free miles programs. The following are just of a few of the possibilities: EXAMPLE 1:
EXAMPLE 2:
EXAMPLE 3:
250 free miles are offered for weekend rentals. If the customer keeps the vehicle beyond the weekend period, 100 free miles will be given for each additional day (see the discussion on weekend rates later in this section). The allotment for free miles and the rate for
chargeable miles can be different for one-way rentals to foreign locations than
those for rentals that return to an owned location. See the Edit Rental Rules/Rates chapter of this manual for
details. |
|
The table below describes the fields for line 8. |
|
|
8a. MILES CODE |
This field is used to edit the free miles/kms allowances and mileage methods associated with the rate. Entering an established Free Miles Modifier Code may change allowance data and perhaps the rate per mile. Although edits can be made directly in the mileage allotment and rate fields, a code entered here takes precedence over direct edits. EXAMPLE: Type UL (RET) Please refer to the manual chapter Edit Free Miles Tables for further information on setting up Free Miles Modifier Codes. |
| 8b. YIELD |
This field displays the yield level in effect on the RA. If "yield upsells" are allowed, this field displays the yield level selected by the rental agent. Otherwise, this field displays the yield level selected by the system based on utilization. User tip: Please refer to the section "Upsells on Yield Managed Rates" of the RA Open chapter for further details on this process. |
| 8c. QUAL |
For a yield managed rate, this shows the yield level selected by system based on utilization. NOTE: This field displays only when the "yield upsells" are allowed. Please refer to the section "Upsells on Yield Managed Rates" of the RA Open chapter for further details on this process. If "yield upsells" are not allowed, this field will display the total free miles allowed on the RA. This is further described in field 8d below. |
| 8c or 8d FREE MILES |
This field displays the total free miles/kms allowed on the RA. It will be the sum of the free miles/kms allowed by the rate plus any free miles/kms allowed by selling a "Free Miles/Kms Package" through the Options pop-up window. NOTE: If "yield upsells" are allowed, this information is displayed in field 8d. Otherwise it is displayed in field 8c. |
| EXCHANGE RATE |
This display-only field appears only when the rate is defined as one in a foreign currency. The exchange rate applicable to the RA, which converts the foreign currency rate to the domestic rate, is shown in this field. This field is part of the RA record. For more information on foreign currency rates and exchange rates, refer to the chapter Overview - Currency Conversion Set Up |
To access the Rate Rules window, type R (RET) at the "OPTION:" field on the main window. (The Rate Rules subwindow can be displayed from the RA Open, RA Close, or Reservations screens.)
| OPTION: ______________ RATE RULES Set/date A/06-01-05/0000/* Alt rates */* Min days/Chg-to */* Pric code/RQ/PMA C/*/* Max days/Chg-to */* Fuel rate Out/In 3.00/5.00 Intercity Chg-to * Effective Optsets Disc/Edit/TaxInc Y/Y/* Inclusive * Grace/Charge for 60/Y Addon * Cal calc/Week min */* Exempt * Yield Pcts */*/*/*/* Orig RQ/Incl FPO */* Surcharge exempt * RETL/RETAIL |
The fields
displayed are rate rules. Rate
rules explain how the charges are to be applied to the RA at the time of close and
what restrictions are applied to this rate product. Although the following fields are not numbered, they will be
covered in this section in the order they appear on the screen.
