The General tab of RentalOS Settings controls three foundational settings that affect how porters are compensated and how fuel charges are calculated.

Default Porter Rate

This is the dollar amount a porter earns for each delivery or pickup job.

How to Set It

1. Go to Settings → Rentals → General
2. Find the Porter Payout Settings card
3. Enter a dollar amount in the Default Porter Rate field (e.g., $50.00)
4. Click outside the field — the rate saves automatically

What Happens When You Change It

• The new rate applies to all future porter assignments
• Existing assignments keep the rate they were created with — changes are not retroactive
• You can override the rate on individual rentals when assigning a porter

Recommendations

Common porter rates range from $25-$100 depending on your market and delivery distances. Factor in fuel, tolls, and time. Porters can also log expenses (fuel, tolls, parking) which are tracked separately from the base rate.

Default Porter Address

This is your home base location — typically your garage, lot, or office — used as the default pickup/delivery starting point for porter assignments.

How to Set It

1. Find the Default Porter Address field in the Porter Payout Settings card
2. Start typing your address — Google Places autocomplete suggests matches
3. Select the correct address from the dropdown
4. Saves automatically on selection

What This Address Is Used For

• Default location shown on porter job assignments
• Starting point for Pocket Drives delivery distance calculations
• Displayed to renters as your default pickup/dropoff location

Tip: This address is also shared with Pocket Drives settings. Changing it here updates it in both places.

Fuel Refuel Cost Per Gallon

When a vehicle is returned with less fuel than at check-out, this rate is used to calculate the refueling charge to the renter.

How to Set It

1. Find the Fuel Refuel Settings card on the General tab
2. Enter the cost per gallon (e.g., $4.50)
3. Click outside the field to save

How the Fuel Charge Is Calculated

The fuel charge = (gallons needed to refill) × (cost per gallon). For this to work, you must:

1. Set the fuel tank size on each individual vehicle (under the vehicle's Rentals tab)
2. Record fuel levels at check-out and check-in

The difference in fuel level multiplied by the tank size gives the gallons needed, which is then multiplied by your cost per gallon.

Recommendations

Set this to your local gas price plus a small markup to cover the time and effort of refueling. Common values: $4.00-$7.00/gallon depending on location and vehicle type (premium fuel vehicles should be higher).

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the porter rate include expenses like fuel and tolls?
No. The porter rate is the base compensation. Porters can log expenses separately (fuel, tolls, parking) in the Porter Dashboard, and you can reimburse those in addition to the base rate.

What if I don't set a fuel cost per gallon?
If set to $0, no fuel refueling charge will be calculated. You'd need to add fuel charges manually as a line item on the rental.