Setting up Zones and Pricing

Pricing works by setting up "zones" which can then be used to define special pricing "rules". Rules can be set for a specific zone or for rides that start in 1 zone and end in another.

Zones

Zones can be drawn or automatically selected by using the zip-code selection tool in the top-right of the map. Please ensure that when you create a zone you mark it as "active". 

To create a zone:

1. Decide whether the zone will be based on a zip-code or a drawn area.
   
   
2. If the zone will be based on a zip code you can enter the zip code in the top-right corner of the map and click on the "Find Zone" button:
   
   
   
3. If the zone will be based on a drawn area, please click on the drawing icon in the top center of the map:
   
   
   
4. Once a zone is drawn or selected a dialogue will appear to name the zone and activate it. It will also contain a field for setting zone priority (this is only important when zones are overlapping to define which zone has a higher priority... the zone with the highest number will win)
   
   
   *** Make sure to "enable" the zone or it will not be usable in any rules ***

Pricing Rules

Pricing rules apply to a single zone if a second zone is not chosen. Every zone has a base price which is applied to all vehicles unless specific vehicles are specified to override these pricing rules in the "Vehicle Rules" area. 

Option surcharges can also be added and given a value for each zone. 

Rules can be created by clicking on the "Add Rule" button in the top-right corner of the pricing section:

When adding a rule, the "add rule" screen is shown and the option is given to choose a zone:

Step 1: Choose a zone

Step 2: Choose a secondary zone

Once a zone is chosen, the rule will offer the option to choose a second zone. This is only necessary for establishing rules that create pricing across 2 different zones. To create a rule for pricing when both the pickup and destination are in the same zone, do not select a second zone.

Step 3: Name your rule and set its priority

The next step in setting up a rule once the zones are chosen is to name it and set its priority. Priority can typically be set to 1 unless there are overlapping rules which require rules to define priority. 

Step 4: Setup the default zone pricing

Once the name and priority are set, the default pricing rules for the zone can be set:

Below is an explanation of each field:

• Minimum Price - The minimum the system will bill for any job
• Initial Price - The "starting" price for the job (this is where you would put a flat fee for the first leg)
• Per Mile - The price to charge per mile traveled
• Per Minute - The price to charge per minute traveled
• Wait Per Minute - The price to charge for wait time on a per-minute basis
• Service Fee - Any specific fees to automatically charge

These fees will be applied to any jobs that match this pricing rule based upon the pickup and destination.

Step 5: Set up any add-on fees

Add on fees will be applied if the specific attribute is selected by the dispatcher when entering a job. They can be defined in the "job options" tab and given specific prices in each rule.

Simply choose the option, set a surcharge, and click "save"

Step 6: Define vehicle-specific pricing

Rules allow for vehicle-specific pricing to override the default pricing. 

To set a specific vehicle rule, select the vehicle type, enter the pricing for that vehicle and click "save".

Step 7: Choose a default rule

It is critical to setup a "default" pricing rule by selecting one of the rules as a default "fallback" rule by clicking on the "star" icon which you will see when you create a rule:

The star icon will appear in the list of rules below the map once a rule is saved

Rules in green indicate that they are set as the "default" rule.

Rules in red indicate that they are "disabled"

Rules in white show enabled rules that are not set as "default"

Step 8: Checking that your pricing rules are working

Once your pricing rules are set, you can check your pricing rules in the console or via the web booker. The Web Booker is probably the easiest place to check the pricing and your web booking like can be found under Settings -> Settings Tab -> "Web Booking".

More information on setting it up can be found here: 
https://transportlogic.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/115001302772-How-do-I-add-the-web-booking-form-to-my-web-site-

Please make sure to enable the checkbox to "show price estimate".

Using the "direct link" to take you to your web booking form, you can enter pickup locations and destinations to ensure that the estimates provided on the right-hand side are showing the proper fares.

If you are not getting the results you want, please make sure that you have chosen a default rule (as per the directions above) and that you have rules that govern the pricing between zones as well as rules that govern the pricing within a SINGLE zone (you don't select a second zone when creating the rule).