The tariff rates option is found on the Miscellaneous Menu within the Vehicle Rentals module.
When creating a booking on the system the correct tariff rates need to be applied automatically. The charge out rate is dependant on several factors but is typically constructed from a combination of Hire group code and Tariff type. This combination is utilised for standard bookings.
Provided the hire groups and tariff types have been created beforehand as many combinations of these two tables may be used to build up a variety of rates for each hire group.
Note: Sometimes the standard rates may be over-ridden with Customer specific rates; however, this is the exception to the rule.
The Tariff Rates form allows the rates charged for a specific group of vehicles to be determined for a specific tariff; the system populates the agreement with these prices immediately the booking is created.
Note: Users with a sufficiently high priority are able to manually amend these rates in a specific agreement.
To access tariff rates:
From the Master Menu, select the Vehicle rentals option and Company required.
The VEHICLE RENTALS menu is displayed.
Select Miscellaneous options.
The MISCELLANEOUS OPTIONS menu is displayed.
Select the Tariff rates option.
The Tariff Rates form is displayed.
The Tariff Rates form is displayed when the Tariff rates option is selected from the MISCELLANEOUS OPTIONS menu.
The Tariff Rates form consists of a single tab that contains all of the rates applicable to the table.
New Tariff rates may be created for each hire group, amended, displayed, deleted or searched.
To view a particular tariff rate a valid hire group code must be input and a tariff rate that is linked to that hire group. If no such link exists the form enables its creation.
Warning: When a hire group is selected in a hire agreement, the system does not allow a tariff code to be allocated unless it holds the appropriate hire group/tariff type combination in this table.
To choose the tariff to be either displayed, edited or created you must first enter a valid
Hire Group code in the Hire Group box; the ![[...]](Ellipsis.gif){kind=small}
button search
facility may be used to assist selection. Now select the tariff type; again the
button search facility may be used to assist in locating the tariff.
As long as the combination of group code and tariff type have already been created the tariff details are displayed. The Create command button may be used to create a new entry on the Tariff Rates table; this must be a previously unused combination of the hire Group code and the Tariff type code.
The following details are displayed:
Mileage rate: This is the rate at which the system charges for excess mileage on the rental agreement. A value in the range 1 to 5 may be entered. A value of 1 denotes the smallest charge and a value of 5 denotes the largest charge. The five corresponding charge rates are initially defined in the Charges form.
Cost rate: This is the default cost rate that is used when calculating the cost of all charges used within the group. Each charge code has up to five rates. The first charge is normally the smallest, and the fifth charge is normally the highest. Details of these rates are found on the Charges form.
Free Miles/Day: This is the number of free miles that can be driven each day before a mileage charge is generated on the rental. Enter zero to charge for all mileage. If excess mileage is not to be charged a value of 9999 should be entered.
Free Miles/Week: This is the number of free miles that can be driven within a week before a mileage charge is generated. This acts as a possible cap to the daily mileage e.g. A value of 100 miles may be allowed per day (before charging excess mileage) up to a cap of 400 within the week. Enter zero to charge for all mileage. If excess mileage is not to be charge a value of 9999 should be entered.
Free Miles/Month: This is the number of free miles that can be driven within a month before a mileage charge is generated. This acts as a possible cap to the daily mileage e.g. A value of 100 miles may be allowed per day (before charging excess mileage) up to a cap of 1500 within the month. Enter zero to charge for all mileage. If excess mileage is not to be charge a value of 9999 should be entered.
Weekend Charge: This field is useful for rental companies who are utilising a five day week (defined at a global level within System Parameters as ***** or for specific marketing/CRM records within MK.drcom). Sometimes rental companies using a five day week have cash customers whose rental agreement includes one or more weekends. the rental company may forget to charge for the weekend. By utilising this process the weekend charge cannot be overlooked. For this process to work the following procedures need to be put in place:
A Weekend charge needs to be defined in the Charges table. e.g. WEND. The rate value should be for the entire weekend.
The Weekend field in the General 2 Tab within System Parameters should be populated with the new charge code e.g. WEND.
The system only attempts to allocate a weekend charge code (where appropriate) to Cash customers; cash customers are denoted by having a Category Code of C (Cash Sales) within the Sales Ledger account.
