Booking Basics#

A booking is a reservation for one or more rental items. This guide explains how bookings work in RecSystems and what you need to know to manage them effectively.

How Bookings Work#

When a customer makes a reservation, RecSystems:

1. Holds the inventory — The selected items are reserved for those dates
2. Collects payment — The customer pays (or provides a card on file)
3. Sends confirmation — Both you and the customer receive confirmation emails
4. Updates availability — Other customers can't book those items for the same time

Booking Status#

Every booking has a status that tells you where it is in the process. The main customer-facing statuses are:

Additional system statuses include: pending (in cart), checkout (in checkout), expired (cart timed out), refunded, and maintenance.

Learn more about all booking statuses

Where Bookings Come From#

Bookings can be created in several ways:

Online Bookings#

Customers book directly through your booking website. These are the most common and require no action from you until check-in.

Dashboard Bookings#

You create bookings manually from your dashboard for:

• Phone reservations
• Walk-in customers
• Group bookings
• Special arrangements

Imported Bookings#

If you're moving from another system, you can import historical bookings to keep your records complete.

What's Included in a Booking#

Each booking contains:

• Customer information — Name, email, phone number
• Rental items — Which units are reserved
• Dates and times — When the rental starts and ends
• Add-ons — Any extras like coolers, life jackets, or insurance
• Pickup location — Where the customer gets their rental
• Pricing — Base rate, fees, taxes, and total
• Payment status — What's been paid and what's outstanding
• Notes — Any special requests or important information

Managing Your Bookings#

Viewing Bookings#

1. Go to Bookings in the main menu
2. Use filters to find specific bookings:
   • By date range
   • By status
   • By customer name
   • By unit

The Booking Calendar#

The calendar view shows all your bookings at a glance:

• See what's booked for any date
• Identify gaps in your schedule
• Drag to quickly create new bookings

Booking Details#

Click any booking to see full details:

• Customer contact information
• Complete pricing breakdown
• Payment history
• Activity log

Key Actions#

From any booking, you can:

• Modify the booking — Change dates, units, or add-ons
• Check in the customer — Mark them as picked up
• Add notes — Record important information
• Process a refund — Issue partial or full refunds
• Cancel the booking — Cancel and handle refunds

Automatic Notifications#

RecSystems automatically sends emails for:

• Booking confirmation — When a booking is created and payment is successful
• Waiver reminder — If digital waivers are required and not yet completed
• Cancellation confirmation — When a booking is cancelled
• Refund confirmation — When a refund is processed

Related Articles#

• Creating a Booking
• Changing a Booking
• Check-In & Check-Out
• Understanding Booking Status
• Cancellations & Refunds