Tracking usage on orders (km, fuel, kwh, or other usage)

A rental can have various forms of usage that needs to be tracked at rental start end return. It can be keeping track of kilometers in car rentals, or paid add-ons based on consumption status such as fuel, battery status or other usage. The Sharefox usage tracking feature can be operated from the order page in Admin and supports a rental as following.

At pickup - Record the starting value — e.g. the current odometer reading or battery level — when the customer collects the rental item.

At return - Record the ending value when the item comes back. Sharefox calculates the total usage and any extra charges automatically.

Step 1 — Open the Order

1.   In the Sharefox Admin, go to Orders.

2.   Find the relevant order (search by customer name, order number, or rental item).

3.   Open the order to see the full order page.

On the order page you will see the rental products and, below or alongside each main product, any usage add-ons the customer has selected (e.g. "Standard KM Package").

Step 2 — Record the Pickup Value

Record the starting reading before or when the customer drives away. For a car this is the odometer reading; for an EV it is the battery level in kWh.

1.   On the order page, find the usage section for the relevant rental item.

2.   Click Set pickup value (or the edit icon next to the Pickup field).

3.   Enter the value in one of two ways:

Type a new value: Enter the odometer reading, battery level, or other metric directly.

Select from inspection log: If a staff member (e.g. a car preparer) has already logged an inspection for this item, you can select that entry from the list. This saves re-entering a value that has already been recorded.

4.   Click Save.

Step 3 — Record the Return Value

When the rental item comes back, record the ending reading. This is the most important step — it is what triggers the extra charge calculation.

1.   On the order page, find the usage section again.

2.   Click Set return value (or the edit icon next to the Return field).

3.   Enter the return reading — again, either by typing a new value or selecting from the inspection log.

4.   Click Save.

As soon as both pickup and return values are saved, Sharefox calculates:

•     Total usage (return value minus pickup value)

•     Included usage (based on the package and rental period)

•     Extra usage (total minus included, if positive)

•     Extra charge (extra usage × price per unit)

What You See After Both Values Are Entered

Once pickup and return values are saved, the usage section on the order page displays a summary. You will see calculated fields including:

•     Pickup value (what you recorded at handover)

•     Return value (what you recorded at return)

•     Total usage (calculated automatically)

•     Included usage (from the package for this rental period)

•     Extra usage (total minus included — this is what gets charged)

•     Extra charge (extra usage × price per unit, shown with VAT)

The extra charge line is automatically added to the order. The extra usage charge also appears on the customer's receipt, on their My Rentals page, and on the PDF invoice — so the customer can see exactly what they are being charged for and why.

Example: How the Charge Is Calculated

Here is an example for a 3-day car rental with a Standard KM Package:

The customer is charged for 180 km over the included allowance. The 450 NOK line is added to the order automatically — you do not need to calculate or add it manually.

Example: Fuel/kWh Tracking for an Electric Vehicle

The same logic applies for kWh usage on electric vehicles:

Overriding Included Usage or Price Per Unit

In some situations you may need to adjust the included usage or the extra unit price for a specific order — for example if you have a special agreement with a customer.

On the order page, within the usage section, you can manually overwrite:

•     Included usage — change the calculated included amount for this order only

•     Price per extra unit — change the rate for this order only

Any overrides you make affect only this order and do not change the original add-on product settings.

Logging Usage Inspections from the Inventory Page

In addition to entering values directly on an order, your team can log usage inspections on individual inventory items (e.g. a specific car). This is useful for pre-rental preparation workflows — a car preparer can record the odometer before the manager processes the order.

1.   Go to Inventory in the Sharefox Admin.

2.   Open the specific item (e.g. the individual car, not just the car model).

3.   Click the usage log icon to open the Usage Inspection panel.

4.   Click Add entry.

5.   Enter the metric value, and confirm the user name (it will be pre-filled with your admin login, but can be edited).

6.   Click Save.

These entries then appear as options when you click Set pickup value or Set return value on an order — letting you select an existing inspection reading rather than typing the value again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a customer get a refund if they use less than the included allowance?

No. If a customer uses fewer km or kWh than their package includes, the package price stands as paid. There is no automatic refund or credit for under-usage.

What if I accidentally enter a return value lower than the pickup value?

This would indicate a data entry error if its usage like kilometers — double-check the values and correct them. For metrics that go down (such as battery level or fuel), a lower return value is normal and correct. In all cases, Sharefox calculates usage as the absolute difference between the two values.

If the rental is extended, does the included allowance update automatically?

Yes. If the rental period is extended, the included usage recalculates based on the new end date. For example, extending from 3 to 5 days increases the included km from 300 to 500 (at 100 km/day). Any extra charge adjusts accordingly.

Can I track more than one metric on the same rental item (e.g. km and fuel together)?

Yes. You can attach add-ons for different metrics to the same rental product simultaneously. Each metric is tracked and charged independently. For example, a car can have both a KM package and a Fuel package active on the same order.