OC Prime - Rate Templates & Pricing Configuration

The Temporary Permit Rate Templates feature allows administrators to control pricing, eligibility, and special conditions for temporary parking permits on a per-lot basis. Its primary purpose is to define how temporary permit pricing is calculated using assignable templates with customizable hourly rates and priority layers. This article is intended for OperationsCommander (OPSCOM) administrators.

Setup and Configuration

Before issuing temporary permits using the rate template engine, you must enable the feature on the target lot and assign your pricing templates.

Enable Temp Permit Templates on a Lot

1. Navigate to the Parking Management module, hover over Lot Administration, and click Pricing & Lot Admin.

2. Select the lot you wish to configure from the Edit Lot dropdown.

3. Click the Rate Template tab.

4. Toggle on Use New Booking Flow (Enable new temp permits for this lot). 

This is where you build the "shape" of your pricing — painting different scenarios (peak hours, overnight, weekends) directly onto a calendar instead of configuring rules in the abstract.

Create and Configure Rate Templates

1. Navigate to the Parking Management module, hover over Lot Administration, and click Rate Templates.

2. Click the + Create New button to open a blank template.

3. Enter a Template Name and optional Description.

4. In the Brushes section, click + Add Brush to open the New Brush window, then enter a Name, pick a Color, and set the Price ($). Click Create.

5. Click Select next to a created brush to activate it and paint pricing onto hourly slots in the Weekly Rate Grid.

6. Click Select next to the Eraser brush (set to Unbookable) to mark specific hourly slots as unbookable or clear painted rates.

7. Hold Shift and click multiple consecutive time slots in the grid, then click Merge Selected Hours into Block to open the Merge into Block window:

   • Enter the Block Name, Flat Price for Entire Block ($), and choose a Block Color.

   • Modify the Sale End (modify for Early Bird) field if you want to set a cutoff time where the special rate stops being bookable.

   • Click Merge to save the block.

8. Edit existing brushes anytime by clicking the Edit button next to them.

9. Click Update Template (available at the top and bottom of the page) to save your changes.

Unpainted Time Slots: Any hourly section left unpainted is treated as not bookable. Users cannot book a permit or park in the lot during that time.

Fixed Rate Blocks and Early Bird Pricing: Merge time slots into a single block when you want to charge one flat price for a stretch of time, or when you want to reward early purchases with a discounted rate that disappears after a cutoff time (Early Bird pricing). Once a cutoff time passes, the rate automatically reverts to whatever regular layer pricing applies to that time block.

Layers and Priority Calculation

Layers let you handle exceptions without rebuilding your whole pricing — e.g., a holiday or event rate that replaces your everyday template.

Each template can contain multiple layers, and each layer is assigned a priority and schedule type.

• Highest Priority Layer Wins (Full Day): For any given day, the system identifies the highest-priority layer containing any painted blocks and uses only that layer for the entire day. Lower-priority layers are excluded completely—even if the higher-priority layer has unpainted hours (gaps are not filled by lower-priority layers).

• Date Overrides Precedence: A layer set to Single Date override is evaluated first for that specific calendar date. If one exists, the regular Weekly Schedule layers are excluded entirely for that day.

• Cross-Template Calculation: If a user qualifies for multiple templates on the same lot, the system calculates the rate for each template independently and automatically applies the cheapest total price. There is no priority between templates, and layers from different templates are never combined.

Adding Rate Layers & Specific Date Pricing (Holidays/Events)

1. While editing a template, navigate to the Rate Layers section and click + Add Layer.

2. Configure the layer settings in the New Layer / Edit Layer dialog:

   • Layer Name: Enter a descriptive name (e.g., Holiday Pricing, Special Event).

   • Priority: Select the layer priority from the dropdown. Higher-priority layers override lower-priority layers for the entire day.

   • Layer Type: Choose Weekly Schedule for regular recurring weekly pricing, or Single Date for a specific calendar date override.

   • Date Picker: (Appears when Single Date is selected) Select the specific calendar date. 

3. Click Create Layer to save the layer settings.

4. To paint a layer, click the Active button next to it in the Rate Layers table to load its grid.

5. Paint the slots on the grid using your brushes.

6. Click Update Template to save your changes.
   

Layer Groups (Reusable Layers across Templates)

To apply standard sets of layers (such as holidays or recurring events) across multiple templates without recreating them manually, administrators can create and manage Layer Groups:

• Creating & Editing Layer Groups:

  1. Navigate to Parking Management > Lot Administration > Rate Templates and scroll down to the Layer Groups table beneath the template list.