|
SET |
The Rate Set can be up to 6 alphanumeric characters and indicates which set of Rate Products are being used on this rental. Rate Set Codes are used by the system to associate Rate Products with locations or groups of locations. |
|
DATE |
This field displays the effective date for this Rate Product. This date is taken from the Rules Record. |
| The next field displays the effective time from the Rules record. |
|
| The last field displays the Source Market code on the Rules record (if there is one.) |
|
|
MIN DAYS |
This field indicates the minimum rental length that is required for this rate product. If the customer returns the vehicle too early to qualify for this product, the Rate Product on the rental will change to the product defined in the next field. |
|
CHG TO |
This field indicates the fall-back Rate Product that is used if the Minimum Days restriction (in the previous field) is broken. |
|
MAX DAYS |
This field indicates the maximum number days that are allowed for this rate product. If the customer keeps the vehicle too long to qualify for this product, the Rate Product on the rental changes to the product defined in the next field. |
|
CHG TO |
This indicates the fall-back Rate Product that is used if the Maximum Days restriction (in the previous field) is broken. |
|
INTERCITY CHG TO |
If this Rate Product can be used on one-way rentals to foreign locations this field will be blank. If this Rate Product cannot be used on one-way rentals to foreign locations, this field will have a fall-back Rate Product that is used by the Batch Close program if this restriction is broken. |
|
DISCOUNT |
Y = Discounts may be applied from the Reservation, RA Open or RA Close screens. Note that your system can be configured to either apply discounts only to time charges or to time and mileage charges. A field in the Edit Miscellaneous Control File is used to select which configuration is used. N = Discounts are not allowed. Access to the discount fields on the Reservation, RA Open and RA Close screens are blocked. Standard discounts recorded in the Customer File for repeat customers are ignored. |
|
EDIT |
Y = On the reservation screen or the Open and Close screens, the rate, free miles/kms allowed and the charge for excess miles/kms can be edited by any user who has been granted the edit option in the Edit User Access screen. N = The rate, free mileage/kms allowance fields and charge for excess miles/ksm in the Reservation, Open and Close screens may not be edited by any user. |
|
GRACE |
This field displays the number of grace minutes offered with this product. If a grace period is not offered on this product, this field will be blank. CARS+ will apply the grace minutes at the end of any 24 hour period or multiple thereof from the time of check-out. A grace period allows the renter to return the vehicle late without having to pay for additional rental charges. |
|
CHARGE FOR |
This field determines how charges are handled when the customer returns the vehicle after the grace period has expired. Y = Yes indicates the customer will be charged for the entire time he is late, grace period included. N = No indicates the customer will only be charged for the time beyond the grace period. |
|
CAL CALC |
Y = Rental charges are calculated by a calendar day basis rather than in 24 hour increments. For example, a vehicle rented at 4PM and returned at noon on the next day will be charged for 2 rental days (the vehicle was on rent during two separate calendar dates). N = Rental charges are calculated on 24 hour increments. |
|
WEEK MIN |
This field indicates the minimum number of days a customer must keep a vehicle in order to qualify for the weekly rate. This field overrides the Best Price Logic. If this field is blank, the Best Price Logic is free to give the renter the weekly rate when it is in the customer's benefit regardless of the length of the rental. |
|
YIELD PCTS |
CARS+ has the ability to automatically vary the price of a Rate Product based on the percent of anticipated fleet utilization during the rental period. Up to 6 price stages can be used. The percentages at which the system switches from the first price level to the second and from the second to the third are displayed here. |
| SURCHARGE EXEMPT |
A field in the rules record can be used to flag a rate as exempt from the Surcharge and a "Y" in this field indicates that. |
|
ALT RATES |
Up to three Rate Products can be linked together. If rates are linked, the RA Close program will calculate the charges using each product and choose the one that gives the renter the lowest total charges. These fields display the Rate Product Codes of the products linked to the rate quoted on the Main Window. |
|
PRICING CODE |
This field displays the pricing code in effect on the RA which determines the rates for such things as Options, Fuel, and Drop Charges.. |
| RQ |
