Late return fees let you charge customers who bring a vehicle back after the agreed drop-off time. In VEVS Car Rental Software you set an hourly rate for each vehicle category, and you can create time ranges so that longer delays are charged at different rates. This article explains the grid, the switches that control it, and how to configure a policy that is fair to customers and protective of your fleet's schedule.
What late return fees are for
When a customer returns a vehicle later than agreed, the vehicle may be unavailable for the next booking, and your staff may need to wait. Late return fees let you recover that cost by charging for the extra time, with the flexibility to apply different rates depending on how late the return is.
A short delay and a delay of several hours are not the same operational problem, so the grid lets you price them differently. The result is a policy that can be explained in a sentence at the counter and applied consistently.
Where to access them
In the admin area, open the Fees & Taxes section, then Return Fees → Late return. The page shows a grid with a clear structure:
- Each row is a vehicle category.
- Each column is a time range in hours, with a from and a to value.
- Each cell holds the rate charged per hour for that category and range.
Reading the grid left to right shows how the charge escalates as the delay grows; reading it top to bottom shows how categories differ.
Collect late return fees
A switch at the top of the page controls whether these fees are charged at all. It is the master control for the feature.
When it is on
The fee grid is shown and late fees are added to bookings. This is the normal operating state once your rates have been configured and reviewed.
When it is off
The grid is hidden and no late return fees are collected, even if amounts were previously entered. The configuration is preserved, but it has no effect until the switch is turned back on.
Set same price
A switch on the category column lets you use one fee for every category instead of a different fee per category.
- Off (default) — you set each category's fee individually in its own row.
- On — the category rows are replaced by a single row called "Set the same fee for all vehicle categories", where one fee per range is applied to every category.
Think of this as a policy decision: if every category should cost the same per hour of delay, use the single row; if larger vehicles deserve a higher rate, leave it off and work row by row.
Time ranges
Each range column has a from and a to value in hours. The first range starts at 1, and each following range continues from the previous one, so the ranges form a continuous timeline rather than a set of overlapping windows. Use Add Range to create a new range, or the x button on a column to remove it.
Continuity is what makes the policy predictable. Because each range picks up where the last one ends, a delay always falls into exactly one range. When you add a range, check the boundary values carefully so the progression stays coherent.
Rate per cell
In each cell you have two options, and the choice is made per combination of category and range.
| Option | Effect |
|---|---|
| Enter a rate | Charged per hour for that category and range. |
| Tick Free of charge | No fee is charged for that combination. |
The Free of charge option lets you build goodwill into the policy: a first range that costs nothing while longer delays are charged normally. Because it is set per cell, the concession can apply to one category and range without affecting anything else.
How to set it up step by step
- Make sure Collect late return fees is switched on.
- Choose whether to set a different fee per category or the same fee for all categories.
- Use Add Range to create the time ranges you need, and set each range's to value.
- For each category and range, enter the hourly rate, or tick Free of charge.
- Click Save.
Work through the grid methodically and give every cell you intend to price a decision, either a rate or a deliberate free-of-charge tick.
What happens after you save
After saving, the rates apply to vehicles returned after the agreed drop-off time. The overdue time is charged using the rate for the category and the range the delay falls into. Because the ranges are continuous, the calculation does not depend on anyone choosing a band manually — the delay itself determines which rate applies.
Important behaviour and special cases
- Positive numbers only. Rates must be positive numbers; negative or non-number entries are ignored.
- Empty cells. If you leave a cell empty and Free of charge is unticked, no rate is stored for that combination.
- Master switch wins. If Collect late return fees is off, the system ignores all configured rates until you switch it back on.
- Categories are required. If no fleet categories exist and you are not using Set same price, the grid cannot be shown; you must create those categories first.
Late return fees are separate from extra mileage and other return fees. A vehicle returned late and over its mileage allowance can be charged both, depending on your settings.
Why a structured late fee policy helps
A late vehicle can disrupt the next booking, force a rushed turnaround, or leave a customer waiting at the counter. A defined fee recovers part of that cost and signals that the drop-off time matters. Just as importantly, when the policy lives in a grid rather than in a manager's memory, every staff member applies the same rule and disputes become a matter of reading the configured band rather than debating intent.
Practical use cases
A short grace band
Use a first range with a low rate, or tick Free of charge, to absorb the small delays that happen in normal traffic. Charge progressively more in later ranges, where the operational impact is genuinely larger.
Category-sensitive pricing
Premium or specialist vehicles may be harder to substitute when they are late. A per-category row lets those vehicles carry a higher hourly rate while economy cars stay modest.
A flat, simple policy
If your business prefers one number for everyone, switch Set same price on. The grid collapses to a single row and you maintain one rate per range instead of one per category.
Temporarily pausing charges
During a period when you do not want to collect late fees, switch Collect late return fees off. The grid disappears and nothing is charged, but your configured rates remain in place for later.
Configuration considerations
Start with your fleet categories. If they do not exist and you are not using the single-row option, the grid cannot be shown at all, so category structure comes first. Then decide how many ranges you genuinely need. Two or three well-chosen bands are usually easier to explain than a long ladder of small increments, and they are easier to maintain when your policy changes.
Decide where the free-of-charge option belongs. Using it in the first range softens the policy for minor delays; using it nowhere keeps the rule strict and simple. Either can be right, but the choice should be deliberate and reflected in what you tell customers at pick-up.
Best practices
- Use several ranges to apply a modest rate for a short delay and a higher rate for returns that are hours late.
- Use Set same price if you charge a flat hourly late fee regardless of category, so you do not have to enter the same number in every row.
- Review the grid whenever your rental terms or fleet categories change.
Conclusion
Late return fees give you a fair, visible way to recover the cost of a vehicle that comes back after the agreed time. The grid, the master switch, and the optional single-price mode cover both simple and detailed policies, while time ranges let the charge grow with the size of the delay. Configure the bands thoughtfully, keep the structure continuous, and explain it clearly at pick-up.