Information on which rate rules take precedence when set up in RMS.

Overview

The Rate Hierarchy in RMS determines the order in which rate rules and validation criteria apply to a reservation when the same type of rule is configured in multiple places.

RMS uses multiple, independent hierarchies, each for a different part of the rate setup, for example:

• Rate Period Hierarchy – which Rate Lookup applies on a given stay date

• Cancellation Policy Hierarchy – which Cancellation Policy applies

• Deposit Hierarchy – which Deposit Rule/value applies

• Length of Stay Hierarchy – which LOS rules apply

• Package Hierarchy – which Rate Packages are applied

• Override / Adjustment behaviour – how overrides interact with dynamic pricing and adjustments

Each of these is evaluated separately. There is no single “master” rate hierarchy; instead, RMS applies the relevant hierarchy for each rule type.

Terminology – Rate Lookup

A Rate Lookup is a specific rate configuration row that links a Rate Type, Rate Table, and a property/category/area combination to a Rate Period (date range) and its associated pricing/validation settings.

When RMS prices a reservation, it “looks up” which Rate Lookup applies for each stay date.

For how to create a Rate Lookup, including how to scope a lookup to one or more areas within a category, see Rate Lookup (in particular the Scoping a Rate Lookup to an Area section).

Existing rules and validation criteria can also be:

• Manually overridden on a reservation, and

• Globally overridden using the Control Panel or the Rate Manager (for example, rate overrides or adjustments).

Rate Periods

The availability of a rate for a particular stay date is determined by the Rate Period selected in the Rate Lookup for a specific combination of:

• Rate Type

• Rate Table

• Property, Category, or Area

Multiple Rate Lookups can exist with overlapping Rate Periods, defining:

• Changes in price, or

• Changes in validation criteria

for shorter date ranges within a broader date range.

This allows you to:

• Set a base pricing structure across a season, then

• Layer alternate pricing structures that come into and out of effect for selected dates.

Rate Period Hierarchy

The Rate Period Hierarchy determines which Rate Lookup is used when multiple Rate Lookups have overlapping Rate Periods for the same Rate Type/Rate Table/Property‑Category‑Area combination.

RMS uses the following rules:

• When multiple overlapping Rate Periods exist, the Rate Lookup with the shortest date range will take precedence.

• If multiple Rate Lookups have the same Rate Period linked to the same Rate Type, Category, and Rate Table combination, the most recently created Rate Lookup will be used.

Unlike the other hierarchies described in this article (Cancellation Policy, Deposits, Packages, etc.), which decide which rule or value applies, the Rate Period Hierarchy only controls:

• Which Rate Lookup is used on each stay date, and

• Therefore, whether the Rate Type is available on that date and which base pricing structure applies.

★ Tip: Assigning a colour to each Rate Period can make it easier to identify which one is in effect when viewing rates on the Rate Manager.

Example

Below is an example of how RMS determines which Rate Lookup applies to a reservation stay date when there are overlapping Rate Periods.

• A Rate Lookup has been created in RMS using a different Rate Table for each of the above periods.
  
   

• A reservation arriving on 1st August and departing on 8th August crosses all three overlapping periods.
  
   

• The Total Rate Breakdown on the reservation shows which Rate Lookup is used for each stay date, following the Rate Period Hierarchy rules above.
  

How RMS chooses between Category and Area Rate Lookups

You can set up a Rate Lookup at three levels:

• Property level — the rate applies to every Area in the property
• Category level — Area is set to (All); the rate applies to every Area in that Category
• Area level — Area is set to one or more specific Areas; the rate applies only to those Areas

See Create a rate lookup for how to set up each.

When you have both a Category-level Rate Lookup AND an Area-level Rate Lookup for the same Rate Type and Rate Period, RMS uses the Category-level Rate Lookup. The Area-level Rate Lookup is ignored while a Category-level Rate Lookup is in place.

This is different to the shortest-date-range rule above, which only applies when two Rate Lookups have the same Property, Category and Area.

<div class="rms-yellow-note"> <strong>✎ Please Note:</strong> If you set up an Area-level Rate Lookup expecting it to override the Category-level rate for one Area, the override <strong>will not take effect</strong> while the Category-level Lookup exists. To charge a different rate for specific Areas, you need to either:

1. Remove the Category-level Rate Lookup and create a separate Rate Lookup for each Area you want to price, or
2. Use a different Rate Type for the Area-specific pricing.

Example

Forest Cabin has two Rate Lookups set up for the Best Available Rate Type on the (All Year Round) Rate Period:

A guest booking Area 110 might expect to see $995 — the Area-level rate. But RMS uses the Category-level Rate Lookup, so the rate that applies to the reservation comes from the $770 Rate Table, not the $995 one.

Cancellation Policy Hierarchy

The Cancellation Policy that applies to a reservation is determined by this hierarchy:

1. Selecting or changing the cancellation policy on a reservation will ignore any policy selected on any rate setup.
2. A cancellation policy set on a Derived Rate will only apply if no cancellation policy is selected on the Rate Type or Derived Rate Type used as the 'Derived From'.

1. Selecting or changing the cancellation policy on a reservation will ignore any policy selected on any rate setup.
2. A cancellation policy set on a Derived Rate will only apply if no cancellation policy is selected on the Rate Type or Derived Rate Type used as the 'Derived From'.

Terminology – Derived vs Derived From vs “Derived Derived”

• A Rate Type is a primary rate (for example, “Rack”, “Corporate”, “Member Rate”).