  2. Click + New Layer Group (or Edit next to an existing group) to open the Editing Layer Group interface.

  3. Enter a Group Name and optional Description.

  4. Configure Rate Layers, Brushes, and paint the Weekly Rate Grid using the same editor tools as a standard rate template.

  5. Click Update Template to save the layer group.

Layer Groups (Reusable Layers across Templates)

To apply standard sets of layers (such as holidays or recurring events) across multiple templates without recreating them manually, administrators can create and manage Layer Groups:

• Creating & Editing Layer Groups:

  1. Navigate to Parking Management > Lot Administration > Rate Templates and scroll down to the Layer Groups table beneath the template list.

  2. Click + New Layer Group (or Edit next to an existing group) to open the Editing Layer Group interface.

  3. Enter a Group Name and optional Description.

  4. Configure Rate Layers, Brushes, and paint the Weekly Rate Grid using the same editor tools as a standard rate template.

  5. Click Update Template to save the layer group.
     
     

• Applying Layer Groups to Templates:

  • From the Rate Templates Page: Click Apply to Templates next to any active layer group in the Layer Groups table.

  • From Inside a Template: View the Applied Layer Groups section, click + Apply Layer Group, select the desired group (e.g., HOLIDAY), and click Apply to copy its layers into the template. Each group can only be applied once per template.

Assigning Templates to Lots

Each assignment links a rate template to a lot for a specific set of user types, allowing different pricing for different audiences. Templates can be assigned in bulk or configured individually per lot.

Method 1: Direct Multi-Lot Assignment (Bulk) Use this method to quickly map a template across multiple lots:

1. Navigate to Parking Management > Lot Administration > Rate Templates.

2. Locate the template in the Rate Templates table and click Assign to Lots.

3. In the Assign [Template Name] to Lots window:

   • Search or filter lots, or use Select All / Deselect All.

   • Check the boxes for the target lots. (Note: User types are automatically populated from each lot's configuration. Lots that already have this template assigned are shown but cannot be re-selected.)

4. Click Assign to X Lot(s) to apply.

Method 2: Per-Lot Assignment & Restrictions Use this method to set passwords, user type restrictions, or individual permit caps:

1. Navigate to Parking Management > Lot Administration > Pricing & Lot Admin.

2. Select the lot and click the Rate Template tab.

3. In the Template Assignments section, click + Add Assignment.

4. Configure assignment details in the modal:

   • Template: Select the template from the dropdown.

   • User Types: Check each user type permitted to use this rate. Only user types enabled for this lot are shown, organized by category.

   • Password (optional): Enter a password to restrict access. Leave blank for open access to eligible user types.

   • Max Permits (optional): Enter an independent permit cap for this assignment, or leave blank for unlimited.

5. Click Save (and then Update Lot on the main page).

Lot Testing: Template Preview & Price Calculator

While on the lot's Rate Template tab, administrators have access to interactive audit tools:

• Template Preview: Click the blue magnifying glass button next to any assigned template to render its layers and painted schedule directly on the lot page. Admins can switch between individual layer tabs or click Show All Layers.

• Price Calculator (Demo): Test real-world pricing without creating an actual booking. Enter an Arrival datetime and a Departure datetime, then click Calculate to preview the exact calculated price breakdown produced by the engine.

Concept Overview

Best Practices and Considerations

• Day-Level Priority Rule: Within a single template, the highest-priority layer with painted blocks on a given date wins for the entire day. Lower-priority layers are ignored completely and will not fill unpainted hour gaps. Always ensure high-priority and specific-date layers are fully painted for all 24 hours of the day.

• Unpainted Time Slots: Any hour block left unpainted on an active layer is non-bookable. Users cannot purchase a permit for unpainted hours.

• Specific Date Overrides: Date-specific layers always take precedence over regular weekly schedules for that calendar date. Multi-day date ranges are not supported; each override must be configured as a single date.

• Layer Groups Management: When setting up annual holiday layers or standard event schedules, use Layer Groups to avoid re-painting identical layers across individual templates. Remember that applying a group copies its layers into the template.

• Template Lot Assignments: Use the Assign to Lots modal on the Rate Templates list to assign a template to multiple lots simultaneously. If you need to set passwords, permit limits, or selectively restrict user types, navigate to Pricing & Lot Admin for that specific lot.

• Audit Using Price Calculator: Before opening a lot for public sales, use the Price Calculator (Demo) on the lot configuration page to test various arrival/departure combinations and verify that the expected layer and rate apply.