For Hertz operations, if the RA was generated from a reservation, the rate quoted is shown. |
| PMA |
For Hertz operations using Seamless, the PMA (price market adjustment) is shown. |
|
FUEL RATE OUT |
The price per gallon/liter for fuel is set at the time of open. The prepurchase price per gallon/liter is displayed in this field. . |
|
FUEL RATE IN |
The refuel rate at Close is displayed in this field. If the customer does not prepurchase fuel and returns the car with less fuel than where rented, this is the rate charged per gallon/liter. In the case of one-way rentals to other owned locations, this price is taken from the Returning location's Fuel Rate record. |
|
EFFECTIVE OPTSETS |
Option sets in effect are shown in the next three fields. |
| INCLUSIVE |
Inclusive option set items are included in the rate. |
| ADDON |
Addon option set items are automatically added to the RA. |
| EXEMPT |
Automatically applied items in an exempt option set are NOT added to a RA. |
|
ORIG RQ |
For Hertz users, this field displays the value in the RQ (Rate Quoted) field of the Hertz reservation before templates or change-to rules are applied. |
| INCLUDED FPO |
If fuel is included in the rate, a "Y" will show in this field. |
|
RATE NAME & COMMENT |
This field in the lower left hand side of the screen displays the Rate Product along with data that was entered on the Rate Product as a comment. |
WEEKEND RATES
In addition to the above rules fields, Rate Products involving a special weekend charge have additional rules. The Rates window appear as follows:
| OPTION: __________ TIMES & MILEAGE RATES Option EffDt Dy-Rate/ml Wk-Rate/ml Mt-Rate/ml Xd-Rate/ml Hrs-Rate/ml 1 WKEND 06-10 49.95/100 */* */* 35.95/100 12.50/25 2 MILE .250/* */* */* */* */* 3 * */* */* */* */* */* 4 * */* */* */* */* */* 5 * */* */* */* */* */* 6 * */* */* */* */* */* 7 * */* */* */* */* */* 8 Miles Code/Yield/Qual/Free Miles */*/*/* Exchange Rate F2 NEXT 7 F4 PREV 7 |
|
XD |
Weekend rentals can either be charged at a weekend daily rate or at a one time packaged rate for the entire weekend. Whether this field is a daily or packaged rate depends on the value in the "Package rate" field of the Rate Product's rules record. In the example above, the weekend rate is $35.95 a day. For rentals with days that go beyond the defined weekend parameters, the regular daily rate of $49.95 is charged for the time outside of the weekend period. |
An example of the Rate Rules window for a weekend rate is shown below:
| OPTION: ______________ RATE RULES ---Weekend Control--- Set/date A/01-02-94/0000 Alt rates */* StartEnd Min days/Chg-to 2/SAVER Pric code/RQ/PMA B/*/* Out THU1200SAT1200 Max days/Chg-to */* Fuel rate Out/In */* In SUN1200MON1200 Intercity Chg-to METRO Effective Optsets Return chg to METRO Disc/Edit/TaxInc */*/* Inclusive * Early-lateB Grace/Charge for 59/Y Addon * End method Cal calc/Week min N/5 Exempt * Package rateN Yield Pcts */*/*/*/* Orig RQ/Incl FPO */* Surcharge exempt * WKEND/* |
Displayed
to the
right are the "Weekend Control" fields. These fields are the rules
unique to weekend products. Like the other rules, Weekend Control
data cannot be edited on this screen. The definition of each field is:
|
OUT |
START -Displays the day of the week and time at which the weekend rates go into effect. The day of the week is indicated by one of the following codes: MON = Monday END - Displays the last day of the week and time that a weekend rental can begin. |
|
IN |
START - Displays the earliest day of the week and time at which a renter may return a vehicle and still qualify for the weekend rate. END - Displays the last day of the week and time at which a renter may return a vehicle and still qualify for the weekend rate. The meaning of this field may be affected by the values of the next two rule fields. The following example shows a possible weekend: > Start End According to these fields as displayed in the example above:
|
|
The next three fields define what occurs if the day and time conditions in the above fields are violated. |
|
|
RETURN CHG TO |
This field defines what Rate Product will be used if the renter fails to return the vehicle at the proper time. It is used when:
|
|
EARLY-LATE |
This field indicates whether a rental can begin or end outside the defined weekend period and still qualify for the weekend rate. There are five possible responses: E = Only Early Pickup Allowed. A weekend rental may begin prior to the date and time in "Start-Out". When early pickup is allowed, the renter is charged the hourly rate for each hour prior to the start of the weekend period. The "Best Price " logic will round these extra hours into an additional regular day when it is to the customer's benefit. The weekend rate is then applied in 24-hour increments from the start of the weekend period (Start-Out). If early pickup is not allowed, this Rate Product cannot be quoted on a reservation or at the time of open if the Pickup Date/Time is prior to the start of the weekend period. L = Only Late Return Allowed. The rental may extend beyond the end of the weekend period (End-In as modified by the "End Method" field) without loss of the weekend rate. When late return is allowed, the renter is charged the hourly rate for each hour beyond the weekend period. The "Best Price" logic will round these extra hours into an additional daily charge when it is to the customer's benefit. If Late return is not allowed, this Rate Product,
