The builder who takes a plant trailer every Monday, the plumber who needs a van every other week, the garage that sends its customers for a courtesy car — these are the customers that make a rental business work. They pay, they bring things back in order, they do not need convincing. Until you make them fill in the same paperwork as a first-time weekend customer.
1. Account agreement and hire orders
The idea is simple: one document sets the rules, each hire refers to it.
| Document | Contents | How often |
|---|
---|---|---
| Trade account agreement | parties, price list or discount, deposit, liability, drivers, payment, term and notice | once, reviewed yearly or when prices change |
|---|---|---|
| Hire order | unit, dates, price under the account, reference to the account | every hire |
| Condition report | condition, photos, meter or odometer, fuel, accessories, signatures | handover and return, every hire |
A hire order can be a single page or purely electronic — a booking with an email confirmation. What matters is that it clearly belongs to the account and records who collected the unit on the firm's behalf.
2. What goes into the account agreement
- Parties: company name, registration and VAT numbers, registered address, the person signing. Check them in the relevant company register; for EU VAT numbers, the VIES service confirms validity.
- Who may order and collect: by name or by role. Without this, anyone who mentions the company name can drive off with your kit.
- Authorised drivers or operators: a list, or a rule such as "employees holding a valid licence for whom the company is responsible".
- Prices: either a dedicated price list or a percentage discount off your public prices. A discount is easier — when you change prices, the agreement still works.
- Deposit: form and amount (see below).
- Liability for damage: excess per incident, damage procedure, deadline for reporting.
- Payment terms: due date, late payment interest where allowed, your right to refuse new orders while invoices are overdue.
- Fines and tolls: who pays and how they are recharged.
- Term and notice: open-ended with a notice period is simplest for both sides.
The clauses every hire agreement should contain are covered in Rental agreement clauses that matter. Have the account agreement reviewed by a lawyer once — unlike a single hire contract, you will use it for years.
3. Business pricing: rules, not haggling
A trade customer expects a better price. Give it to them by rule, not by mood on the phone. Models that work:
| Model | How it works | Good for |
|---|
---|---|---
| Fixed discount | a set percentage off everything | regular customers with irregular hires |
|---|---|---|
| Duration discount | longer hire, lower daily rate | building sites, seasonal work |
| Volume discount | discount grows with hire days per year | large accounts, reviewed annually |
| Monthly rate | fixed price for a dedicated unit | long deployments, see long-term hire pricing |
Quote business prices net of VAT or sales tax, with a clear note that tax is added — whereas consumer prices in most countries must include it. How to build the underlying price list is covered in How to price equipment rentals.
4. Deposits for business customers
Taking a card deposit on every hire is awkward for a firm: the card belongs to a director, the driver is someone else, and the bookkeeper later tries to match holds and releases. Options:
- One security amount for the account — paid once, covers all hires, refunded when the account closes.
- Per-hire deposit by bank transfer — works for longer hires and firms that pay on time.
- No deposit, but an excess and payment terms — only for proven customers with history; the risk is yours.
Why deposits exist and how to size them is covered in Security deposits in equipment rental.
5. Invoicing
Businesses need an invoice every time. Decide how you will issue them:
- One invoice per hire — simplest, clear for both sides; each invoice matches one hire order and one condition report.
- A monthly consolidated invoice — fewer documents, but it must list each hire and, where you charge VAT, get the tax point right under your local rules.
Cross-border business customers inside the EU may fall under the reverse-charge mechanism, and other countries have their own rules. Check the treatment for your jurisdiction with your accountant before you set up the process.
6. Where business hire differs from consumers
| Topic | Consumer | Business |
|---|
---|---|---
| Prices | usually shown including tax | usually net, tax added |
|---|---|---|
| Terms | strong consumer protection, unfair terms may be void | more contractual freedom |
| Cancellation | consumer rules may apply | as agreed |
| Deposit | card hold is usual | account security or transfer |
| Invoice | on request | always, with company and VAT details |
One thing is the same for both: the condition report at handover and return. It is skipped most often with trade customers ("it's only Dave, he always brings it back fine") — and then you argue about damage with their accounts department instead of with Dave.
Where Flotello fits
In Flotello a company is a customer with registration number, VAT number, address and contact person; EU VAT numbers can be checked against VIES. Every hire is a booking with its own agreement from your template, a condition report with photos and signatures, and an invoice against the booking in your own numbering series. Longer hires get cheaper automatically with a duration discount set on the vehicle. Deposits and payments are explained in the help centre, invoicing in invoices and VAT, plans are on the pricing page, and you can try it free for seven days after registration.
For what Flotello does in your line of rental, start here: equipment rental software; also trailer rental software, car rental software and campervan rental software.