Learn how to set up product inventory, including inventory type, resources, asset pools, asset category, and quantity or capacity.
New to the Product Builder? Read the first article in this series for an introduction to the Product feature.
Which plans include this feature?
Legacy: Soho, Pro, Plus, Enterprise, Flex
New: Starter, Growth, Managed | Learn more about our new plans or how to change your plan.
Where can I find this feature using the top menu?
Inventory > Products > Products > Add Product/Add New Product/Edit Product > Inventory
What prerequisites are there?
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Admin permissions to manage inventory or restricted permissions to View products and assets and Manage products and assets.
Which Checkfront version supports this feature - classic, new or both?
- Your account must have access to products (Inventory > Products), a key feature of our new version of Checkfront. This feature is not available for use with items (Inventory > Items) in our classic version. → Learn more about products.
Product inventory overview
Back to topWithin this step of the Product Builder, you can...
- Specify whether your inventory is unlimited, based on a fixed amount, or dynamically based on the number of resources available (equipment, transport, rooms...).
- Determine whether your product is priced by each asset and private to each booking (quantity) or priced per seat and assets are shared across bookings (capacity).
- Associate new or existing inventory assets with your product as primary assets or additional assets.
Establishing inventory on products
Back to top
Selecting an inventory type
Specify how your inventory is booked and whether it relies on other assets or not (e.g. equipment, transport, or spaces).
Unlimited - Inventory is unlimited
Is your inventory unlimited? This setting allows you to configure the product without fixed inventory amounts. Guests are not asked to specify a quantity when booking, and there are no limits on the number of inventory Guests can book, when considering inventory numbers alone.
Simple - Inventory is static based on a fixed amount
Is your inventory static based on a fixed amount? This setting allows you to specify the Inventory Amount when configuring the product. Guests are asked to specify a quantity when booking. Bookings are limited based on the inventory amount specified. This is a good option if you don't have to assign assets out or have multiple products using the same assets.
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Simple inventory is limited to a quantity of 10,000. |
Assets - Inventory is dynamic based on the number of resources available
Is your product dependent on the number of resources available (equipment, transport, rooms...)? Select resources to associate with your product. See the following sections for more information.
Assigning resources to your product
Resources are the assets that your product depends on to provide guests with the experience, such as equipment, transport, or spaces.
You can configure one or more assets to associate with your product. You can also offer a selection of products to choose from when Staff are assigning the product, for example, multiple sizes of life jackets or paddles.
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In this example, we configure a kayak rental to require a kayak, paddles AND a life jacket. Once the product is booked, Staff can assign the size of the kayak, paddle and life jackets from the Daily Manifest, most commonly when the Guest checks in. For example, Staff will assign a small, medium OR large life jacket. |
To start, you can create a new asset pool with associated assets or find an existing asset category and asset pool with assets to link to the product.
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Asset pools and assets can also be configured directly with the Asset Builder. Are you adding multiple assets to your product? The best practice is to create them in advance. Learn more here... |
Creating a new asset pool
Asset pools represent bookable asset sets (mountain bikes, single kayaks, rooms, cabins, shuttle buses...).
- Click the + Create New button to create a new asset pool and open the Create Assets modal.
- You can specify the Name, Asset Category, Quantity: Total assets, Capacity: Total seats, and Maintenance Time for the Asset Pool (e.g. single kayaks).
- Once you have created the new Asset Pool (e.g. single kayaks), the associated asset is prepopulated into your list of resources.
- Later, you are asked whether the inventory is booked and priced by quantity or capacity.
