Dynamic pricing

Dynamic pricing is changing your rates often, sometimes daily, in response to demand, competitor prices and how many cars you have left. The opposite is a fixed seasonal rate sheet that stays put for months.

How it works

A simple version uses rules, for example:

• If utilisation for a date is above 85%, lift the rate 10%.
• If your market rate index is above 1.15 and pace is behind, drop 5%.
• Never go below a floor that covers cost per hire day.

New rate = current rate × (1 + adjustment), bounded by your floor and ceiling.

Worked example

Real numbers from the market. At Munich Airport, in the Rate Pulse sweep of 7 Nov 2026, the typical compact was about €43 a day for pick-up on 13 Nov and about €100 a day for 17 and 18 Nov (NZ$86 and NZ$202, converted). Same airport, same car type, a few days apart. See the Munich page.

An operator on a fixed November rate of, say, €58 (the fortnight's median) would have sat about 35% above the typical rate on 13 Nov and over 40% under it on 17 Nov. One snapshot in a November shoulder period, so don't read it as a pattern.

Why it matters for a rental operator

The market already moves daily. If you don't, you're cheap on busy days and dear on quiet ones. Dynamic pricing closes both gaps.

Start with rules you can explain. Then check them weekly against what actually booked.

See it in Rate Pulse

The market rates chart on each airport page shows typical and cheapest daily rate by pick-up day for the next 14 days, refreshed daily. Start at Rate Pulse.