Choose Your Pricing Model

You have two ways to set up your pricing in Docket: 

1. Using Billing Templates.
2. Using a Pricing Matrix.

Both methods control how rental costs are applied to tasks and invoices, but they're built for different levels of pricing complexity.

Choosing the right model before you start saves you from having to rebuild your pricing later. Keep reading to learn how each method works, when to use each one, and when it makes sense to use both.

Before You Start

Here are a few things to know before you continue:

• We recommend that only the Account Owner(s) or main Office Admin(s) set up and manage your account's pricing models.
• You can use just Billing Templates, just a Pricing Matrix, or a combo of both. These methods are not mutually exclusive.
• You can use more than one Pricing Matrix if needed depending on your pricing complexities.
• Switching pricing methods after your account is live may require rebuilding your pricing setup. Think through your pricing variables before committing to a model.

Billing Templates (Basic Pricing)

Billing templates are best for businesses with straightforward pricing based on dumpster sizes and rental lengths.

You'll create one template per price that your business offers and that template gets manually selected when a task is created. Each template represents a single price point. 

If you offer a 10 yard dumpster at three different rental lengths, you'd create three separate templates: one for a 1 day rental, one for a 3 day rental, and one for a 5 day rental. Repeat that for every size and length combination you offer.

Billing templates also work well for one-time or conditional fees, like dry run fees, insurance charges, or damage fees. 

You'll create an 'Additional Charge' template for each of these and assign them to the relevant dumpster sizes as default charges in your settings.

Click here to learn how to set up billing templates.

Pricing Matrix (Advanced Pricing)

A pricing matrix is best for businesses that use multiple factors to determine rental rates beyond just dumpster  size and rental length. 

Instead of creating individual templates, you'll build a spreadsheet that maps out every pricing scenario your business uses. That spreadsheet is then uploaded into your Docket account so that when a task is created, Docket can automatically compare the task details to your matrix and pull in the correct price.

The more factors your pricing involves, the more likely a pricing matrix is the right fit.

For example, if you base prices on distance, client type, and material in addition to or instead of bin size and rental length, you'll need to use a pricing matrix.

A pricing matrix can incorporate all of these pricing factors:

• Location (state, county, city, ZIP code, or distance brackets)
• Client type (residential, contractor, commercial, etc... - you control these)
• Material type (asphalt, organics, clean concrete, etc... - you control these)
• Task type (drop-off, dump-and-return, live load, exchange - Docket controls these)
• Weight allowances and overage costs
• Delivery fees and fuel surcharges

Click here to learn how to build a pricing matrix.

Compare Billing Templates to a Pricing Matrix

Use this table to see which method supports the pricing factors your business uses when deciding which pricing model to use.

Not sure which to choose? These scenarios should help!

Use Billing Templates if...

• Your pricing changes only by dumpster size and rental length.
• You want a simple setup you can manage directly in Docket without a spreadsheet.
• You need a quick way to apply one-time or conditional fees.

Use the Pricing Matrix if...

• Your pricing varies by location, distance, client type, material type, and/or task type, etc...
• You want Docket to auto-apply the correct price when a task is created.
• Your pricing structure has a large number of combinations that would be impractical to manage as individual templates.

Use Both if...

• Your main pricing structure is complex enough to warrant a matrix, but you also need to apply one-time or conditional fees that aren't part of your standard rental pricing. In that setup, the matrix handles your rental rates and templates cover the additional charges.
• You have a specific client whose pricing differs from your standard rates. Docket supports client-specific pricing through a separate matrix or custom billing templates attached to that client's profile.

How Docket Applies Pricing If You Use Both Models Together

When a task is created, Docket follows a specific order to find the right price. Understanding this order matters if you're using both types of pricing models and/or you have client-specific pricing set up.

Docket checks for a matching price in this order:

1. Client-specific pricing matrix. If the client has a special matrix attached to their profile, Docket uses it first.
2. Company pricing matrix. If no client-specific matrix exists, Docket checks your main company matrix for a matching price.
3. Client-specific billing templates. If no matrix match is found, Docket checks for custom templates attached to that client's profile.
4. Company billing templates. If none of the above match, Docket falls back to your standard company-level templates.

Please Note: If Docket can't find a matching price in any of the above steps, no price will be auto-applied to the task. Make sure your pricing matrix and templates cover all the scenarios your team creates tasks for.

If you have any questions, please reach out to our Support team through the chat widget on the bottom of this page or by sending an email to support@yourdocket.com!