B = Both Early Pickup and Late Returns Are Allowed. In this case, a rental may both begin and end outside the weekend period without loosing the special weekend rate. The hours outside the weekend period are charged at the specified hourly rate. O = A Rental May Either Begin Early Or Return Late But Not Both. This means a rental may only extend beyond the weekend period on one end of the rental without forfeiting the weekend rate. Hours outside the weekend period are charged at the specified hourly rate. If at the time of close, it is discovered that the rental is both early and late, the rate will be changed to the Rate Product in the field "Return chg to". _ = (Field is blank) = No Weekend Extensions. In order to qualify for the special weekend rate, the rental CANNOT begin prior to the day and time in "Start-Out" NOR extend beyond the end of the weekend period (End-In as modified by the "End Method" field). This Rate Product cannot be quoted on a reservation if this rule is broken. If at time of close, this rule is violated, the rate will change to the "Return chg to" Rate Product. |
|
END METHOD |
This field defines the method the system uses to determine the end of the weekend period. The possible responses are: _=(Field is blank) = The weekend period ends at exactly at the day and time defined in "End-In". In the illustration below, the weekend ends exactly at noon on Monday. > Start End This means that a rental which began at 5:00 pm on Friday still must conclude before noon on Monday to qualify for the weekend rate. There is a strange behavior related to this method when late returns are allowed ("Early-late" field, see below). Given the weekend parameters above, a rental beginning at 8:00 am Friday qualifies for the weekend rate until noon on Monday. If the vehicle is returned at Monday noon, the charges would be as follows:
The rule in this first method when combined with late returns is that any fraction of a weekend day is combined with time outside the weekend parameter and charged at the regular daily rate. This fraction rule applies to all fractions no matter how large. For example, using the previous weekend parameters, a rental beginning at 1 pm Friday would calculate as follows if returned by noon Monday;
Of the three methods, this first one is the most stringent and punitive. A = The weekend period ends on the day specified (in End-In) but at the time that the RA originally opened. In the illustration below, the weekend ends on Monday at the same time of day as each RA's original open time. > Start End For example, a rental which began at 5:00pm on Friday must conclude before 5:00pm on Monday to qualify for the weekend rate. Similar to regular daily rentals, the grace period is applied to the last day of the rental. And with this method, days are always charged for 24 hour periods. B = This method is a combination of both of the first two methods. If the rental start time was earlier than the time of day specified in "End In" the rental behaves like Method "A". For example, using the parameter below a rental starting at 8am Friday must end by 8am Monday. But if the rental start time is later than the time of day specified in "End In", the rental behaves like the first method (Method blank). For example, a rental starting at 5pm on Friday must end by noon on Monday. > Start End |
|
PACKAGE RATE |
Weekend charges can be offered in one of two different ways. First, the weekend charge can be a special daily rate. Like any other daily rate, this charge is multiplied by the appropriate number of weekend days. The second method involves a "packaged" charge. A packaged rate is a single charge that covers the entire weekend period and does not vary with the number of weekend days used. This field determines which of the two methods of charging for weekend rentals is used with this Rate Product.
|
TIERED RATES
Before taking a look at the subwindow, let's review some basics regarding Tiered rates.
Tiered rates are products where the daily charge is determined by the length of rental. Charges are not related to the time periods days, weeks, months, etc. Instead, unique periods (tiers) of time are defined such as 1 to 5 days, 6 to 14 days, 15 to 21 days, etc. A unique daily charge is assigned to each of these tiers.
For example, a tiered rate can be created so that rentals between 1 and 5 days are charged $54.00 per day, but rentals between 6 and 14 days are charged $50.00 per day.
