How are prices defined in BookitLab?
In BookitLab, a Price Sheet is created with pricing rules per core that are valid for a specific period. Pricing rules are defined per Instrument Price Category, depending on various combinations of the following:
- Project Category: Depending on the type of project the user is paying with, different pricing settings can be applied. The category can be chosen from "Intern", "Bidrag", or "Oppdrag". At UiO, we only set these three project categories.
- Fee Type: How the total cost should be calculated. For example, if the price is set per hour of booking, choose Reservation (H).
- Time Slot Type: It is also possible to set different prices between Peak time and Off Peak time. Peak and Off Peak time must be defined in the instrument's settings.
- Threshold/Factor: Depending on the set Fee Type, a threshold can be set so that booking or usage below this threshold, for example, is free for minor use of consumables. This is also used when setting different pricing rates depending on the amount or duration of use.
- Rate: Price per unit set on the Fee Type.
Note that prices are NOT defined for each individual instrument. This is because several different instruments may have the same pricing setting.
Example: A facility has multiple instruments of the same type (e.g., SEM). They can create a pricing setting for this type of instruments, and all instruments of this type (e.g., SEM-1, SEM-2) can use this pricing setting.
The price of services at facilities should, in principle, be updated once a year. Remember to create a new sheet for a new period in good time.
Create a new Price Sheet
A Price Sheet must be created to enable automatic cost calculation.
- Click on ADMIN PANEL in the navigation menu.
- Click on BILLING MANAGEMENT in the navigation menu and then Price Sheet in the submenu.
- Click on the + New Period button at the top right. This opens the Add Price Period panel on the right.
- Select a core, start date, and end date for the period during which this price sheet will be valid.
- Press the Save button. A new row with an ID is then added.
- Press the icon "Open price sheets for this period" (a pen on a sheet with lines) in the PRICE SHEETS column for the created row to add prices.
This brings you to the Price Sheet page. Continue to create new pricing rules in the Price Sheet.
Create a new pricing rule
Prerequisite: Instrument Price Category is created.
- Open the Price Sheet where you want to add a new pricing rule. (Alternatively, refer to the instructions "Create a new Price Sheet" steps 1, 2, and 6)
- Press the + button at the top right and fill in the fields there.
- If a rule is saved with the PROJECT CATEGORY field empty, the pricing rate (Rate) will apply to all project categories.
- Read Guidance on "Fee Type" below as well.
- When all fields are filled out, press the Add new price rule button.
- Repeat steps 7 and 8 to have a complete list of prices for various combinations of relevant factors.
Set Instrument Price Category for instruments, services, or consumables
If not done before, the core admin must edit the settings for instruments, services, or consumables so that each is linked to the correct pricing setting.
- For instruments, this can be done by selecting the correct Instrument Price Category on the Resource tab on the instrument's settings page (Instrument Settings).
- For services, this can be done on the Request Settings tab on the editing page of Request Type.
Guidance on Fee Type
There are many alternative Fee Types, and some options are easy to understand from their name. However, you should be careful when choosing between several of them.
Reservation and Usage
For instruments, it is currently best to set the price with a Fee Type of Reservation, either as an hourly rate or a fixed price. This is because we at UiO do not yet have a system that records the start and end times for the use of an instrument. We assume that users use an instrument at the booked time and therefore pay for either the reserved time or per reservation.
It is wise to think about how relevant settings are made on instruments, including restrictions or cancellation rules.
Assisted Override
Fee Types that start with Assisted Override set the total price for the use of the instrument and assistance. They can only be used when the ASSISTED RESERVATION toggle is on in the reservation details.
Fixed and Hourly (or "H")
Pricing with a Fee Type that has "...(fixed)" in the name is a fixed price charged per booking/assisted booking/training session (depending on what precedes "(fixed)" in the Fee Type), regardless of the duration. If a Fee Type that has "...(Hourly)" (or "...(h)") of the same type (e.g., "Reservation", "Assisted Reservation", etc.) is also set on the same Instrument Price Category in the Price Sheet, both the fixed price and the rate times the duration of the booking/training session, etc. will be charged.
Other Service
This can be used to set a fixed price or rate per unit of consumables. When a price sheet for a consumable is created, the rate per defined unit must be set on the Consumable Types page.
Where are cancellation fees set?
Cancellation fees and conditions can be set on each instrument's Instrument Settings page, on the Cancellation tab. Cancellation fees can be set as a percentage of the reservation price, and different values can be set depending on when the booking is canceled.
If the user cancels the reservation, only the cancellation fee should be invoiced and not the cost of the reservation. If the reservation is canceled by the admin, no cancellation fee is applied either.