How Online Availability Is Calculated on CBP

Online availability in CBP is not a simple count of how many items you own. It is calculated dynamically based on time, existing reservations, asset type, and store configuration.

Understanding this will help you:

• Explain why an item shows as unavailable

• Prevent “but we have bikes in the shop” complaints

• Configure your inventory correctly

• Reduce availability-related support tickets

1. Availability Is Time-Based (Not Quantity-Based)

Online availability is calculated for a specific date and time range, not per day.

This means:

• A bike available at 9:00am may not be available at 11:00am

• Partial overlaps block availability

• A single-hour conflict can make a full-day rental unavailable

Availability is calculated based on:

• Start date and time

• End date and time

• Overlapping reservations

2. Existing Reservations Block Inventory

When a reservation exists for a product:

• That asset (or capacity unit) is blocked for the full rental period

• Overlapping bookings reduce availability

• Edited reservations are temporarily excluded from blocking during modification

If customers report “no availability” but you see items in-store, check for overlapping bookings in the selected time window.

3. Product Lines, Items & Auto-Allocate

Availability is calculated at the product line (generic) level, not at the individual item level.

If Auto-Allocate is enabled, physical items are assigned automatically when the booking is completed.
If Auto-Allocate is disabled, bookings remain as product lines until staff manually assign items.

For a full explanation, see: Auto-Allocate

4. Online and Back Office Availability May Differ

Availability rules can vary depending on the channel:

• Online booking (customer-facing)

• Back office (staff booking)

For example:

• Certain restrictions may only apply to online bookings

• Staff may be able to override availability in the back office

If availability differs between online and admin view, review your settings.

5. Product State Affects Availability

Products may be unavailable online due to:

• Archived or suspended state

• Allocation limits

• Store location settings

6. Location Selection Matters

If you operate multiple locations:

• Availability is calculated per store

• Inventory does not automatically share across locations

• Changing location recalculates availability

Customers selecting the wrong store may see different availability.

Common Customer Questions You Should Expect

“Why is this unavailable? We have bikes in the shop.”
Availability is time-based and may be blocked by overlapping bookings.

“Why can staff book it but customers can’t?”
Online availability may enforce additional restrictions.

“Why does changing the time make it unavailable?”
Availability depends on the exact time window selected.

Best Practice for Store Owners

To reduce availability complaints:

• Review generic capacity settings regularly

• Ensure products are not accidentally archived or suspended

• Train staff on the difference between online and back office logic