How do I add seasonal pricing (weekend rates, holidays, custom prices)?
Seasonal pricing means charging different rates depending on the date, such as higher prices on weekends, holidays, or peak seasons. The typical workflow is to set a base price first, then override that price for specific date ranges (for example: July–August) or specific weekdays (for example: Friday–Sunday). In WP Booking System, this is usually done by applying pricing rules to a calendar and using bulk actions to set prices for selected dates. After setup, test several date ranges to confirm the total price changes correctly across normal days, weekends, and seasonal dates.
On this page
- What seasonal pricing means
- What you’ll need
- Step 1: Set a base price first
- Step 2: Add a seasonal date range (peak season)
- Step 3: Add weekend pricing
- Step 4: Add holiday pricing (specific dates)
- Step 5: Decide how overlapping rules should behave
- Step 6: Test price calculations on the front-end
- Common issues (and quick fixes)
- Best practices
- Mini FAQ
What seasonal pricing means
- Base price: the default price for dates that do not have special rules.
- Seasonal override: a different price applied to a date range (for example: summer season).
- Weekend pricing: different price on specific weekdays (for example: Friday and Saturday).
- Holiday pricing: custom price for specific dates (for example: Christmas, New Year’s).
What you’ll need
- WP Booking System installed and activated
- Pricing enabled for your calendar/resource
- A booking page embedded with a form so visitors can see totals (example: [wpbs id="1" form_id="1"])
- A clear list of your seasons and prices (write this down before configuring)
Step 1: Set a base price first
Always set a base price before you add seasonal or weekend rules. The base price is the fallback price used whenever no special rule applies.
- Set your standard nightly/daily price for the calendar.
- Confirm your selection style matches your pricing model (for rentals, use nights-style booking).
- Publish the page and test one normal date range to confirm the base total is correct.
Tip: If you plan to use nights (check-in/check-out), make sure your embed uses selection_style=”split” so pricing matches night-based logic.
Step 2: Add a seasonal date range (peak season)
Seasonal pricing is typically configured by selecting a date range and applying a new price to those dates. Use this for peak months like summer or for lower off-season pricing.
- Create a season name (for example: “Summer Peak”).
- Select the start and end dates for the season.
- Set the price you want for that date range.
- Save/apply the rule to the calendar.
Example: “July 1 to August 31 = 150 per night” while the base price remains 110.
Step 3: Add weekend pricing
Weekend pricing is usually done by applying a different price to specific weekdays. This is useful when Friday and Saturday nights are more valuable than midweek.
- Decide which days count as weekend for your business (Friday–Sunday or Friday–Saturday).
- Apply a weekday rule that increases price on those days.
- If you also have seasonal pricing, decide whether weekend pricing applies inside the season too.
Example: “Friday and Saturday = +20%” or “Friday and Saturday = 140 per night” depending on how your pricing is defined.
Step 4: Add holiday pricing (specific dates)
Holiday pricing is best for short high-demand periods like New Year’s or national holidays. Instead of a long season, you override just the exact dates.
- List the exact holiday dates you want to override.
- Apply a custom price to those dates only.
- Consider adding minimum stay rules for those periods to avoid 1-night bookings in peak demand.
Example: “Dec 30 to Jan 2 = 200 per night and minimum 3 nights”.
Step 5: Decide how overlapping rules should behave
Overlaps happen when a holiday falls inside a seasonal range or when weekend rules overlap with seasonal pricing. Decide which rule should “win” so totals are predictable.
- Common approach: holiday pricing overrides everything for those dates.
- Seasonal pricing applies next, for dates inside the season but not on holidays.
- Weekend pricing applies last, for dates not covered by holiday/season rules (or optionally inside seasons too).
Tip: Keep overlaps simple, because complicated stacking rules increase support questions and make debugging harder.
Step 6: Test price calculations on the front-end
Testing is mandatory because pricing rules are easy to misconfigure, especially when seasons, weekends, and holidays overlap.
- Open the booking page in an incognito/private window.
- Test a midweek range outside any season (should use base price).
- Test a weekend range outside any season (should use weekend pricing).
- Test a range inside a season (should use seasonal pricing).
- Test a range that includes a holiday (should use holiday pricing for those nights/days).
Tip: Write down expected totals before testing so you can spot mistakes immediately.
Common issues (and quick fixes)
The total price does not change when I select seasonal dates
- Confirm pricing is enabled for the calendar and the booking form shows a calculated total.
- Confirm the seasonal rule is applied to the correct calendar/resource.
- Clear cache and test again in a private window.
Weekend pricing overrides seasonal pricing (or the opposite) unexpectedly
- Review the priority order of your rules and simplify overlaps.
- Make sure date ranges and weekday rules do not unintentionally overlap more than they should.
- Test one rule at a time on a staging site if you are unsure which rule is taking effect.
Pricing looks correct for one calendar but wrong for another
- Confirm each resource calendar has the correct pricing rules applied.
- If you copied settings, verify that all date ranges were copied correctly and not shifted by timezone or year selection.
Customers see a price but the payment amount is different
- Check whether taxes, extras, or fees are added at checkout.
- Confirm the payment field uses the same total calculation shown in the summary.
- Test the full checkout flow, not only the calendar view.
Best practices
- Start with base price only, test, then add one season, test, then add weekends, test, then add holidays, test again.
- Keep a simple pricing spreadsheet with your seasons, date ranges, and prices so your rules remain consistent year to year.
- Use clear names for pricing rules (Summer Peak, Winter Off-Season, New Year Holiday) so you can audit them quickly.
- Communicate special holiday rules (minimum stay, higher rates) on the booking page to reduce customer confusion.
Mini FAQ
Should I use seasonal pricing or just increase weekend rates?
Use weekend rates when demand is consistently higher on certain weekdays, and use seasonal pricing when demand changes for a whole period (summer vs winter). Many businesses use both.
Can I set different prices for different rooms?
Yes. If each room is a separate calendar, each calendar can have its own base price and seasonal rules.
Do I need to update seasonal pricing every year?
Yes, if your seasons are date-based (for example: July–August). Plan to review and update your seasonal rules before the new year or before your peak season begins.
