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October 2026 release

Backup payment methods, rent weeks, the real delivery date and no-fee reservations: what changed in Carz in October 2026.

Screens are from our demo environment with test data.

Getting paid

Backup payment methods

Each rental can now hold a preferred and a backup payment method. If the preferred one is declined, the same charge is retried on the backup straight away.

Backup payment method and attempt history

Booking payments tab showing preferred and backup methods, and a charge declined by the bank then paid by the backup
The booking shows both methods. Each charge lists the methods tried in order, for example “Declined by the bank, backup paid”.

Before

One card per rental. A decline meant a failed week and a chase.

Now

Card or PayTo as preferred, plus a backup. A genuine decline retries on the backup, up to 8 retries per debt across both.

Already onThe backup retry is on. You can switch it off in Settings.

“Set up your payments” link

Client page to pay the deposit, save a preferred method and optionally add a backup
The client pays the deposit, saves a preferred method and can add a backup, all on one page.

Before

Separate links for the deposit and the card.

Now

One “Set up your payments” link. It stays valid while the rental is active and can be regenerated.

OptionalFrom a booking, choose “Send set-up payments link”.

Payment methods in the client portal

Client portal payment methods with Replace and Swap preferred and backup
In the client portal: replace a method, or swap preferred and backup. Saving a method never charges anything.

Already onClients with a portal account see this today.

Backup payment notices

Invoice email saying the payment was made with the backup method
The client’s invoice email says the backup paid and offers a link to update their payment methods.

Already onStill one email per paid charge.

Admin bell alert for a failing preferred method

Admin notification: preferred method failing two weeks in a row, backup paid
The admin bell flags a preferred method that keeps failing, so you can call the client before both methods run out.

Warning when switching to cash

Dialog warning that automatic charges stop and owed weeks stay owed
Automatic charges stop at that point. Weeks already owed stay owed and are never charged twice.
Knowing what’s owed

Rent weeks

Each week has a fixed period, amount and GST. Every card, PayTo, cash or reservation-credit payment is applied to a specific week, so the balance is read straight from the weeks. Two weeks can never cover the same days.

Rent weeks table

Rent weeks table with period, amount, paid, balance, status and charges per week
Week, period, amount, paid, balance and status, with a per-week “Write off” that asks for a reason.

Before

The balance was worked out from failed payments, so a week paid later in cash could still look owed.

Now

Each week shows exactly what was paid against it and what is left.

Already onExisting rentals were converted when this release went live and checked against the old balances to the cent.

Overdue payments tile

Dashboard with the Overdue payments tile and action items per week
The tile formerly called “Failed Payments” and the Action Items now count open weeks. A declined charge whose week was paid later no longer shows up.

“Owing now” in the client portal

Client portal Payments page with Owing now by week
The client’s Payments page has an “Owing now” list by week, and the debt payment link lists the same weeks.
  • Cash and bank transfers pick the weeks. A manual payment is applied to the oldest weeks first, or to the weeks you pick. Any excess is flagged for review.
Handing over the car

Delivery date

Confirm a delivery with its real date and weekly billing starts from that day, even if you confirm it late.

Delivery date on confirmation

Confirm delivery dialog with departure date, next charge date and missing photos warning
Pick the day the car left. The dialog shows the next charge date before you confirm.

Delivery without all photos

Booking with a badge for 8 delivery photos pending and an upload card
You can confirm without all 8 photos after an amber warning. A “photos pending” badge and an upload card stay until they’re in.

“Deliveries to follow up” email

Email listing deliveries to follow up
Sent to admins at 8:40 am, only when something needs chasing.

Already onIt lists rentals paid but not delivered, and deliveries still missing photos.

Public reservations

No-fee reservation requests

Set the reservation fee to $0 and customers can send a request without paying anything.

Reservation fee of $0

The dates are held while you accept or decline, and a hold that isn’t converted simply lapses, with nothing to refund.

OptionalSettings → Public reservation portal → set the fee to $0. It stays at $100 until you change it.

Also improved

Smaller changes

  • Require two payment methods (optional). When on, clients must save both methods, and the car can’t be delivered until both work. Card and PayTo rentals only. Settings → Platform Defaults.
  • One button per action. “Collect deposit” is one menu when more than one option applies, and a plain button when only one does.
  • No double charges. A retry can never charge a client twice, and Carz checks its records against Stripe every day. New rental agreements include a clause covering the backup method.
  • Cash and bank-transfer billing is now always included, with no switch to find.
  • Fixed: the card field on “Charge card manually” now accepts input.
  • Fixed: a payment link is never reused while a PayTo payment is still going through. The client is told the bank payment is still being processed.

Questions? Get in touch

October 2026 release — Carz