Home RentalOS: Managing Bookings

RentalOS: Managing Bookings

Create, approve, check in, check out, complete, and manage every aspect of your rental bookings.
By Jeremy Crane
• 17 articles

How to Complete a Rental

Completing a rental finalizes the booking. It signals that the vehicle has been returned, all charges are settled, and the rental is closed. How to Complete 1. Open the rental detail view (should be in Checked In status) 2. Review the balance — ensure all charges and payments are correct 3. Click the Complete button in the header What Happens on Completion - Status changes to Completed - If Auto-Send Review Request is enabled in RentalOS settings, the renter receives an SMS asking for a review - The rental is locked from further automatic changes - Commission calculations (if applicable) are finalized - The vehicle becomes available for new bookings on the timeline Before Completing Check these items before marking a rental complete: - Balance is $0 — All charges are paid. If there's an outstanding balance, collect payment first or adjust line items. - Fuel charges applied — If the renter returned with less fuel, ensure the refueling charge was added - Damage assessed — If there's damage, add damage charges before completing - Payment holds resolved — Capture or release any holds on the renter's card Can I Reopen a Completed Rental? Yes. Use the Reopen action to move a completed rental back to an active status if you need to add charges, process a refund, or make corrections. See the "How to Reopen a Voided or Completed Rental" article. Frequently Asked Questions What if there's still an outstanding balance? You can still complete a rental with an outstanding balance. The balance remains on record and can be collected later. However, it's best practice to settle all charges first. Does completing a rental release the security deposit? No. Security deposits (payment holds) must be manually released or captured separately before or after completion.

Last updated on Jul 08, 2026

How to Check Out a Rental

Checking out records the vehicle handoff to the renter — the moment the rental physically begins. How to Check Out 1. Open the rental detail view (must be in Approved status) 2. Click the Check Out button in the header 3. The Check-Out modal opens Check-Out Fields | Field | Description | | --- | --- | | Odometer | Current mileage reading at the start of the rental | | Fuel Level | Fuel level at handoff (e.g., Full, 3/4, 1/2) | | Condition Notes | Notes about the vehicle's condition at handoff | | Photos | Walk-around photos documenting vehicle condition before the rental | What Happens on Check-Out - Status changes to Checked Out — the rental is now actively in progress - The check-out odometer and fuel level are recorded as baselines for return comparison - The actual check-out date/time is captured (may differ from the scheduled pickup date) Why Check-Out Data Matters The data you record at check-out is compared against check-in to calculate: - Fuel charges — If fuel level is lower at return, the difference × cost per gallon × tank size = refueling fee - Mileage overages — If the vehicle has a daily mileage limit, the check-out odometer is the starting point - Condition disputes — Photos at check-out prove the vehicle's condition before the rental Frequently Asked Questions Can I skip the check-out step? It's strongly recommended to record check-out data, but you can proceed without filling every field if time is critical. What if I check out at a different time than scheduled? The system records the actual check-out time. You can adjust the rental dates or pricing to reflect the actual period.

Last updated on Jul 08, 2026

How to Check In a Rental

Checking in a rental records the vehicle's return. This is one of the most important steps — it captures the vehicle's condition and triggers final billing calculations. How to Check In 1. Open the rental detail view 2. Click the Check In button in the header 3. The Check-In modal opens Check-In Fields | Field | Description | Why It Matters | | --- | --- | --- | | Odometer | Current mileage reading | Compared to check-out reading for mileage overage calculations | | Fuel Level | Current fuel level (fraction, e.g., 3/4) | Compared to check-out level to calculate refueling charge | | Condition Notes | Notes about vehicle condition at return | Documents any damage or wear for dispute resolution | | Photos | Walk-around photos of the vehicle | Visual evidence of return condition | What Happens on Check-In - The rental status changes to Checked In - Fuel charge is calculated automatically if the fuel level is lower than at check-out (using your configured cost per gallon × tank size × fuel difference) - Mileage overage can be calculated if the vehicle has a per-day mileage limit configured - Check-in date/time is recorded for billing accuracy After Check-In After check-in, review the rental for: 1. Any additional charges (fuel, mileage overage, cleaning, damage) 2. Remaining balance — collect any outstanding amount 3. Release or capture any payment holds 4. Then move the rental to Completed Frequently Asked Questions What if the renter returns early or late? Check-in records the actual return time regardless of the original dropoff date. You can adjust line items to reflect the actual rental duration if needed. Is check-in required before completing a rental? It's strongly recommended for proper record-keeping, but you can complete a rental directly from Checked Out status if needed. Can I edit the check-in data after submitting? Check-in data is recorded in the rental history. To make corrections, add notes or adjust line items on the rental detail page.

