Stop-sell

A stop-sell is a block on new bookings for a car category, location, date range or sales channel. You use it when you're full, or nearly full, and want to save what's left for better bookings or avoid overbooking.

When to trigger one

A simple rule per category and date:

Cars left to sell = fleet available − cars booked − buffer

When cars left to sell reaches zero, stop-sell. The buffer covers no-show returns, damage and late returns. It's often one or two cars, more on a big fleet.

A partial stop-sell closes only the cheapest channel or the shortest hires, and keeps direct and long hires open.

Worked example

Hypothetical. You have 20 SUVs for a Saturday. 17 are booked. Two are due back from long hires that morning, and one of those has run late before.

• Buffer: 2
• Cars left to sell: 20 − 17 − 2 = 1

Close the broker channel, where your net is lowest, and leave the last car on your own site at full rate. If it doesn't sell by Thursday, reopen.

Why it matters for a rental operator

Overbooking costs you an upgrade, a car from a competitor or a walked customer and a bad review. Stop-selling too early leaves cars parked.

A stop-sell is a blunt tool. Lifting the price is often better because it still lets through customers who'll pay. Use stop-sells for true sell-outs and for closing low-value channels.

Remember to lift them. A forgotten stop-sell can block bookings for weeks.

See it in Rate Pulse

Rate Pulse shows which brands have offers on each day. When a competitor is missing on some days, the brand ranking flags it, for example "Available 4 of 14 days". That can mean they've sold out or stopped selling. Start at Rate Pulse.