Pick-up locations allow you to define specific places where guests will be picked up for an activity. This is especially useful for tour operators that offer transportation or shuttle services.
Pickup Locations is currently in beta. Before proceeding, be sure to enable this feature first - How to Enable Beta Features.
Creating a Pick-up Location
- From the left menu, select Pick-up Locations
- Choose Create
- Fill out the following fields:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Location Title (required) | Enter a clear, recognizable name for the pick-up location. |
| Pick-up Point (optional) | Add a more specific pick-up point within the location. Helpful when multiple properties share a central pick-up area. Example: If your location is "Waikiki Hotel Zone," add points like "Marriott Lobby" or "Hilton Front Circle." |
| Address | Start typing the address and select from suggested results. The location will appear on the map preview. Drag the pin if needed to mark the precise pick-up spot. |
| Detail Instructions (optional) | Add specific instructions to help guests find the exact pick-up point. Example: "Meet us in the main parking lot near the entrance." |
| Location Photo (optional) | Upload a photo to help guests identify the location. Especially useful for large hotels or busy areas. |
- Choose Save. You can create as many pick-up locations as needed.
Setting Up Pick-up for an Activity
After creating pick-up locations, you must enable and configure pick-up for each activity that offers it.
- Go to your Catalog
- Open the activity you want to configure
- From the left menu, select Pick-up Locations
- Choose Set Up Pick-up
- Configure the following settings:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Internal name for this pick-up option |
| Description | Details about the pick-up service |
| Hotel Placeholder | Optional placeholder text when collecting hotel or lodging information |
| Pick-up Choices | Add pick-up options guests can choose from. For each choice, you can adjust pricing, prompt guest selection, or limit available locations. Use multiple choices to offer different zones at different price points (e.g., downtown included, airport area has a fee). |
| Required / Optional | Choose whether guests must select a pick-up location |
| Visible / Private | Control whether the option is visible to online customers or only internal staff |
| Apply taxes | Choose whether pick-up fees are taxed during checkout |
- Select Save when finished.
Guest Checkout Experience
When a guest books an activity with pick-up enabled, they select from available pick-up options during checkout.
Any pricing adjustments are applied to the total, and pick-up details appear in the booking confirmation:
and customer portal:
Viewing Pick-up Information
Pick-up selections appear in:
- Confirmation emails sent after booking
- Guest portal (guests can review their pick-up details)
- Manifest (for operational and driver coordination)
Tips and Best Practices
- Create all commonly used pick-up locations before configuring activities
- Use clear, recognizable names such as hotel names or major landmarks
- Include detailed instructions for locations that may be hard to find
- Upload photos for complex or crowded pick-up points
- Consider grouping nearby hotels into zones if using a central pick-up strategy
Editing Pickup Times from the Manifest
You can now edit pickup times directly from the manifest view. This is useful when routes change, traffic conditions shift, or you need to adjust the schedule close to departure.
Where to Find It
Open the manifest for your time slot. Guests are grouped by pickup location, and each group header shows the location name and scheduled pickup time (e.g., "Cielo House Inn 10:15 AM Pickup"). The time displayed in the header is now editable.
How to Edit a Pickup Time
- Open the Manifest for the time slot you want to adjust
- Find the pickup group header for the location you need to update
- Click the pickup time shown in the header
- Enter the new time and save
The change takes effect immediately.
What Updates Automatically
When you change a pickup time from the manifest, any reminder emails and SMS messages scheduled for those guests will automatically reflect the updated time. You do not need to resend anything manually — the next reminder that goes out will use the new time.
When to Use This
- Route changes: A pickup stop is being visited earlier or later than planned
- Schedule shifts: The departure is delayed and you need pickup times to reflect the change
- Day-of adjustments: Traffic or weather conditions require a last-minute update
Editing pickup times from the manifest keeps your guest communications accurate without requiring you to rebuild the schedule.
Pickup Time Offset Calculation
Pickup time offsets let you automatically calculate when guests should be picked up based on how far in advance of the tour they need to depart. Instead of manually setting pickup times, you define an offset in minutes for each pickup location, and TripWorks does the math.
How It Works
The formula is simple:
Pickup time = tour start time - offset (in minutes)
For example, if a customer books a 1:00 PM tour and their pickup location has a 60-minute offset, the system calculates a 12:00 PM pickup time and displays it automatically.
Setting Up Pickup Time Offsets
- Go to Setup > Pickup Locations
- Open the pickup location you want to configure
- Set the "Pickup time (minutes before tour starts)" field to the number of minutes before the tour start time
- Save the location
Each pickup location can have its own offset. This is especially useful when locations are different distances from your departure point.
Example: Multiple Offsets
Suppose you run a tour that departs at 1:00 PM and have three pickup locations:
| Pickup Location | Offset | Calculated Pickup Time |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Hotel | 30 minutes | 12:30 PM |
| Beach Resort | 60 minutes | 12:00 PM |
| Airport | 90 minutes | 11:30 AM |
Each guest sees their own calculated pickup time based on the location they selected.
Where Customers See the Pickup Time
The calculated pickup time appears in several places:
- Checkout: Displayed after the customer selects their pickup location
- Customer Portal: Shown on the booking details page
- Confirmation Email: Included in the booking confirmation sent to the guest
Pickup Time Merge Tag
A Pickup Time merge tag is available for use in your email templates. It renders the calculated pickup time for each guest based on their selected location and the offset you configured. If no offset is set for a location, the merge tag renders as empty.
Manifest View
On the manifest, guests are sorted by their calculated pickup time. Each pickup group header shows the location name along with the calculated time, giving your drivers a clear view of the pickup sequence.