Last updated on Jul 08, 2026

How to Approve a Booking

Approving a booking moves it from Quote to Approved status, signaling to the renter that their reservation is confirmed. How to Approve 1. Open the rental detail view 2. Click the Approve button in the header action bar 3. The rental status changes to Approved What Happens When You Approve - The rental status changes from Quote to Approved - The renter may receive a notification (depending on your notification settings) - The vehicle remains blocked for the booking dates - The rental is now ready for the next step: Check Out When to Approve Approve a booking when you've confirmed: - The vehicle is available and in good condition - The pricing and line items are correct - Any required verifications (identity, insurance) are complete or in progress - Payment has been collected or a card is on file Instant Booking vs. Manual Approval If a vehicle has Instant Booking enabled and all verification requirements are met, bookings are auto-approved without your intervention. Manual approval is needed for standard bookings or when instant booking requirements aren't met. Frequently Asked Questions Can I un-approve a booking? There's no direct "un-approve" action. If you need to revert, you can void the rental and create a new one, or continue with the booking and make any needed changes. Should I collect payment before approving? It's recommended to have a card on file before approving, but it's not required. Some operators approve first and collect payment at check-out.

Last updated on Jul 08, 2026

Editing Pickup & Dropoff Addresses

Every rental has pickup and dropoff addresses that tell the renter (and your porters) where the vehicle exchange happens. How to Edit Addresses 1. Open the rental detail view 2. On the Details tab, find the address fields 3. Click the Edit button next to the address 4. Type a new address — Google Places autocomplete helps you find the exact location 5. Select the correct address from the dropdown 6. The address saves automatically on selection What Addresses Are Used For - Porter assignments — When a porter is assigned, the pickup address is where they deliver the vehicle and the dropoff address is where they retrieve it - Delivery fee calculation — For Pocket Drives, the distance between your default address and the delivery location determines the delivery fee - Customer communications — Addresses appear in booking confirmations and agreements - Rental agreements — The ##{{pickup_address}} and ##{{dropoff_address}} variables auto-populate in agreement templates Setting Different Pickup and Dropoff Locations The pickup and dropoff addresses can be different — this is common for one-way rentals or airport pickups where the return is at a different location. Frequently Asked Questions Does changing the address recalculate the delivery fee? For Pocket Drives bookings, delivery fees are typically locked at booking time. Changing the address after booking may require manually adjusting the delivery fee line item. Can I use a custom address that's not in Google? Start typing and you can usually find the location through Google Places. For very custom locations, type the most relevant nearby address.