Tiers do not build on each other. Only one daily rate will be used for all days at the time of close. As an example, using the rates above, a 7-day rental would calculate as:
7 X $50.00 (Tier 2 daily rate) = $350
Not as:
5 X $54.00 + 2 X $50.00 TOTAL
The screen illustrated below shows the rates for a tiered Rate Product.
| OPTION: __________ TIME & MILEAGE RATES Option EffDt 01-05Dys/ml 06-14Dys/ml 15-21Dys/ml 22-99Dys/ml Hrs-Rate/ml 1 TIER 06-10 54.00/100 50.00/100 45.00/100 43.00/2400 30.00/50 2 MILE .250/* */* */* */* */* 3 * */* */* */* */* */* 4 * */* */* */* */* */* 5 * */* */* */* */* */* 6 * */* */* */* */* */* 7 * */* */* */* */* */* 8 Miles Code/Yield/Qual/Free Miles */*/*/* Exchange Rate F2 NEXT 7 F4 PREV 7 |
For tier rates, the differences are in time periods which are reflected in the column headings. The headings show the number of days in each tier. The Tiered Rate illustrated above has the following tiers:
Tier 1 is used for rentals between 1 and 5 days in length with a rate of $54 a day; 100 free miles per day.
Tier 2 is used for rentals between 6 and 14 days in length with a rate of $50 a day; 100 free miles per day.
Tier 3 is used for rentals between 15 and 21 days with a rate of $45 a day; 100 free miles per day.
Tier 4 is used for rentals of 21 to no more than 999 days with a rate of $43 a day; 2400 free miles lump sum.
There are no
unique fields for tier rates in the Rate Rules subwindow.
FIXED TIERED RATES
This type of rate is a variation of the tiered rate. The tier rate that applies at the time of Open applies to all subsequent tiers. Using the tier structure illustrated above, after saving a 7 day RA with a fixed tier rate product, the rates would be as follows:
| OPTION: __________ TIME & MILEAGE RATES Option EffDt 01-05Dys/ml 06-14Dys/ml 15-21Dys/ml 21-99Dys/ml Hrs-Rate/ml 1 TIERF 06-10 54.00/100 50.00/100 50.00/100 50.00/2400 30.00/50 2 MILE .250/* */* */* */* */* 3 * */* */* */* */* */* 4 * */* */* */* */* */* 5 * */* */* */* */* */* 6 * */* */* */* */* */* 7 * */* */* */* */* */* 8 Miles Code/Yield/Qual/Free Miles */*/*/* Exchange Rate F2 NEXT 7 F4 PREV 7 |
Notice that the 7 day RA falls into Tier 2, $50 per day. And that rate is applied to Tiers 3 and 4.
Therefore, if the rental runs for 6 days or more, every day will be charged at $50. If the customer returns before 6 days, the $54 per day rate (Tier 1) will be charged.
STEPPED TIERED RATES
Stepped tiered rates are similar to the tiered rates explained above except that the tiers DO build on each other. Therefore, in the example described above for a 7 day rental, the rate would be calculated as follows:
5 X $54.00 + 2 X $50.00 = $370 TOTAL
There are no unique fields for stepped tier rates in the Rate Rules subwindow.
HOURLY TIERED
RATE PRODUCTS
When a Rate Product is defined as an "hourly tiered" product, the columns headings refer to the tier hours.
Hourly tiered rates work like regular tiered rates except that the blocks of time are hours instead of days. These rates are frequently used in tourist destinations when customers want to rent a vehicle, such as a motorcycle, moped, or car, for just part of a day.
Hourly package rate products normally have a defined maximum rental period of 1 day. Similar to regular tiered rates, you do not have to use all four tiers on an Hourly Rate Product.
CHAUFFEUR
HOURLY TIERED RATE PRODUCTS
Although not limited to "chauffeur" logic rentals, because it is the likely way to use these rates and in order to distinguish them from Hourly Tiered rates, they are referred to as "chauffeur hourly tiered rates."
These are similar to hourly tiered rates except that extra hours can be charged at a hourly rate. For example, circumstances may require that a chauffeur work beyond the normal work day of 8 hrs. When this is the case, the hours beyond the typical 8 hr. day need to be charged at an "extra hours" rate.
PERIOD RATES
A period rate is made up of a single price for a specified number of days and a daily rate for each additional day. Period rates can be used on any day of the week. As an example, a rate of $95 for 3 days with each additional day charged at $35 a day would be set up as a Period Rate.
