Understanding Booking Status#

Every booking in RecSystems has a status that tells you where it is in the rental process. This guide explains what each status means and when bookings move between them.

Status Overview#

RecSystems uses 10 booking statuses to track the complete lifecycle:

Color guide:

• Yellow = Action may be needed (Pending, Returned)
• Cyan = In process (Checkout, Rented)
• Blue = Confirmed (Reserved)
• Green = Complete (Completed)
• Red = Ended abnormally (Cancelled, Refunded)
• Gray = Inactive (Expired)
• Dark = Internal (Maintenance)

Customer-Facing Statuses#

These are the statuses customers typically see and interact with:

Reserved#

What it means: The booking is confirmed. Payment has been collected, and the inventory is held for the customer.

Customer view: They see their booking as confirmed and receive confirmation emails.

Your action: Wait for the rental date, then check in the customer when they arrive.

Rented#

What it means: The customer has picked up their rental. The rental period is active.

Customer view: Their rental is in progress.

Your action: Monitor for the scheduled return time. When the customer returns, process the check-out.

Returned#

What it means: The customer has returned the rental. The equipment is back in your possession but not yet finalized.

Your action:

1. Inspect the returned equipment
2. Add any additional charges if needed (damage, late fees, fuel)
3. Release any security deposit you collected manually (outside RecSystems)
4. Mark the booking as completed

Completed#

What it means: The rental is fully finished. All charges are finalized.

Customer view: They receive a completion confirmation.

Your action: No action needed. This booking is part of your history and reports.

Cancelled#

What it means: The booking was cancelled before the rental took place.

What happens: The inventory becomes available again. Refunds (if applicable) are processed according to your cancellation policy.

Internal Statuses#

These statuses are primarily used by the system:

Pending#

What it means: Items are in a customer's cart but not yet reserved. A temporary soft hold may be in place.

What happens next: Customer either proceeds to checkout or the cart expires.

Checkout#

What it means: Customer is in the checkout process but hasn't completed payment yet.

What happens next: Customer completes payment (becomes Reserved) or abandons checkout (may expire).

Expired#

What it means: The cart or checkout session timed out before payment was completed.

What happens: The soft hold is released and inventory becomes available again.

Refunded#

What it means: The booking was cancelled and a refund was processed.

What happens: Inventory is released. Refund is returned to the customer's original payment method.

Maintenance#

What it means: The unit is blocked for maintenance, repairs, or other internal purposes.

What happens: The unit is unavailable for booking during this period.

How Bookings Move Between Statuses#

Pending → Checkout → Reserved → Rented → Returned → Completed
   ↓         ↓          ↓         ↓
Expired   Expired   Cancelled  Cancelled
                       ↓
                   Refunded

Key transitions:

• Pending → Checkout: Customer proceeds to checkout
• Checkout → Reserved: Payment successful
• Reserved → Rented: Staff performs check-in
• Rented → Returned: Staff performs check-out
• Returned → Completed: Staff finalizes the rental
• Any active status → Cancelled: Booking cancelled
• Cancelled → Refunded: Refund processed

Inventory Impact by Status#

Blocking Statuses (Consume Inventory)#

These statuses prevent other customers from booking the same unit:

• Reserved — Confirmed booking
• Rented — Rental in progress
• Returned — Equipment back but not finalized
• Maintenance — Unit blocked for maintenance

Soft Hold Statuses#

These create temporary holds that may expire:

• Pending — Items in cart
• Checkout — In checkout process

Non-Blocking Statuses#

These release inventory for other bookings:

• Completed
• Cancelled
• Expired
• Refunded

Actions Available by Status#

Reserved#

• ✅ Modify booking (change dates, units, add-ons)
• ✅ Add notes
• ✅ Check in customer (changes to Rented)
• ✅ Cancel booking
• ✅ Process refund

Rented#

• ✅ Add notes
• ✅ Modify add-ons
• ✅ Check out customer (changes to Returned)
• ⚠️ Cancel (with refund considerations)

Returned#

• ✅ Add additional charges
• ✅ Release security deposit (if collected manually)
• ✅ Add notes
• ✅ Complete booking (changes to Completed)

Completed#

• ✅ View details
• ✅ Process additional refund
• ❌ Modify booking

Cancelled / Refunded#

• ✅ View details
• ✅ View refund history
• ❌ Modify or restore

Finding Bookings by Status#

1. Go to Bookings in the main menu
2. Click the Status filter dropdown
3. Select the status you want to see
4. The list updates to show only bookings with that status

Tip: Use status filters to quickly find:

• Today's check-ins (Reserved status, today's start date)
• Current rentals (Rented status)
• Returns to process (Returned status)

Common Questions#

Can I change a booking's status manually?#

Status changes happen through specific actions (check-in, check-out, cancel, complete) rather than directly editing the status. This ensures all the related processes happen correctly.

What if a customer doesn't show up?#

If a customer doesn't arrive for their reservation, you can:

1. Try to contact them
2. Cancel the booking as a no-show
3. Apply your no-show policy for refunds

Can I reopen a cancelled booking?#

No. If a customer wants to rebook after cancellation, create a new booking. This keeps your records accurate.

Related Articles#

• Booking Basics
• Cancellations & Refunds