Last updated on Jul 08, 2026

Editing Line Items on a Rental

Line items are the individual charges on a rental — daily rate, fees, insurance, taxes, discounts, and extras. You can add, edit, and remove line items at any point in the rental lifecycle. How to Edit Line Items 1. Open the rental detail view 2. Go to the Details tab 3. Click on the line items section 4. Use the Add Line Item button or edit existing items Types of Line Items | Type | Description | Taxable | | --- | --- | --- | | Daily Rate | Per-day rental charge (auto-calculated from vehicle pricing × days) | Yes | | Delivery Fee | Charge for vehicle delivery/pickup | Yes | | Insurance | Bonzah insurance premiums (CDW, RCLI, SLI, PAI) | No | | Security Deposit | Refundable deposit held during the rental | No | | Fuel Charge | Refueling fee based on fuel level difference at return | Yes | | Discount | Negative line item reducing the total | — | | Custom Fee | Any additional charge (cleaning fee, mileage overage, etc.) | Configurable | How Taxes Are Calculated Taxable line items have two types of taxes applied: - Sales Tax — Your configured rental sales tax rate (Settings → Rentals → General) - Fixed Taxes — Any fixed per-day or flat taxes you've configured (e.g., airport surcharge, tourism tax) Insurance line items are always non-taxable. Editing an Existing Line Item 1. Click on the line item amount or description 2. Make your changes 3. Click Save The rental total recalculates automatically whenever a line item is changed. Frequently Asked Questions Can I edit line items after the renter has paid? Yes. You can add or modify line items at any status. If the total increases after payment, the renter will have an outstanding balance. If it decreases, you may want to issue a refund for the difference. How do discounts work? Add a discount as a line item with a negative amount. It reduces the rental total. You can add percentage-based or flat-amount discounts.

Last updated on Jul 08, 2026

Rental Detail View Overview

The Rental Detail View is the primary workspace for managing a single booking. Everything related to a rental — status, payments, verifications, messaging, and more — is accessible from this page. How to Access 1. Click on any rental in the Rental List to open its detail view Header Section The top of the page shows: - Status badge — Current status (Quote, Approved, Checked Out, etc.) - Renter name — Click to view the contact detail - Vehicle — Assigned vehicle with link to vehicle detail - Dates — Pickup and dropoff dates/times - Action buttons — Status transition buttons (Approve, Check Out, Check In, Complete, Void) Tabs The detail view has multiple tabs for different aspects of the rental: | Tab | What It Contains | | --- | --- | | Details | Line items, pricing, addresses, dates, and rental notes | | Verifications | Identity verification (Stripe Identity), insurance verification (Axle), and their status | | Payments | Payment history, take payment, refunds, payment holds, card on file | | Chat | Direct messaging with the renter | | Tasks | Checklist items from your default rental tasks | | Notes | Internal notes visible only to your team | | History | Full audit trail of every action taken on this rental | | Porter | Porter assignment, delivery/pickup status | | Commissions | Commission records for this rental | Quick Actions from the Detail View - Edit line items — Add, remove, or modify charges - Send agreement — Attach and send a rental agreement for signing - Send verification links — Request identity or insurance verification - Take payment — Charge the renter's card - Assign porter — Dispatch a porter for delivery/pickup - Change renter — Switch the booking to a different contact - Change vehicle — Swap to a different vehicle - Edit addresses — Update pickup or dropoff locations Frequently Asked Questions Can multiple team members view the same rental simultaneously? Yes. Multiple team members can view and edit a rental at the same time. Changes are reflected in real-time. Where do I see the total amount owed? The balance and total are displayed in the header section and on the Details tab. The Payments tab shows a breakdown of what's been paid vs. outstanding.

