what is the difference between a category and an extra?
what is the difference between a category and an extra?Actually this is kind of the wrong question!
A more useful way to think about it is this. Your rental inventory will consist of core inventory (rental items) and extras
here is how it looks when looking at an actual reservation containing two items;
Your rental inventory
Your rental items are organised into a hierarchy: Category, Product Line, Asset (item)
Rental items are you normally your core revenue generating products like bikes, skis, surfboards, hospital beds etc.
So what are extras?
Extras on the other hand, compliment your rental inventory. For example a helmet, a lock or a set of pedals.
Extras may or may not be chargeable (up to you)
But the key differences between extras and core rental inventory is:
- extras don't count towards your BRM / RSM inventory numbers (i.e. what level of subscription you pay us). Core inventory DOES.
- we don't track availability on extras, instead just using checkboxes within a rental. We DO track availability for rental items.
Things to bear in mind deciding between the two
Aside from the two crucial differences listed above, consider the following.Low value items like bike helmets are typically not worth having as inventory. In our experience its more hassle than its worth. Set them up as extras instead.
There is a 'operational' cost of having inventory. Making sure the right customer has the right item at the right time. This is great for bikes if that is your business, but not worth the hassle for low value items.