• A Derived Rate Type is a rate that calculates its prices from another Rate Type (the “Derived From”). For example, “Member Rate = Rack minus 10%”.

• A “Derived Derived” rate is a Derived Rate Type whose “Derived From” is also a Derived Rate Type.

  • Example:

    • Rate Type A: “Rack”

    • Derived Rate B: “Corporate = Rack – 5%” (Derived From A)

    • Derived Rate C: “Member Corporate = Corporate – 5%” (Derived From B)

    • In this example, C is a “Derived Derived” rate.

Deposits

The Deposit Rule used on a reservation is determined by where Deposit Rules are configured and whether the Rate Type is set to use rate‑level deposits or Rate Table deposits.
 

Deposit Hierarchy (Rate‑Level Deposits)

When a Rate Type is configured to Use Deposits (rate‑level deposits), RMS evaluates Deposit Rules in the following order and uses the first valid rule it finds:

Reservation

If a reservation already has a Deposit Amount saved (for example, it was calculated earlier and stored on the booking), RMS will use that amount and will not recalculate the deposit from the rate setup.
 

Mixed Rate Reservations

• On Mixed Rate reservations (where multiple Rate Types apply over the stay), RMS:

  • Calculates the deposit amounts from the applicable Rate Types based on the Deposit Hierarchy above, then

  • Compares these deposit values and applies the highest deposit value to the reservation.

This comparison is across the relevant Rate Types involved in the reservation, using the same order (Reservation → Rate Type level → Derived Rate Type level) for each.
 

Derived Rate Types (Deposits)

A deposit rule set on a Derived Rate Type will only apply if no Deposit Rule is set on:

• The Rate Type used on the reservation, and

• The Rate Type or Derived Rate Type used as the “Derived From” for that Derived Rate Type (including its Property/Property Group rules, if applicable).

RMS always uses the first valid Deposit Rule in this chain. If a Deposit Rule exists on the parent Rate Type (or its Property/Property Group rules) and Use Deposits is ticked, that rule will be used instead of any Rate Table deposit.

Property Group Rate Rule

A Property Group Rate Rule allows you to apply the same deposit setup to multiple properties in a group for the same Rate Type (or Derived Rate Type).

• If a Property Group Rate Rule exists, RMS will use it before the Deposit Rule set directly on the Rate Type or Derived Rate Type.

• If there is no Property Group Rate Rule, RMS moves on to the next level in the list.
   

Rate Table Deposit & “Use Deposits”

Each Rate Type has an option called Use Deposits. This controls whether RMS:

• Uses rate‑level Deposit Rules (from the hierarchy above), or

• Uses Deposit Rules on the Rate Table.

• When Use Deposits is ticked on the Rate Type:

  • RMS uses the rate‑level Deposit Hierarchy above (Control Panel Override → Property Rate Rule → Property Group Rate Rule → Rate Type → Derived equivalents).

  • In this case, Rate Table deposits are ignored because a rate‑level deposit is in use.

• When Use Deposits is not ticked on the Rate Type:

  • RMS skips all rate‑level rules for that Rate Type and its Derived Rates.

  • Instead, RMS uses the Rate Table deposit defined for that Rate Type.

Length of Stay Restrictions

Length of Stay Restrictions applicable to a rate are also hierarchical, determined by where they are set up in RMS (Rate Type, Rate Table, Control Panel overrides, etc.).

For full details of the LOS Hierarchy and examples, see:
Length of Stay Restrictions and Hierarchy HERE.

Rate Overrides & Rate Adjustments

A Rate Override can be performed:

• On the Rate Manager

• In the Control Panel

• Manually on a reservation

When a Rate Override is applied to the base rate:

• RMS will ignore the Rate Setup tab on the Rate Table, including Dynamic Pricing.

• Any Derived Rate Adjustments and any Rate Adjustments entered in the Control Panel or on the Rate Manager chart will also be ignored when a Rate Override is performed.

• Additionals and Packages on the Rate Table will continue to be included in the total rate calculation after a Rate Override.
  
   

Rate Packages

Rate Packages used on a reservation are determined by where Packages are configured on the rate setup and whether Derived Rates should inherit Packages from their parent.
 

Terminology – Package Hierarchy terms

• Derived Rate Type – A rate whose prices are calculated from another Rate Type (the parent).

• Property Rate Rule – A rule that applies to a specific property for a specific Rate Type or Derived Rate Type.

• Property Grouping Rate Rule – A rule that applies to a group of properties (Property Group) for a specific Rate Type or Derived Rate Type.

• Derived Parent … entries refer to the Rate Type or Derived Rate Type used as the “Derived From” for the current Derived Rate.
   

Package Hierarchy

Rate Packages used on a reservation are determined by the following Package Hierarchy:

If Exclude Derived Master Rate Packages is selected, any Packages configured on the “Derived From” (parent) rate are ignored, and only the first three Derived‑level entries are used.

If Exclude Derived Master Rate Packages is selected, any Packages configured on the “Derived From” (parent) rate are ignored, and only the first three Derived‑level entries are used.

Exclude Derived Master Rate Packages

When creating a Derived Rate, the option “Exclude Derived Master Rate Packages” controls whether Packages from the parent rate (the “Derived From” Rate Type or Derived Rate Type) are inherited.

• If this option is ticked:

  • Packages configured on the parent rate will not be applied to the Derived Rate.

  • Only Packages defined directly on the Derived Rate Type (and its Property/Property Group rules) will apply.

• If this option is not ticked:

  • RMS will also consider Packages configured on the parent rate, following the full Package Hierarchy above.