Learn how to set up item packages, including the price, opt-ins, dates, and parameter settings.
New to the Item Builder? You can read the first article in this series for an introduction to the Item Builder.
Accessing the features mentioned in this article
Where can I find this feature using the top menu?
- Inventory > Items > Add New/Edit Item > Packages > Item Add-Ons
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 Items, Classic Products, or both?
- Your account must have access to classic items (Inventory > Items), a key feature of our Classic Items version of Checkfront.
Configuring item packages
Back to topOther items in your inventory can be attached to the item you're working on to create a package.
Your main item is known as the parent item. The other items you add to this to create a package are known as child items. Packaged items can be optional, pre-selected, or required.
Click the Attach an Item button to add a new item to your package.
Once you select your item from the list, the pop-up window extends to reveal additional options. These include various ways to customize how your child item is treated in the package.
First of all, you need to set the item price percentage. This is the percentage of the original price you need this item to be charged.
In our example, we have chosen to add a Segway City Tour as a package add-on. If we set the price percentage to 0, then the tour is included for free. If we set the percentage to 200, the tour price is doubled.
In most cases, offering a slight price decrease is normal to tempt the Customer into making a purchase. In this case, we charge 75% of the original price.
Next, specify how the child item should be included in the package. You have three options that can be chosen from the dropdown menu:
Optional: The item is not pre-selected and can be added to the booking by the Customer.
Pre-Selected: The item is pre-selected for inclusion but can be removed by the Customer before finalizing the booking.
Required: The item is pre-selected for inclusion but cannot be removed by the Customer, as it is required in the booking.
Required - Hidden: The item is free & pre-selected for inclusion, as it is required in the booking, but cannot be removed/seen by the Customer.
Depending on the option chosen here, the Customer can select their date preference when adding the package add-on to their booking. The setting you select here determines how customizable that date is.
If selected, the booking date of the child item mirrors that of the parent item.
If, for example, the Valley Lodge is booked from March 5th to March 11th and the Mountain Bike Adventure is included as a package add-on, then this is scheduled for the first date in the range - March 5th.
If the item is configured with time slots, which in this case it is, a time may be chosen, but the Customer cannot change the booking date.
This option is similar to the previous one. The difference is the ability for the Customer to choose the booking date of the child item within the confines of the parent booking date range.
Our previous example showed a booking at the Valley Lodge between March 5th and March 11th.
The Customer can still add the Mountain Bike Adventure as an add-on to the booking, only this time, they can choose a date other than the first date of the room booking, providing it is within the total booking range of the parent item.
In this case, the Customer could book the mountain bike add-on on March 10th.
The custom option allows a greater degree of date customization within the confines you outline here.
You can allow add-on bookings to start x number of days before/after the parent booking has started/ended. You can then choose when to end the option for add-on bookings in a similar fashion.
In the above example, a start was set 2 days after the parent booking starts, and the end was set 2 days before the parent booking ended.
This means that the add-on item cannot be booked until 2 days into the booking of the main parent item. Likewise, bookings can be made until 2 days before the main parent booking ends. This essentially creates a 3-day booking window in the middle of the parent booking date range.
In addition to the date, you also have the option to enable parameter adjustments for your Customers.
With the option turned off, the child item's quantity mirrors the parent item's.
As you can see in the screenshot above, the package add-on has not yet been added to the booking, but the quantity (3) mirrors the parent item. This is not editable by the Customer. Of course, they might not want 3 helmets, so this is where the parameter adjustment comes in very useful.
With the parameter switch turned on, Customers can select the number of helmets they require with the booking (see screenshot above).
As you can see above, the Customer could book 3 kayaks for the afternoon, but only 1 helmet was required.
Requesting parameter mapping
Back to topIf the item you are attaching as a packaged item (child) to the main item (parent) uses different booking parameters, then you can map them to ensure they are allocated as desired. If such a scenario occurs, this feature displays automatically during the attaching process.
Choose the parent parameter from the drop-down field that most closely matches the child item labelled to its right.
In the example above, if an adult is selected during the booking process for the parent item, an adult is also selected for the child item if chosen from the package options.
Once you add your packaged item(s), they are visible just above the Attach an Item button.
You can configure the package options by clicking on the Edit button or remove the child item by clicking on the dropdown button next to this and selecting Detach Item
Showing package starting price
If you want to display a starting price for the package in the booking portal, turn this option on and enter the price in the field that appears.
This overrides the displayed starting price for your items on the Customer-facing booking page. Example: From $99.
Nested Package Add-onsAdd-ons to Add-ons are not supported at this time. When the main item has multiple item add-ons, those add-ons shouldn't have item add-ons, especially not 'required-hidden' add-ons. |
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Are you searching for how to configure packages for Products instead? Learn more here: |
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