If the cash booking/agreement then encompasses a date range which contains a weekend the system raises a charge code (WEND) in the Prices Tab of the agreement
.Note: If the weekend charge is, for example, £100 then the Prices Tab displays a Qty of 2 (i.e. 2 weekend days @ a value of £50 per day.
Sales Analysis Code: The cost centre and expense code used when rental costs are invoiced using this tariff type and group code combination. There is an
Fridge hours rate: There is a facility on the system to record fridge odometer readings/hours and, if required, to create excess charges if the odometer readings exceed what is agreed for a day/week. The field is for holding the daily excess rate per odometer reading measurement.
Free fridge hours/day: This is the number of free odometer hours that can be driven each day before a mileage charge is generated on the rental. Enter zero to charge for all hours. If excess hours are not to be charged a value of 9999 should be entered. If the three fridge hours fields within this form are populated then the system, on the start of a rental agreement for this tariff rate, prompts for the current odometer readings. The system holds both electric and diesel fridge hours separately. These readings are then held against the agreement (in the Vehicle Tab) and vehicle record then taken again on Finish Rental; at this stage the system can calculate if excess fridge miles have been accumulated over the period of the rental and prompts for if an appropriate charge is to be raised; if a charge is raised it populates this charge in the Prices Tab of the rental agreement. The following conditions, however, must first be ensured:
A Fridge charge needs to be defined in the Charges table. e.g. FRID.
The Fridge field in the General 2 Tab within System Parameters should be populated with the new charge code e.g. FRID.
Max free fridge hours/week: This is the number of free hours that can be driven within a week before a charge is generated. This acts as a possible cap to the daily fridge charges e.g. A value of 2 may be allowed per day (before charging excess fridge hours) up to a cap of 8 within the week. Enter zero to charge for all excess. If excess is not to be charged a value of 9999 should be entered.
Daily start date: A customer bespoke and rarely used field which has extensive implications. If this field is left blank this denotes that standard processing is used. However, if the field is populated then a new calculation comes into effect. This denotes on which day this new calculation comes into effect e.g. Day 6 or Day 5.
- If a 5 is entered then for the 6th and 7th day of an agreement the system looks to the rate grid for what is currently the Weekly Rate tariff and multiplies this figure by 1.
- If a 4 is entered then for the 5th, 6th and 7th day of an agreement the system looks to the rate grid for what is currently the Weekly Rate tariff and multiplies this figure by 1.
Note: This is for rental companies that choose to charge for 5 (or 4) days for the working week where the free days are not weekends.
Break: The break field is used to add a further dimension to the tariffs made using this tariff type. Different rates can be charged depending on the length of the rental. Enter the number of days for which this tariff is to be valid. On the first line of the table, the form assumes that the rates are valid from day one of the hire until the day number input.
Therefore if the number 14 is input, the rates are valid for the first 14 days. The next line may be 28, in which case the rates on that line are valid from day 15 to day 28.
Tip: If the option is not going to be used then 9999 needs to be entered in the first line and therefore the rates are used for hires of all lengths.
If more than one line is required, then one or more of the following five figures need to be input for all tariff lines created.
Hourly: The rate per hour for this hire group combined with this tariff type. This column is seldom populated by the majority of rental companies.
Daily: The daily rate for this hire group/tariff type combination.
Tip: Even if a weekly or monthly tariff rate is being defined then a daily tariff must always be entered to accommodate any individual days at the beginning or end of the agreement.
Weekend: The weekend rate for this hire group/tariff type combination.
Weekly: The weekly rate for this hire group/tariff type combination.
Monthly: The monthly rate for this hire group/tariff type combination.
Cash deposit value: Used for cash customer agreements. If a deposit is defined here then when a booking/agreement is created using this tariff type the system prompts and warns (at various event stages such as Allocate, Start Rental, etc) that a deposit/sufficient deposit has not been taken. These warnings may be overridden provided the user priorities meet the priorities set up in the Deposits Tab within System Parameters.
Note: The system only attempts to enforce deposits (where appropriate) on Cash customer agreements; cash customers are denoted by having a Category Code of C (Cash Sales) within the Sales Ledger account.
COMMAND BUTTONS:
Once editing or creation of tariff types is complete the following command buttons may be used:
Confirm: Saves the hire group record along with the new values.
Cancel: Aborts the amendment process and return to the MISCELLANEOUS OPTIONS menu without establishing an amended tariff rate record.
Exit: Returns to the MISCELLANEOUS OPTIONS menu.
