Configuring the default calendar and item events for items using the Item Builder (Classic)

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Learn how to set up a default calendar status and item events, including creating new item events and attaching and detaching existing item events.

New to the Item Builder? You can read the first article in this series for an introduction to the Item Builder.

 

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Which plans include this feature?

Legacy:  Soho, Pro, Plus, Enterprise, Flex
New:  Growth (Subscription), Growth (Online Booking Fee), Managed
→ Learn more about our new plans or how to change your plan.

Where can I find this feature using the top menu?

Inventory > Items > Add New/Edit Item > Pricing

What more do I need to use this feature?

• Admin or restricted permissions to View items, products, and assets and Manage items, products, and assets.
  
  

Which Checkfront version supports this feature - classic, new or both?

• Your account must have access to items (Inventory > Items), a key feature of our classic version of Checkfront. 

 

New to Checkfront - Products ✨ With our newest version of Checkfront, we have added Products (Inventory > Products) as the successor to items (Inventory > Items). Are you interested in migrating to our newest version? Please reach out to our Technical Support team for more information. What are the differences between the Item Builder and the new Product Builder? Discover more product-related help articles here!

 

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This section enables you to set the default status of your item. There are three options to choose from...

 

Available

The item is Available by default 365 days a year. Closures can be added via item events.

 

Unavailable

The item is NOT available by default. An item event is required to set availability. Item events override the default item status.

 

Disabled

The item is not available for booking under any circumstances. You can use this to archive unused items for later use.

 

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Create and attach existing item events to refine when your item is Available or Unavailable.

Closure dates can be applied to items configured with a default calendar status of Available.

Windows of availability can also be added to items configured with a default calendar status of Unavailable.

 

Item events can also be centrally managed from the Item Events page (Inventory > Item Events). Learn more here... Introduction to item events

 

Are you searching for how to configure availability events for Products instead? Learn more here: Understanding product availability events Introduction to product closures

 

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With item events, you have four options, accessible by clicking the Create New Item Event button.

 

 

This video provides step-by-step instructions on setting up a seasonal item event.

 

Seasonal item events are generally used to set pricing or availability based on the time of year (e.g. Peak, Low, Closed). Seasonal item events should not overlap one another.

From the dropdown menu, select Seasonal Item Event to get started. You now see a pop-up window in which you can input your requirements.

 

Features
Name		Enter a name for the seasonal item event, bearing in mind this displays on Customer Booking Invoices.
Price		Here you can determine how the price of the item once the seasonal rate comes into effect.
- Base Price		Select this to use the default base price.
- Create New Price Point		Select this option to enter a new, specific price for this item event. Once you save the item event, a new price point displays so that you can enter whatever price you like for each parameter. This new section is labelled Pricing Table.
- Dynamic		Choose this option, if you need to adjust the base price by an amount or percentage Adjust by percent (%) or a fixed amount ($). For example, +3%, -10% or -$5.00. As with the create a new price point option, the new pricing can be viewed in the Pricing Table.
- Yield		With the yield setting, you can adjust the price of your inventory based on the amount of Inventory remaining using threshold pricing. For example, if you have 10 seats on a bus and they are all available, you can charge the base price. However, as the seats start to sell, you can increase or decrease the price based on the remaining stock. Once applied, the Pricing Table communicates that pricing thresholds are in effect. It is important to note that yield pricing is calculated using the base price and is NOT cumulative. For example, if there are only 5 spots left, the price is reduced by 10%. If there is only 1 space left the price is reduced by 25%, NOT by 35% (10%+25%). To remove a threshold, click on the trash can at the end of the row.
Available Days		Use this dropdown menu to determine which days of the week the pricing is available. Combine the applicable days settings with the start/end dates, to create an item event that is only in effect on select days and times!
Start Date		Determines the start date for the item event.
End Date		Determines the end date for the item event. The remove end date setting leaves the item event open-ended. For a one-day item event, the start and end dates should be the same.
Applicable Times		By default, the item event applies to all times. Used in combination with the +Add specific timeslots setting.
+ Add specific timeslots		Click on +Add specific timeslots to open a drop-down list of available timeslots. Options to Select All or Select None are also available.
Ruleset		If you’ve created a ruleset to apply to the item event, choose it here. Learn more about rules here... Introduction to item rules (Classic)
Apply to		Choose which categories and items to apply to the item events. Options to select all or select none are also available.

 

The recurrence setting for item events is configured on the item event once created via the Item Events list (Inventory > Item Events). Learn more here... Introduction to item events (Classic)

 

Check out this FAQ for further instructions, including video! How do I make my item available for select dates only?

 

 

Special pricing rates are typically used to override seasonal item event pricing, for example, a long weekend special.

Select Special Pricing Rate from the dropdown menu, then configure the settings mentioned above under Seasonal Item Events to match your special pricing rates.

 

Use this option if you would like to configure a closure, for example, if you want to close your business over the holidays. This item event removes the item from your booking page during your chosen period.

 

There are no pricing fields in this pop-up window, as the inventory is unavailable to your Customers.

 

Check out this FAQ for further instructions, including video! How do I make my item unavailable for select dates?

 

Set this item event up like seasonal item events and special pricing rates, only with dates as very specific booking requirements.

With this item event, the booking must begin and end on the dates you specify.

 

For example, if you offer a one-off trip from July 1st to July 5th, and the item is only displayed on the Booking Calendar for those specific dates. When Customers come to book, they can't change the start and end dates as they are now fixed.

 

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Click on the Attach existing Item Event button to initiate this process.

The Attach Item Events modal opens with the list of item events created already. You can select the item events you need and click Attach to connect them to your item.

 

Item events can be found and centrally managed from the Item Events page (Inventory > Item Events). Learn more here... Introduction to item events (Classic)

 

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To remove an item event from the item, select open the Edit menu under the Details column and click on the option to Detach Event. 

 

If you do not see the option to detach the event, the item event is most likely applied to the entire category, not just the item in focus. You must change the Apply To settings to detach the item event from this item. Ideally, you do not detach item events after you have accepted bookings. Please reach out to Technical Support with your intentions before doing so mid-season to get some advice and avoid issues.

 

 

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< Configuring pricing for items    |     Configuring taxes, deposits and additional options for items >

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