The screen
illustrated below shows a period Rate Product.
| OPTION: __________ RATES & COVERAGES Option EffDt Dy-Rate/ml Wk-Rate/ml Mt-Rate/ml Xd-Rate/ml Hrs-Rate/ml 1 PERIOD 06-10 40.00/100 95.00/700 */* 35.00/100 12.50/25 2 MILE .25 */* */* */* */* 3 * */* */* */* */* */* 4 * */* */* */* */* */* 5 * */* */* */* */* */* 6 * */* */* */* */* */* 7 * */* */* */* */* */* 8 Miles Code/Yield/Qual/Free Miles */*/*/* Exchange Rate F2 NEXT 7 F4 PREV 7 |
The
meanings of
the columns are the same as with the non-tiered Rate Products described
earlier
except for the Wk (Week) column. The rate for the Period range of days
is shown in the Week Field. The amount shown in the Week field,
$95.00, represents a price for the 3-day period. Any additional days
will be charged at the XDay rate of $35
per day. If the customer rents for
less than 3 days, those days will be charged at the daily rate of $40
per day.
There are no unique fields for period rates in the Rate Rules subwindow.
YIELD MANAGED
RATES
Yield managed rates can be set up with up to 6 price levels within one rate product. The price floats up and down depending on demand. The price chosen depends on the anticipated peak utilization during the time of the rental. The price levels are expressed in percents. There is no difference in the way a yield managed rate is displayed in this window. However, the percentages are displayed in the Rate Rules subwindow as shown below:
| OPTION: ______________ RATE RULES - Set/date A/06-01-05/0000 Alt rates */* Min days/Chg-to */* Pric code/RQ/PMA C/*/* Max days/Chg-to */* Fuel rate Out/In 3.00/5.00 Intercity Chg-to * Effective Optsets Disc/Edit/TaxInc N/N/* Inclusive * Grace/Charge for 60/Y Addon * Cal calc/Week min */* Exempt * Yield Pcts 50/60/70/80/85 Orig RQ/Incl FPO */* Surcharge exempt * RETLY/RETAIL YIELD MANAGED |
The Yield Percents
from the Rate Rules record are displayed in the lower left hand section of the
window. This yield managed rate
has 6 levels. The yield percents
of 50, 60, 70, 80, and 85 are percentages and correspond to the chart below.
|
Price Level |
When Anticipated utilization is: |
The Daily Rate quoted is: |
|
1 |
Less than 50 % |
35.00 |
|
2 |
50% to 59% |
37.50 |
|
3 |
60 to 69% |
39.60 |
|
4 |
70 to 79% |
41.70 |
|
5 |
80 to 84% |
42.80 |
|
6 |
85% or higher |
43.85 |
User tip: Notice
that the cents on the rate reflect the percentages. This is not necessary, but can be helpful because it
identifies at what level the rate was booked.
When booking a local reservation or opening a walk up rental with a yield managed rate, CARS+ examines the Planning Calendar for the entire time period of the transaction and finds the peak anticipated utilization for the vehicle class requested. That peak utilization percentage is then used to determine what price is in effect.
The Planning
Calendar keeps track of how many units of each class are in the fleet and how
many are committed. Assume that
the Planning Calendar shows the following anticipated percentages for the CCAR
class for April 5 to April 9. (The
Class Availability search from the Reservation screen is an illustration of the
planning calendar.)
| OPTION: __ CLASS AVAILABILITY F1=Start at Date _F6=AMT/PCT: PCT_F7=CLASS: CCAR F8=Loc: STL Cls Date %1. %2* 0000 0700 0800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1900 2200 2359 CCAR 06-10 85 100 46 46 54 58 58 58 58 56 56 56 06-11 85 100 58 64 66 66 66 70 70 74 74 74 06-12 85 100 70 68 68 76 76 80 80 74 70 70 06-13 85 100 64 60 64 68 68 66 66 62 68 68 06-14 85 100 64 62 56 60 60 54 50 44 40 40 |
The X axis shows the dates in a column along the left hand
side of the screen in bold type.
The Y axis shows the time periods of the day in a row across the top in bold type.
