Limo hire pricing: hourly minimums, packages and deposits for prom season
Limo work is all about a few big nights. Price them well, hold them with a deposit and never sell the same car twice. Here is how.
A limousine business doesn't run like an airport transfer company. Most of the revenue comes from a few big nights: proms, birthdays, nights out, weddings and events. Those nights sell out weeks ahead, and the way you price and hold them decides whether the season is good or just busy.
Price by the hour, with a minimum
Limo customers rarely book a point-to-point trip. They book an evening. The fairest way to price it is an hourly rate with a minimum:
- Stretch limousine: for example $140 an hour, minimum 3 hours.
- Party bus: for example $220 an hour, minimum 4 hours.
The minimum matters more than the rate. It covers the time to prepare the car, drive out and return, and stops short bookings from blocking your best vehicle on a Saturday night.
Sell packages for the nights everyone asks about
Most customers don't want to work out hours. They want “prom night” or “a night out in the city”. Fixed-price packages answer the question in one click:
- Prom package: pickup, photos, the venue and home again, 4 hours, one price.
- Night out: 5 hours with up to three stops.
- Airport in style: a one-way transfer in the stretch.
Packages are easier to sell, easier to compare and easier to say yes to. On Viadence each package has its own fixed price, so customers can book it straight from your page.
Take a deposit to hold the date
Peak nights are booked early, and some customers change their minds. A deposit protects the date:
- How much: 20 to 30% is common for limo hire.
- When the balance is due: a few days before the booking.
- Whether it's refundable: many companies keep the deposit if the customer cancels late, because the night can't be resold.
On Viadence (Pro and above) customers pay the deposit by card when they book, straight to your Stripe account. They pay the balance from their trip page, and you choose whether deposits are refunded on cancellation.
Let customers choose the exact car
For limo hire the vehicle is the product. Customers want to see the car they're getting, with photos, seats and luggage. Viadence lets you show your actual cars on the booking page, not just a vehicle class, so a customer can pick the white stretch or the Hummer.
Never sell the same car twice
The most damaging mistake in limo hire is promising one car to two customers on prom night. It happens when bookings come in by phone, email and social media at the same time. One booking system, checked for every enquiry, prevents it. Viadence checks each car for the full booking plus the gap you need between jobs; once a car is taken for those hours, it simply isn't offered.
Put it together
- Set an hourly rate and a minimum for each vehicle.
- Create two or three packages for the nights you're always asked about.
- Take a deposit that holds the date.
- Run every booking through one system.
See how this looks for a limo company on our limousine services page, and read about pricing busy nights with rush hour rules.