How to Set Seasonal Rates That Apply Automatically to Every Booking

Written By Zuru Travel

Last updated About 1 month ago

A December school holiday tour and a quiet mid-winter weekday tour are not worth the same price. Seasonal pricing lets you charge more during high-demand periods and offer lower rates during slower ones. You define the date range and the adjustment, and Zuru applies the right price automatically to every booking that falls within that window. No manual updates needed.

How It Works

The Seasonal rule is described as "Adjust prices for peak or off-peak seasons." You set a start date, an end date, and an adjustment value. The adjustment can be positive to increase the price during peak periods, or negative to reduce it during off-peak periods. For example, entering 20 adds 20% to the base price for that date range, while entering -15 reduces it by 15%. The helper text in the form puts it simply: positive for surcharge, negative for discount.

On the Zuru Marketplace, travelers browsing your experiences see a price calendar that highlights value days against peak days, so they can choose a date that fits their budget.

Steps

1. Go to Pricing Rules in your dashboard

Log in at operator.tryzuru.com and open Sales and Operations in the left sidebar. Click Pricing Rules.

Seasonal Pricing rule

2. Select the experience you want to configure

Click on an experience from the list. The Manage Pricing Rules panel opens on the right.

3. Add a new rule and select Seasonal

Under Add New Rule, open the dropdown and select Seasonal.

4. Set your Adjustment Type

Choose Percentage from the Adjustment Type dropdown.

5. Enter your Adjustment Value

Enter the percentage you want to apply for this seasonal period. Use a positive number to increase prices during peak demand, for example 20 for a 20% surcharge over the December holiday season. Use a negative number to reduce prices during slower periods, for example -15 for 15% off during low season. The field accepts both.

6. Set your Start Date and End Date

Pick the start and end dates for the seasonal window. This could be a school holiday block, a long weekend, a full peak summer season, or any period where your pricing should differ from the base rate. You can create as many seasonal rules as you need to cover different periods across the year.

7. Activate on creation

The Active on creation toggle is on by default. Leave it on so the rule is live from the moment you save it.

8. Click Create Seasonal Rule

Save the rule. Zuru will now apply the adjusted price automatically to any booking with a departure date that falls within your defined window.

Testing Your Rule

Use the Test Pricing option at the bottom of the panel to confirm the adjustment is applying correctly to the right dates before bookings come in.

Managing Multiple Seasonal Rules

You can stack multiple seasonal rules across the year. A practical approach for South African operators is to map out key dates at the start of the year, such as the December and January holidays, Easter weekend, the June and July school break, and public holiday long weekends, and set up all your seasonal rules at once. From that point the pricing runs on autopilot.