Vehicles rarely come back in exactly the condition they left in, and not every return cost fits a fixed schedule. Other return fees in VEVS Car Rental Software let you define your own named charges, such as a cleaning fee, a key-loss fee, or a late documentation charge, and apply them to a booking during the return inspection. This article explains how the fees are structured and how to set them up so staff can bill consistently.
What other return fees are for
Some return charges are predictable and belong in a rate. Others are one-off items that only become clear when the vehicle is back on the lot. Other return fees exist for that second group. Each fee is a named charge with its own pricing rule and a set of vehicle categories it applies to, so the same fee can be used wherever it makes sense.
Because the fee is added during the return inspection rather than at booking, it reflects what actually happened. A customer who returns a clean car is not charged for cleaning, while one who returns it with a soiled interior can be billed for the specific item. That separation keeps the base rental price clean and makes the extra charge easy to explain.
Where to access them
In the admin area, open the Fees & Taxes section, then Return Fees and Other fees. The page first shows a list of your return fees in a table with columns for the fee's Title, Price type, Price, Price mode, Set max price, Categories, and Status.
That table is effectively a summary of your return charges. Reading across a row tells you what the fee is called, how it is priced, whether a cap applies, which categories it covers, and whether it is currently in use. Click any row to open and edit its details.
Main settings when creating a fee
Use Add Return Fee to create a new fee, or click an existing row to edit it. The form presents the following fields.
| Field | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Status | Sets the fee to Active or Inactive. |
| Title | The name of the fee. |
| Price type | Fixed for a set price, or Set on return when the price is entered when the fee is applied. |
| Price | The amount charged, shown for Fixed fees. |
| Price mode | One-off for a single charge, or Per day for each day. |
| Set max price | Choose Yes to cap a Per day fee, then enter a Max price amount. |
| Fleet categories | Tick the categories the fee can be used with, with Select all and Deselect all shortcuts. |
The Price type is the decision that shapes everything else. A Fixed fee behaves like a normal charge: you set the amount in advance, and staff apply it when the condition arises. A Set on return fee has no amount until it is applied during the return inspection, where the price is entered at that time. That makes it suitable for variable work whose cost you only know once the vehicle is back.
Price mode adds the time dimension. One-off charges the fee once, while Per day charges it for each day. The Set max price option only applies to Fixed fees using the Per day mode, and choosing Yes reveals the Max price amount field so the charge cannot grow without limit.
How to create a fee step by step
- Open Fees & Taxes, then Return Fees and Other fees.
- Click Add Return Fee.
- Enter a Title and choose a Status.
- Choose a Price type. For Fixed, enter the Price and pick a Price mode; for Set on return, no price is needed here.
- If using Per day, optionally set Set max price to Yes and enter a Max price amount.
- Tick the Fleet categories the fee should apply to.
- Click Save.
What happens after saving
After saving, the fee becomes available during the return inspection for the categories you selected. The appropriate charge can then be added to the booking when the vehicle is returned. Your changes are recorded, and you can review them later under History on the edit screen, which is useful when a charge is questioned after the fact.
You can also add internal Notes to a fee for your team. Notes are a practical place to record how the charge should be judged, which is helpful when several staff members handle returns and need to apply the same standard.
Important behaviour and special cases
- A fee with no Fleet categories selected will not be available on return inspection, and the list shows a warning icon to remind you.
- Setting a fee to Inactive keeps it from being offered while preserving its details for later.
- The Set max price option only applies to Fixed fees using the Per day mode.
- Prices must be positive numbers.
- A Set on return fee has no amount until it is applied during the return inspection.
The category selection is not optional in practice. Without it, the fee exists in your list but never appears to staff at the point where they need it.
Business benefits
Named return fees make recovery of genuine costs possible without turning every rental into a negotiation. Staff can point to a defined charge, applied for a defined reason, rather than improvising an amount. That consistency protects the customer relationship and makes the charge easier to defend if it is queried later.
The structure also keeps pricing tidy. Cleaning, lost keys, and documentation issues are not part of the rental rate, so they do not inflate the headline price customers compare. They are charged when they occur, to the customer responsible, through a documented path.
History and notes add an operational benefit. When a fee is reviewed or disputed, there is a record of the configuration and the team's guidance, rather than a reliance on memory. Over time, the fee list becomes a clear picture of the return issues your fleet actually experiences.
Practical use cases
Cleaning
A Fixed, One-off cleaning fee is easy to apply and easy to explain, and it keeps the standard rental price free of an allowance for exceptional soiling.
Lost keys
A fixed charge for key loss covers the administrative and replacement cost without requiring staff to calculate a figure at the counter.
Late documentation
A Per day fee with a Max price amount discourages delay while ensuring the charge does not grow indefinitely.
Variable repair handling
A Set on return fee lets staff enter the amount once the condition of the vehicle is known, which suits work that cannot be priced in advance.
Best practices
- Keep common charges such as cleaning as Fixed, One-off fees, and use Set on return for variable items whose price is only known when the vehicle comes back.
- Use Per day with a Max price amount for a daily charge that should not grow without limit.
- Always select at least one fleet category, and check for the warning icon after saving.
- Give every fee a title a customer would understand, since the name is what staff explain at return.
- Use internal notes to record how the charge should be judged, so the standard survives staff changes.
- Set fees that are no longer used to Inactive rather than deleting the details you may need later.
Conclusion
Other return fees give car rental teams a controlled way to bill for the miscellaneous costs that appear when a vehicle comes back. By choosing the right price type, applying a sensible mode and cap, and tying each fee to the correct categories, you can recover legitimate costs without adding friction to the rental itself. The result is a return process that is fair to the customer, clear to your staff, and supported by a record you can review.