Viewing Equipment Hire Guides (Booking Type 2): Looking for admission ticketing, soft play sessions, or mini golf time slots? Switch to the
Ticketed Activities & Venues Hub.
Specialized Rental Sectors: Built for Bouncy Castle & Inflatable Hire, Mobile Soft Play Hire, Marquee & Gazebo Hire, Event Furniture & Prop Hire, Plant & Tool Hire (Mini Diggers, Rotavators), Sound & Lighting / AV Equipment Hire, and Car, Van & Trailer Hire.
1. Products, Fleet Inventory & Hire Rates
Adding Products & Stock Fleet
Create hire products, assign categories, define physical dimensions, upload photos, and set stock fleet numbers to prevent double-booking.
Products
Fleet Stock
Dimensions
Read Guide
Hire Pricing & Durations
Configure hourly, single-day, multi-day, weekend, and weekly rental rates, plus turnaround changeover buffer days for equipment cleaning.
Day Rates
Weekend Rates
Changeovers
Read Guide
Security Deposits & Damage Cover
Set up refundable damage deposits, accidental waiver options, and return inspection checklists for tools, plant, and event equipment.
Security Deposits
Damage Cover
Inspections
Read Guide
2. Delivery Rates & Distance Calculation
Delivery Distances & Postcode Pricing
Set your depot base postcode, define mileage price tiers (e.g. 0-5 miles free, £10 for 5-10 miles), configure specific postcode area rates, and enable the instant online delivery calculator.
Postcode Distance
Mileage Tiers
Delivery Calculator
Read Guide
Booking Questions, Surfaces & Access
Capture critical delivery details during online booking: surface type (grass, concrete, indoors), power availability, side gate access widths, event start times, and hall hire access windows.
Ground Surfaces
Access Width
Setup Windows
Read Guide
3. Packages & Themed Products
Equipment Packages & Bundles
Group items into discounted hire bundles (e.g. Castle + Soft Play Ball Pond Package, Marquee + Tables & Chairs Bundle, Mini Digger + Dumper Deal) with automated combined inventory checks.
Hire Packages
Bundle Discounts
Stock Sync
Read Guide
Themed Products & Shared Assets
Manage interchangeable artwork velcro banners (Superheroes, Princesses, Jungle, Unicorns). Booking one theme automatically locks out the shared inflatable base for that date!
Velcro Themes
Shared Bases
Smart Lockout
Read Guide
4. Operations, Dispatch & Booking Management
Taking Phone & Admin Hire Bookings
Step-by-step for staff taking phone orders, looking up postcodes, quoting live delivery fees, applying custom discounts, and taking payments or deposits.
Phone Bookings
Manual Entry
Quotes
Read Guide
Managing Existing Hire Orders
How to use Booking Summary for rentals: reschedule hire dates, amend delivery addresses, change access times, add items, and handle weather cancellations.
Booking Summary
Amend Orders
Reschedule
Read Guide
Availability & Dispatch Calendar
View equipment allocations across days and weeks, plan driver delivery routes, schedule vehicle load lists, and manage equipment collection runs.
Dispatch Calendar
Van Loading
Route Planning
Read Guide
5. Hire Terms, Safety, Gateways & Website Embeds
Equipment Hire Terms (50 Templates)
Essential legal policies: PIPA 24mph maximum wind rules, underground service checks, fuel refuelling, driver licenses, and 50 ready-to-use rental templates.
PIPA Wind Rules
50 Templates
Safety Terms
Read Guide
Connecting Hire to Your Website
Add 'Check Availability' buttons or embed your interactive product catalogue and delivery calculator into WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, and GoDaddy.
Website Embed
WordPress & Wix
Buttons
Read Guide
Payment Gateways for Hire
Connect Stripe, Worldpay, Opayo, Square, or PayPal. Learn how to take upfront booking deposits with balance payments on delivery.
Stripe
Deposits
Cash on Delivery
Read Guide
Ready to Automate Your Bookings?
Join hundreds of UK operators running on SmartBookings with 0% platform booking fees and automated payments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common operational questions and expert guidance:
How does SmartBookings prevent double-booking physical rental assets?
In Products & Fleet Inventory (AddResources.aspx), each product is assigned a physical stock quantity (e.g. 2 units). When booked for a date, available inventory decreases automatically, preventing double-bookings.
How does the automated delivery calculator price delivery fees by mileage?
In PostCodeDistances.aspx, set your depot base postcode. SmartBookings calculates the exact travel distance to the customer's delivery postcode and applies tiered mileage pricing bands automatically.
What wind speed threshold applies to outdoor bouncy castle hire (PIPA 24mph)?
Under UK HSE safety regulations, commercial inflatables must NOT be used outdoors in wind speeds or gusts exceeding 24mph (Beaufort Force 5). Hire terms must include this rule to protect children from wind accidents.
How do Velcro artwork themes share a single base inflatable asset?
In ResourceThemes.aspx, you link multiple Velcro artwork banners to one physical base castle. Booking any theme automatically locks out the physical unit and all sibling artwork themes for that date.
Can operators view van delivery routes and print driver loading manifests?
Yes. The mobile-friendly Dispatch Calendar (RentalCal.aspx) displays color-coded delivery timelines, and drivers can print daily van load sheets detailing equipment, blowers, and safety stakes.
Try SmartBookings Free
Ready to Automate Your Bookings & Boost Revenue?
Join hundreds of leisure venues, sports clubs, clinics, and equipment hire businesses. Set up your online booking system in under 10 minutes with 0% platform booking fees.
14-Day Free Trial
No Credit Card Required
Free Setup & UK Support
Start Free Trial →
Instant setup • Cancel anytime