The numbers in each cell represent the expected utilization for the CCAR class. For example, June 10 starts out with 46 percent of the CCARs committed. (The committed number of units is computed by looking at vehicles currently on rent through their expected return date/time, vehicles on non-rev tickets through their expected return date/time, and open reservations from pick up date/time to return date/time. That total is compared to how many units of that class are in the fleet at this location or metroplex (a group of locations). A percentage is calculated representing the number of committed units. If there are 50 CCARs in the fleet, and 23 are needed to meet commitments, then 46% are committed.
June 10 begins with 46 % of the CCARs committed. There must be some reservations for CCARS during the day because the committed percentage rises throughout the day to 54 % by 8 am, 58% by 10 am. Then a unit must be scheduled to return because the percent drops to 56 % by 7 pm (1900 hours).
How rates are quoted:
Example 1: A walkup rental at 6 am June 10 returning June 11 at 6 am would be quoted at $37.50 because the peak utilization expected is 58 percent.(Price Level 2)
Example 2: If a customer reserved for June 10 at 10 am through June 11 at 10 am, the daily rate quoted would be $39.60 because the highest expected utilization is 66 percent starting at 8 am on June 11.(Price level 3.)
Example 3: A reservation for June 11 at 8 am through June 14 at 12 noon would be quoted at $42.80 a day. The highest expected utilization is 80 percent on June 12. (Price level 5.)
Yield management is not applied to reservations that are interfaced into CARS+ from an outside reservation center. Even if the reservation makes use of a yield managed rate, the price quoted by the reservation center will override the yield management logic.
Recommended reading: To read more about the Planning Calendar, refer to the chapter of this manual: Intro to Planning. To read more about how to set up yield managed rates, refer to the chapter: Edit Rental Rules/Rates. Towards the end of that chapter is a section devoted to Yield Managed Rates.
SEASONAL RATES
Seasonal
Rates have multiple records, each with their own effective date. If the RA spans more than one version
of the rate, multiple versions of the rate apply to the contract--meaning that
the rate in effect on the RA may change during the live of the contract. An example of a Seasonal Rate window is
shown below:
| OPTION: __________ TIME & MILEAGE RATES Option EffDt Dy-Rate/ml Wk-Rate/ml Mt-Rate/ml Xd-Rate/ml Hrs-Rate/ml 1 METROS 06-10 45.00/100 */* */* */* 15.00/* 2 METROS 06-12 48.00/100 */* */* */* 16.00/* 3 METROS 06-20 50.00/100 */* */* */* 17.00/* 4 MILE .250/* */* */* */* */* 5 * */* */* */* */* */* 6 * */* */* */* */* */* 7 * */* */* */* */* */* 8 Free miles/Yield/Qual */*/* Exchange Rate F2 NEXT 7 F4 PREV 7 |
Note the F2 NEXT 7 and F4 PREV 7 options at the bottom
of the subwindow. In case more
records for seasonal rates apply to the RA than can be displayed on one screen,
the F2 and F4 keys allow you to scroll back and forth through all of them.
Using the data illustrated above, assume the renter wants to keep the vehicle for 13 days. The rates will apply as follows:
Field 1 shows the METROS rate in effect at the time of Open was $45 a day. This will be charged for 2 days.
Field 2 shows the next version of the METROS rate takes effect June 12 with a daily rate of $48.00. This will be charged for 8 days.
Field 3 shows the next version of the METROS rate takes effect June 20 with a daily rate of $50. This will bes charged for the final 3 days.
The illustration above gives a simplistic view of seasonal rates since it uses only daily rates. More details on the use and calculation of Seasonal Rates for other rate structures which include weekly and extra day rates can be found in the Edit Rental Rules/Rates chapter of the manual.
User tip: The Rate Rules governing the RA do not change and the mileage rate does not change; the rules and mileage rate in effect at the time of Open are in effect for the life of the RA even if the rates change.)
RESERVATION SPECIFIC RATES
Reservation specific rates use the XDAY field in a different manner than other rates. The rate in the XDAY field is used for any days outside of the original reserved period.