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Expert Tips from Checkfront Support: Quantity vs Capacity "When creating an asset and setting up quantity and capacity, you must consider how your product will be booked. Let's use private vs. public bus tours as an example." - Jordan, Technical Support Lead |
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Is your bus tour open to the public? With public tours, available space depends on how many buses you have in your inventory (quantity) and the number of spaces (capacity) in each bus. For example, if you have five buses (quantity) with 20 seats each (capacity), you have a total of 100 seats available to book. Once you have entered your inventory numbers and created your asset, you must specify that you want to assign assets by capacity (seats on the bus). |
Is the bus for private tours only? With private tours, availability depends only on the number of buses (quantity) in your inventory. For example, if you have five buses (quantity) in inventory, regardless of the number of seats in each (capacity), you have 5 buses available to book. Once you have entered your inventory numbers and created your asset, you must specify that you want to assign assets by quantity (number of buses). Your private tours are then booked and priced by the quantity of your inventory available. |
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Learn more about the Create Assets modal here... |
Select an (existing) asset category
Asset categories (bikes, kayaks, cabins, buses...) generally identify and classify similar asset pools.
- Already have asset pools created? Click the Select an Asset Category field to select an existing asset category (e.g. kayaks) from the list. This would be the asset category associated with the asset pool (e.g. single kayak) you would like to link to your product.
- This enables the Select asset(s) drop-down from which you can select the desired asset pools (e.g. single kayak). See the screenshot below.
- Next, determine whether the asset associated with the product is priced by each asset and private to each booking (Quantity), or priced per seat and a shared booking (Capacity). These inventory numbers are configured with the Asset Pool (Inventory > Assets).
These steps are described in more detail below.
Selecting asset(s)
Once you have selected the asset category (e.g. kayaks), the asset pool settings display. From there, you can select an asset pool as one of your resources (e.g. single kayaks).
Clicking Select asset(s) opens a drop-down menu listing available asset pools. Select the asset(s) you want to associate with your product.
Assigning assets by quantity vs capacity
The Assign asset by setting determines if your product is priced by each asset and private to each booking (Quantity), or priced per seat and assets are shared across bookings (Capacity). Configured inventory numbers display for each.
Select Quantity or Capacity from the Assign assets by drop-down menu depending on the product offered.
Quantity
This represents the base number of assets available. Priced per asset, these are private to each booking.
For example, a Guest can book one kayak for private use.
Capacity
This represents the total capacity of the assets, considering how many seats or spaces the asset can support. Priced per seat, the assets are shared across bookings.
For example, a shuttle bus has a total capacity of 15 people. 15 different people can each book a seat on the bus for a public wine tour.
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The inventory numbers displayed are read-only. Asset inventory can be managed from the Assets list (Inventory > Items > Assets). Learn more about managing assets here: |
Adding an asset pool from same asset category
Click the +Add button to add subsequent, existing asset pools from the same asset category (e.g. double kayaks). The Guest could then be assigned a single kayak OR double kayak. If you don't see the +Add button, you need to go to the Asset Builder to add more options to your inventory.
Adding another resource
Your product might depend on multiple categories of resources for the experience, such as kayaks, life jackets and paddles.
You can click + Add Another Resource to add additional categories of assets, which in turn, can have one or more asset pools linked.
Notice how the asset categories have 'AND' relationships, and the asset pools within that have 'OR' relationships.
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For example, you can add Kayak Paddles (200 cm, 210 cm, OR 220 cm) AND Life Jackets (Small, Medium, OR Large). The product booking includes the kayak, kayak paddles AND life jackets. A Guest who has booked a kayak rental could then be assigned a 220cm paddle AND a large life jacket during check-in. |
Understanding the guest experience
To the Guest, your product appears as a simple product (e.g. Kayak Rental). Any assets configured and attached are manually or automatically assigned behind the scenes by Staff via the Daily Manifest (Booking > Daily Manifest > Assign).
For example, your Staff can determine what size of kayak, kayak paddles and life jackets are needed during check-in.
Removing resource asset pools
To disconnect an Asset Pool, click the remove (X) icon at the far right of the asset pool name. This does not delete the asset pool from your account but does remove it from your product.
Removing resource asset categories
To disconnect a primary asset category from your product, click on the trash can icon at the far right of the asset category name. This does not delete the asset category from your account but does remove it from your product.
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Removing the primary asset category removes all attached assets and associated settings, including additional assets. |
Continue building your product
Navigate forward through the steps of the Product Builder. The Continue button becomes enabled once the minimum required product details have been provided.
< Setting up details, visibility, and media on products | Determining availability on products >