Vehicle booking software: how to choose?
By Jean-Michel Boni - updated 18 September 2026
Short answer
Vehicle booking software should check availability on the actual vehicle, lock the slot during payment, handle advance payment, balance and security deposit, apply your pricing rules, then feed the rental agreement, planning and inspection without re-entry. Flotly suits the direct channel of a French rental company, with a white-label catalogue and Stripe. HQ Rental Software or RentSyst are worth evaluating if OTAs and integrations are essential. Booqable works well for equipment catalogues or existing websites. A marketplace brings customers; booking software runs your own channel.
Key facts
- Displayed availability, slot locking and payment confirmation must form a single consistent transaction.
- A request sent through a form is not always a confirmed booking.
- Total cost includes the subscription, the software commission and the payment provider's fees.
- A channel manager only helps if you actually distribute through several external channels.
The nine features to check
- Real-time availability by vehicle, category and branch.
- A temporary lock during payment to prevent two simultaneous sales.
- Advance payment, balance, refund and security deposit clearly separated.
- Prices by duration, period (season), weekend, category, options and promo codes.
- Opening hours, preparation time and maintenance downtime.
- Secure collection of driver details and the required documents.
- A catalogue under your brand, domain or subdomain, and a mobile-friendly flow.
- Confirmation, rental agreement, invoice and messages linked to the same file.
- Export of customers, vehicles, bookings and payments before you leave the tool.
Which type of solution should you choose?
| Situation | Solution to test first | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Direct sales, French fleet | Flotly or Fleetee | Vehicle workflow, documents and local operations |
| OTAs and many connected systems | HQ Rental Software or RentSyst | Channel management, API or integrations advertised |
| Equipment, bundles and quantities | Booqable | General-purpose inventory, bundles and website integration |
| Main need: finding customers | Marketplace | It brings an audience; it is a different business |
| Fewer than three vehicles, low volume | Simple calendar and payment | The cost of specialist software can outweigh the gain |
What Flotly covers, precisely
Flotly publishes a catalogue in the rental company's name, calculates availability, applies pricing rules, takes payment through Stripe Connect and links the booking to the planning, customer, documents, rental agreement, vehicle inspection and invoice. The rental company can request an advance payment and then a balance, and set up a card pre-authorisation for the security deposit.
Flotly offers no channel manager and no open API. For multi-OTA distribution, see the features advertised by HQ Rental Software and RentSyst. To embed a general-purpose catalogue in WordPress, Shopify or Squarespace, see Booqable.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a request and a confirmed booking?
A request is still waiting for the rental company's approval or for payment. A confirmed booking actually blocks availability according to the tool's rules. Check exactly when the stock becomes unavailable.
How do you prevent double bookings?
The system must check availability on the server and place a temporary lock during payment. A simple calendar displayed in the browser is not enough if two customers confirm at the same moment.
Do you need a channel manager?
Only if you publish the same stock on several OTAs or partner networks. For a single direct channel, it adds cost and complexity without solving a real problem.
Does Flotly take a commission on bookings?
Flotly's fees on online payments are 3% on Starter, 2% on Essentiel 15 and 1% on Pro, each with a monthly cap (€49, €29 and €80), and 0% on Business and Enterprise. Stripe's fees are added according to its own price list.