Booking Request Flow Overview
When a renter wants to book your vehicle on Sicarro, the process follows a structured flow designed to give you full control over who rents your car. Understanding this flow helps you manage bookings efficiently and maintain a high response rate.
The booking flow is:
- Request: Renter submits a booking request for your vehicle
- Review: You review the renter's profile, dates, and details
- Respond: You approve or decline the request (within 24 hours)
- Payment: If approved, the renter pays through Sicarro
- Confirmation: Both parties receive confirmation with pickup details
- Handover: You deliver the vehicle to the renter
- Rental Period: The rental is in progress
- Return: Renter returns the vehicle, you inspect it
- Completion: Rental is marked complete, payout is initiated
💡 Tip: Enable push notifications and email alerts so you never miss a booking request. Fast response times directly impact your search ranking on Sicarro.
Viewing Incoming Requests
New booking requests appear in multiple places:
- Dashboard: The "Pending Requests" counter on your home screen
- Bookings tab: Filter by "Pending" status to see all waiting requests
- Notifications: Push notification on your phone with request summary
- Email: Detailed email with renter profile and booking dates
Each request shows: renter name, requested dates, total price, and a quick summary of the renter's profile (rating, verification status, number of past rentals).
Reviewing the Renter's Profile
Before approving any request, take time to review the renter's profile:
- Verification status: Is the renter fully verified (ID, license, phone)?
- Rating: What is their average rating from previous suppliers?
- Rental history: How many rentals have they completed on Sicarro?
- Reviews: Read comments from other suppliers about their experience
- Profile completeness: Is their profile filled out with a photo and bio?
- Account age: How long have they been on the platform?
⚠️ Note: First-time renters will not have ratings or reviews. This does not mean they are risky - everyone starts somewhere. Check that they are fully verified and communicate with them before the rental.
Checking Availability
Before responding to a request, verify your vehicle is truly available:
- Check your availability calendar for any conflicts
- Ensure there is no overlap with existing bookings
- Account for buffer time between rentals (at least 4-6 hours for cleaning and inspection)
- Confirm the vehicle is not scheduled for maintenance or personal use
- Check if you have any travel plans that would prevent the handover
Response Time Importance
Your response time is one of the most important metrics on Sicarro:
- Target: Respond to all requests within 24 hours (ideally within 2-4 hours)
- Impact on ranking: Fast responders appear higher in search results
- Renter experience: Renters often book from the first supplier who responds
- Auto-decline: Requests not answered within 24 hours are automatically declined
- Response rate metric: Visible on your profile - renters check this before booking
Your response rate is calculated as the percentage of requests you respond to (approve or decline) within the 24-hour window, over the last 90 days.
Accepting a Booking
When you approve a booking request, here is what happens:
- Click "Approve" on the booking request
- Optionally add a personal message to the renter (e.g., "Looking forward to it!")
- The renter receives a notification to proceed with payment
- The dates are temporarily blocked on your calendar
- Once the renter completes payment, the booking is confirmed
- Both parties receive confirmation details (pickup location, time, contact info)
- The affiliation contract becomes available for download
If the renter does not complete payment within 48 hours of your approval, the booking is automatically canceled and the dates are freed up.
Declining a Booking
Sometimes you need to decline a request. Here is how to do it properly:
- Click "Decline" on the booking request
- Select a reason from the dropdown (required):
- Vehicle unavailable for these dates
- Vehicle under maintenance
- Dates too close to another booking
- Renter does not meet your requirements
- Other (provide explanation)
- Add a brief, polite message explaining your decline
- The renter is notified and can book another vehicle
💡 Tip: Always decline with a reason and a polite message. Even when you cannot accommodate a renter, a professional response builds your reputation and may lead to future bookings.
Booking Statuses Explained
| Status | Meaning | Your Action |
|---|---|---|
| Pending | Renter has requested a booking | Approve or decline within 24h |
| Confirmed | You approved, awaiting payment | Wait for renter to pay |
| Paid | Renter paid, booking is locked in | Prepare vehicle for pickup |
| In Progress | Vehicle has been handed over | Be available for renter questions |
| Completed | Vehicle returned, rental finished | Inspect vehicle, leave review |
| Canceled | Booking was canceled by either party | Dates are freed up |
Managing Multiple Simultaneous Bookings
If you have multiple vehicles listed, you may have several active bookings at once:
- Use the Bookings tab to filter by vehicle, status, or date range
- The calendar view shows all bookings across all vehicles in one place
- Color-coded entries help distinguish between vehicles
- Set up buffer time between rentals to avoid rushing inspections and cleaning
- Use the daily summary view to see all pickups and returns for the day
Calendar Sync and Double-Booking Prevention
Sicarro includes built-in protection against double bookings:
- Automatic blocking: Confirmed booking dates are automatically blocked on your calendar
- Buffer periods: Set automatic buffer time (4-24 hours) between bookings for cleaning
- Manual blocks: Block dates manually for personal use, maintenance, or holidays
- Conflict detection: The system prevents you from approving overlapping bookings
- Calendar export: Export your Sicarro calendar to Google Calendar or iCal
Communicating with Renters Before Pickup
Good communication before pickup sets the tone for the entire rental:
- After booking confirmation: Send a welcome message with your contact details
- 24 hours before pickup: Confirm the pickup time, location, and any special instructions
- Day of pickup: Send a final reminder with your phone number and exact meeting point
- Provide directions: If the pickup location is hard to find, share a Google Maps pin
- Set expectations: Let the renter know what documents to bring (license, passport for foreigners)
✅ Success Tip: Use the in-app messaging for all communication. This creates a record that protects both you and the renter in case of any disputes. Supplement with WhatsApp for day-of logistics.
Tips for a High Acceptance Rate
A high acceptance rate (80%+) earns you priority placement and more bookings:
- Keep your calendar updated: Block dates when your vehicle is unavailable so you do not receive requests you have to decline
- Set realistic availability: Do not mark days as available if you are unsure
- Respond quickly: Quick responses give you more time to evaluate and less pressure
- Use instant booking: If you are comfortable, enable instant booking for verified renters to skip the approval step
- Communicate: If a renter's request is borderline, message them before deciding
- Build your reviews: Good reviews attract better renters, making it easier to accept requests