In this example, the rates are as follows:
$40 per day
$240 per week
$65 per day for each day beyond the reserved period
The illustration below is discussed in Example 1b.
| OPTION: __ TIME & MILEAGE CHARGES Elapsed: hrs: 0:00 dys: 4 wks: 0 mo: 0 miles: 50 free: 0 Class SCAR Option EffDt Days/Rate Weeks/Rate Mths/rate Xdys/Rate Hrs/Rate Charge 1 EXTRA 03-20 3/40.00 */240.00 */* 1/65.00 */15.00 185.00 2 MILE 50/* */* */* */* */* * 3 * */* */* */* */* */* * 4 * */* */* */* */* */* * 5 * */* */* */* */* */* * 6 * */* */* */* */* */* * 7 * */* */* */* */* */* * F2 NEXT 7 F4 PREV 7 |
Example 1: The reservation was for 3 days, March 20 at 8 am through March 23 at 8 am.
a. Customer picks up and returns the vehicle as scheduled:
Calculation will be 3 days at $40
b. Customer picks up as scheduled and returns on March 24 at 8 am. (illustrated above)
Calculation will be 3 days at $40 plus 1 day at $65 (for the day beyond the reserved period.)
c. Customer picks up early on March 19 at 10 pm and returns as scheduled on March 23 at 8 am.
Calculation will be 3 days at $40 plus 1 day at $65 (for the day outside of the reserved period.)
d. Customer picks up as scheduled and returns on March 30 (7 days late)Calculation will be 3 days at $40 plus 7 days at $65 (note that the weekly rate does not apply.)
a. Customer picks up and returns the vehicle as scheduled:
Calculation will be 1 week at $240; 2 days at $40
b. Customer picks up as scheduled and returns on March 30 at 8 am. (1 day late)
Calculation will be 1 week at $240; 2 days at $40; 1 day at $65 (for the day beyond the reserved period.)
DAILY AVERAGED RATES
This rate tends to be used on rental of longer terms. On long term rentals the rate is checked for every X days. If there is a rate change, the changed daily rate is averaged in with the daily rate that was appropriate at the pickup date to arrive at an averaged daily rate for the entire rental period.
EXAMPLE:
Rates are to be checked every 28 days on Rate Product XYZ. The prices for XYZ during the summer months are:
06/01/nn thru 6/30/nn = $45.00/day
07/01/nn thru 7/07/nn = $60.00/day
07/08/nn thru 7/31/nn = $50.00/day
A 45 day reservation with a pick up of 06/12/nn will be priced as follows:
By design, when used on a reservation, the rates will be re-averaged if the pickup and return dates of the reservation are changed. But on a walk-up rental, or once a reservation is loaded into an RA, the rates WILL NOT change if the pickup and return dates are altered on the rental agreement.06/12/nn thru 28 days later (07/10/nn) will be priced at $45.00/day
07/11/nn thru 07/27/nn will be priced at $50.00/day
28 X 45.00 = 1260.00
17 X 50.00 = 850.00
1260.00 + 850.00 = 2110.00
2110.00/45 = $46.00/day will be the quoted rate (the averaged daily rate is rounded down to the nearest whole dollar).
| OPTION: __ TIME & MILEAGE CHARGES Elapsed: hrs: 0:00 dys: 4 wks: 0 mo: 0 miles: 50 free: 0 Class SCAR Option EffDt Days/Rate Weeks/Rate Mths/rate Xdys/Rate Hrs/Rate Charge 1 XYZ 06-01 45/46.00 */* */* 8/* */15.00 2070.00 2 MILE 50/* */* */* */* */* * 3 * */* */* */* */* */* * 4 * */* */* */* */* */* * 5 * */* */* */* */* */* * 6 * */* */* */* */* */* * 7 * */* */* */* */* */* * F2 NEXT 7 F4 PREV 7 |
Complimentary rentals can be created by using a Rate Product with a zero rate. All other rate rules, coverages, options, etc. still apply. Rentals of this type can also be handled by the Non-Rev Movement program.
CURRENCY CONVERSION
RENTALS
Some rental rate records may be set up with pricing in a foreign currency. A field in the Edit Rental Rules &Rates record is used to indicate if this is so. Although a rate may be quoted in a foreign currency, at the time of opening the contract, CARS+ will convert the foreign currency rate to your local currency by using the current exchange rate as entered in the Edit Currency Codes file. This conversion of the rate to local currency is done automatically and nothing is required of the user for this to occur - it is mentioned here for informational purposes only.