Limo pricing rules: zones, airports, stops and time surcharges

Why a single rate per vehicle is not enough

A simple per-distance or hourly rate prices an ordinary ride well, but limo work is full of exceptions. Airport runs are usually sold at known prices. Some routes are quoted the same way every time. Late nights, busy districts, extra stops and long waits all cost more to serve. An instant quote is only trustworthy if it knows these exceptions as well as the dispatcher does.

Vehicle rates, minimums and the drive from the garage

Pricing starts with each vehicle. A sedan, an SUV and a van each have their own rates, and distance is measured in the units the company has chosen in its settings, kilometres or miles. Each vehicle can carry a minimum fare, applied to every one-way trip, so a very short ride still covers the cost of sending the car.

Companies that charge for the drive to the pickup can add garage distance to a vehicle's rate, measured from the garage address or the company address, with the return leg and a free radius as options. It appears as its own line in the estimate, so the client can see what it is for.

Custom rules first, then airport pricing

Custom rules set a fixed price for a trip that ends in a particular place, chosen from Google's map: an airport, a postal code, a neighbourhood or a city. When several rules could apply, the most specific one wins, an airport before a postal code, a postal code before a neighbourhood, a neighbourhood before a city, whatever order the rules were created in.

Airport pricing applies within a radius around the airport, two kilometres by default and adjustable, and each vehicle can have its own base and per-distance rates for airport work. Custom rules are checked before airport pricing, and airport pricing before the vehicle's ordinary rate.

Zones and time surcharges that never stack

Zones are named areas taken from Google's map of real places, such as a downtown district or a neighbouring city, and each can carry a fee. When a trip touches several zones, only the highest matching fee applies.

Time surcharges add to the fare during chosen hours, on chosen weekdays or dates, for chosen vehicles and, if needed, only in chosen zones. Each can be a fixed amount or a percentage of the fare, and it applies when any part of the ride falls within its hours. When several match, only the highest one applies, so a holiday that is also late at night is charged once, not twice.

Stops, waiting time and hourly kilometres

Point-to-point and return trips can include up to three stops, routed in order, each with a stop fee if the company sets one. Waiting time can be offered with a number of minutes included before it is charged. Hourly bookings can include a number of kilometres per hour; when the client gives a destination the extra distance is priced from the route, and otherwise the estimate notes that extra kilometres are charged after the ride.

Extras, taxes and a rounded total

Extras and charges can be optional for the client or mandatory, and taxes come from the company's own settings. A business that prefers clean numbers can round the total after taxes to the nearest dollar, five dollars or ten dollars, shown as its own line so nothing is hidden.

Test every rule in the simulator

The quote simulator uses the same calculation as the public form. Draft a ride, pick a vehicle and see the resulting price with every rule applied before any client sees it. Try an airport run, a late-night return with a stop, and an hourly booking in a zone with a fee. If a price surprises you, it will surprise a client too, and the rule behind it is worth a second look.

Pricing rules checklist

• A rate and a one-way minimum for every vehicle.
• Garage distance set only if you charge for the drive to the pickup.
• Custom rules for the places you always quote the same way.
• Airport pricing with the right radius and per-vehicle rates.
• Zone fees and time surcharges checked in the simulator.
• Stop fees, waiting time and hourly kilometres decided in advance.
• Extras marked optional or mandatory, taxes confirmed, rounding chosen.