Good clarification — this needs to be written explicitly for store owners, not end customers.

Below is the revised version. The tone assumes:

• The reader controls the CBP site

• They configure pricing, tax, deposits, add-ons

• They need to understand the system so they can explain it to customers

It avoids speaking to the end customer.

How Online Booking Pricing Is Calculated (End-to-End)

This article explains how pricing is calculated in your CBP online booking site, from product selection through to payment confirmation.

Understanding this flow will help you:

• Configure your pricing correctly

• Anticipate customer questions

• Reduce “price increased” or “hidden fee” complaints

• Explain deposit vs total differences confidently

1. Base Rental Price

When a customer selects a product and rental dates, the system calculates a base rental price using:

• The selected product family

• The rental duration

• Your store’s pricing rules (hourly, daily, multi-day tiers)

This is the starting price before extras, fees, or tax are applied.

2. Tax Application

Tax is applied according to your store’s tax configuration.

Your store may be set to:

• Inclusive tax (price already includes tax), or

• Exclusive tax (tax added during checkout)

Tax is calculated on:

• Rental price

• Any taxable extras

• Any taxable fees

If something is configured as zero-rated, tax will not be added to that item.

3. Product-Level Extras

Extras selected on the product page (e.g. insurance, upgrades, accessories) are added before checkout.

Important configuration points:

• Extras can be: 

  • Optional

  • Mandatory (“Required”)

  • Automatically applied

• Extras can have independent tax settings

• If an extra displays as £0.00, it may be:

  • Intentionally free, or

  • Missing a matching price group for the selected duration

If customers report incorrect extra pricing, this is often linked to duration-based extra configuration.

4. Reservation-Level Add-ons

During checkout, booking-level add-ons may appear. These are configured at store level and can be:

• Optional

• Mandatory (“Required”)

• Automatically applied

Examples include:

• Online service charges

• Booking protection

• Delivery fees

If marked as “Required”, customers cannot remove them unless you change the configuration in the back office.

5. Booking Fee

If enabled in your settings, a booking fee may be applied.

This can be:

• A fixed amount, or

• A percentage of the booking value

The booking fee:

• Is added during checkout

• May be taxable (depending on configuration)

• May or may not be refundable (based on your cancellation policy)

If customers question the fee, review your booking fee configuration and naming.

6. Discounts

Discount codes are applied during checkout.

Important behaviour:

• Discounts may apply only to rental price

• They may exclude booking fees

• They may exclude mandatory add-ons

• Tax recalculates after discount is applied

If customers believe the discount “did not work”, it is often because it does not apply to all components of the booking.

7. Subtotal vs Rental Total vs Amount Charged

This is the most common source of confusion.

Subtotal

Typically includes:

• Rental price

• Selected product extras

Rental Total

Includes:

• Rental

• Extras

• Reservation add-ons

• Booking fee

• Tax

This represents the full value of the booking.

Amount Charged Online (Deposit vs Full Payment)

Your store may be configured to collect:

• 100% payment online, or

• A percentage deposit online

If you use deposits:

• The payment button shows only the deposit amount

• The remaining balance is due in-store

This is why customers may see a lower “Pay Now” amount than the Rental Total displayed.

8. Confirmation Page

After payment, the confirmation page shows:

• Booking reference

• Rental period

• Full rental total

• Add-ons and fees

• Pickup location

If you collect deposits, the confirmation reflects the full rental value, not just the amount paid online.

This ensures reporting and reconciliation remain accurate in the back office.

Common Customer Questions You Should Expect

“Why did the price increase?”
Add-ons, fees, and tax are applied in stages during checkout.

“Why am I only being charged part of the total?”
Your store is configured to collect a deposit online.

“Why didn’t my discount apply to everything?”
Discounts may exclude booking fees or mandatory add-ons.

“Why is tax higher than expected?”
Tax is applied to all taxable components, not just the rental price.

Best Practice for Store Owners

To reduce pricing-related support tickets:

• Use clear, customer-friendly names for add-ons and fees

• Clearly explain deposit rules on your booking page

• Ensure your tax model matches local expectations

• Review duration-based extra pricing regularly

• Keep cancellation and refund policies visible