Last updated on Jul 08, 2026

How to Create a New Rental

Creating a new rental is the starting point for every booking you make directly (not from Turo or Pocket Drives). How to Create 1. Go to the Rental List 2. Click the + button in the toolbar (or click New Rental) 3. The Create Rental modal opens Required Fields | Field | Description | | --- | --- | | Renter | Select an existing contact or create a new one. Start typing to search by name, email, or phone. | | Vehicle | Select from your available fleet. Only vehicles not blocked during the requested dates appear. | | Pickup Date | When the renter picks up the vehicle (date and time picker) | | Dropoff Date | When the renter returns the vehicle (date and time picker) | Optional Fields - Pickup Address — Where the vehicle will be picked up - Dropoff Address — Where the vehicle will be returned - Notes — Internal notes about this booking What Happens After Creation The rental is created in Quote status. From here you can: 1. Add line items — Daily rate, fees, insurance, discounts 2. Send the renter an agreement to sign 3. Request verifications — Identity (Stripe) and insurance (Axle) 4. Approve the booking to move it from Quote to Approved 5. Collect payment — Add a card on file and take payment Rental Lifecycle Overview A rental flows through these statuses: Quote → Approved → Checked Out → Checked In → Completed At any point, a rental can also be Voided (cancelled). Frequently Asked Questions Can I create a rental without a vehicle? No. A vehicle must be assigned at creation. If you're not sure which vehicle, create the rental with a placeholder and change it later using the Switch Vehicle feature. Does creating a rental automatically block the vehicle? Yes. Once created, the vehicle is blocked for the selected dates on the fleet timeline and calendar. Other rentals cannot be booked for those dates unless you void or change this one.

Last updated on Jul 08, 2026

Importing Turo Reservations via CSV

If you list vehicles on Turo, you can import Turo reservations into PocketOS to manage all your bookings in one place. How to Import 1. Log in to your Turo host dashboard 2. Export your reservations as a CSV file 3. In PocketOS, go to the Rental List 4. Click the Import Turo CSV button in the toolbar 5. Select and upload the CSV file 6. Review the import preview 7. Confirm to create the rentals What Gets Imported The import creates rental records in PocketOS with: - Renter information from the Turo booking - Vehicle assignment (matched by vehicle name or VIN) - Pickup and dropoff dates - Pricing information - Source marked as "Turo" Important Notes - The importer matches Turo vehicles to your PocketOS inventory by name — ensure your vehicle names are consistent between platforms - Duplicate detection prevents the same Turo booking from being imported twice - Imported rentals appear as normal bookings in your rental list with a "Turo" source badge Alternative: Email Forwarding Instead of CSV import, you can set up automatic import via email forwarding in Settings → Connections → Turo. This creates rentals automatically whenever you receive a Turo booking confirmation email. Frequently Asked Questions What if a Turo vehicle doesn't match any PocketOS vehicle? The import will flag unmatched vehicles. You can manually assign the correct vehicle or skip those records. Can I edit imported Turo rentals? Yes. Once imported, Turo rentals behave like any other rental in PocketOS. You can edit dates, pricing, add payments, and manage the full lifecycle.

Last updated on Jul 08, 2026

Rental List View Overview

The Rental List is your central hub for managing all bookings. It provides a searchable, sortable table of every rental in your organization with powerful tools for filtering, exporting, and bulk operations. How to Access 1. Click Rentals in the left sidebar Main Table The table displays all rentals with columns for: - Status — Badge showing Quote, Approved, Checked Out, Checked In, Completed, or Voided - Renter — Customer name (click to open rental detail) - Vehicle — Assigned vehicle - Dates — Pickup and dropoff dates - Total — Rental total amount - Balance — Amount still owed - Source — How the booking originated (direct, Turo, Pocket Drives, etc.) Search & Filter Use the search bar to find rentals by renter name, vehicle, or any visible field. The search is instant and filters across all columns. Quick Actions - Create New Rental — Click the + button in the toolbar - Export to CSV — Download all visible rentals as a spreadsheet - Bulk Void — Select multiple rentals and void them at once - Import Turo CSV — Upload a Turo export file to create rentals automatically Additional Panels Below the main table, you'll find additional views: - Revenue Stats — Charts showing daily, weekly, and monthly rental revenue - Fleet Timeline — Gantt-style view of vehicle bookings over time - Check-In/Check-Out Grid — Today's arrivals and departures at a glance - Reviews — Customer reviews panel Frequently Asked Questions How do I find a specific rental? Use the search bar to type any part of the renter's name, vehicle name, or booking reference. Results filter instantly. Can I customize which columns appear? The column layout is fixed but optimized for the most commonly needed information. Use CSV export for custom data analysis.

Last updated on Jul 08, 2026