Frequently Asked Questions#

Answers to the most common questions about RecSystems.

Getting Started#

What is RecSystems?#

RecSystems is an all-in-one platform for rental businesses. It helps you manage your inventory, accept online bookings, process payments, and run your rental operation efficiently. RecSystems is designed for businesses that rent boats, UTVs, golf carts, bikes, kayaks, and other recreational equipment.

How long does it take to set up?#

Most businesses can start accepting bookings within 15-30 minutes. The Quick Start Guide walks you through the essential setup. You can always add more details and fine-tune your configuration later.

Do I need any technical skills?#

No. RecSystems is designed to be easy to use with no technical knowledge required. If you can use email and browse websites, you can use RecSystems.

Can I use RecSystems on my phone?#

Yes. RecSystems works on any device with a web browser — desktop, tablet, or smartphone. There's no app to download; just visit your dashboard URL in your browser.

Bookings & Availability#

How do customers book?#

Customers visit your booking website (provided by RecSystems), browse your available inventory, select their dates and items, and pay online. You receive a notification for each new booking.

Can I create bookings manually?#

Yes. You can create bookings from your dashboard for phone reservations, walk-in customers, or any other situation. Learn more about creating bookings.

How does availability work?#

RecSystems automatically tracks what's available based on your inventory and existing bookings. When a customer books an item, it's automatically unavailable for those dates. You can also manually block dates or take items offline for maintenance.

Can customers book the same item at the same time?#

No. RecSystems prevents double-bookings automatically. Once an item is booked for specific dates and times, it's not available for other customers during that period.

Payments#

How do customers pay?#

Customers pay online with a credit or debit card when they make their booking. RecSystems uses secure payment processing to protect card information.

When do I receive my money?#

Payouts are processed according to Stripe's standard schedule, typically within 2-7 business days after a completed booking. You can view your payout schedule in your payment settings. Learn more about payouts.

Can I collect deposits?#

Yes. RecSystems offers two types of deposits:

1. Advance payment deposits — Customers pay a portion at checkout (percentage or fixed amount) with the balance due before pickup. This reduces booking friction while securing commitment.

2. Security deposit information (informational only) — Configure your damage deposit amount in account settings. This information appears in FAQs and customer communications, but RecSystems does NOT automatically charge security deposits. Your staff collects them manually.

Learn about advance payment deposits

How do refunds work?#

You can process full or partial refunds directly from the booking details page. Refunds are returned to the customer's original payment method. Learn about refunds.

Can I charge a phone-quote price instead of the catalog price?#

Yes. On any internal booking, open the Booking Strategy panel and choose Set Price. Enter the quoted amount, select a reason code (e.g., Phone Quote), and the cart total, confirmation email, and check-in screen all use your custom price. The override is logged for future auditing. Learn about Booking Strategy.

Can a customer pay part now and the rest later?#

Yes, two ways:

1. Account-level deposits (recommended for consistent policy) — configure a percentage or fixed deposit under account settings so every booking automatically collects a deposit upfront. Learn about deposits.
2. Per-booking custom splits — on any internal booking, open Booking Strategy → Change the payment plan → Take different amount now. Type your take-now and leave-for-later amounts, then pick when the rest is due (at pickup, before rental, specific date, or manual later).

Can I invoice a corporate customer or use a house account?#

Yes, on accounts with the features enabled. In Booking Strategy → Change the payment plan, pick the Invoice or House Account preset. Nothing is charged at the counter; the balance routes to your invoicing or house-account workflow. Learn more.

Can I waive a balance for a weather cancellation or service issue?#

Yes (admin permission required). In Booking Strategy → Change the payment plan, click Waive balance. The remainder is forgiven, and the receipt / confirmation / check-in screen all show Balance Waived. Every waive is logged with the reason, staff member, and timestamp in the override history. Learn about Booking Strategy.

Pricing#

Can I charge different prices for different days?#

Yes. RecSystems supports dynamic pricing rules that let you automatically adjust prices for weekends, holidays, peak season, or any other criteria. Learn about dynamic pricing.

Can I offer discounts?#

Yes. You can create coupon codes for discounts, offer promotional pricing, and run special offers. For one-off discounts on a specific internal booking (VIP, phone quote, repeat renter), use the Booking Strategy panel — any staff member can apply dollar-off or percent-off amounts with a reason code and note for the audit trail. Learn about discounts.

How do taxes work?#

You configure your applicable tax rates in your account settings. RecSystems automatically calculates and adds taxes to bookings. The taxes you collect are included in your payouts — you're responsible for remitting them to the appropriate tax authorities.

Your Booking Website#

Do I get a website?#

Yes. Every RecSystems account includes a professional booking website where customers can browse your inventory and make reservations.

Can I use my own domain name?#

Yes. You can connect a custom domain like book.yourbusiness.com instead of using the default RecSystems URL. Learn about custom domains.

Can I add RecSystems to my existing website?#

Yes. You can embed the booking functionality into your existing website, or simply link to your RecSystems booking page. Learn about embedding.

Account & Billing#

How much does RecSystems cost?#

Contact our sales team for current pricing. We offer plans suitable for businesses of all sizes.

Can I cancel anytime?#

Yes. You can cancel your subscription at any time. Your data remains accessible for a period after cancellation for you to export.

Can I have multiple locations?#

Yes. RecSystems supports multiple pickup/return locations within a single account. Each location can have its own hours, fees, and inventory.

Data & Security#

Is my data secure?#

Yes. RecSystems uses industry-standard security practices including encrypted data transmission, secure payment processing, and regular security audits.

Can I export my data?#

Yes. You can export your booking data, customer information, and financial reports at any time. Learn about exporting.

Who owns my data?#

You do. Your business data belongs to you. We simply store and process it to provide you with the RecSystems service.

Getting Help#

How do I get support?#

Email us at [email protected]. We typically respond within 1-2 hours during business hours (Monday-Friday, 9 AM - 5 PM CST).

Is there a phone number I can call?#

We provide support via email to ensure we can best assist you with your specific situation. For urgent issues, include URGENT in your email subject line.

Can I request new features?#

Yes! We love hearing from customers. Email us at [email protected] with the subject Feature Request to share your ideas.

Still Have Questions?#

If your question isn't answered here:

1. Search the Help Center — Use the search bar to find specific topics
2. Ask Rex — Your AI assistant can answer many questions instantly
3. Contact Support — Email [email protected]