How to Run Car Wash Packages and Memberships

A walk-in wash is a one-off sale. A prepaid package turns a customer into a regular: they pay up front, you get cash earlier, and they have a reason to come back to you instead of the wash down the road. Packages are simple to offer, but they go wrong without good records.

Decide what you are selling

Start with one or two packages, not ten. Common shapes:

• A visit pack: "10 washes for the price of 8". Easy to explain and easy to count.
• A tiered pack: a basic wash pack and a premium pack with interior cleaning.
• A time-limited pass: unlimited basic washes for a month. This is harder to price, so use it only once you know how often your regulars visit.

Work out the price per visit and make sure the discount still leaves a margin. Decide in advance whether packages expire, and say so when you sell them.

Tie the package to the car

The common problem is a package bought for one car being used by three. Decide your rule up front:

1. One car per package, which is fair to you and simple to explain.
2. A household or fleet package that covers several named cars.

Whichever you pick, record the plate number against the customer. In EzInvoice each vehicle is saved by plate number, and a wash package can be tied to a car. An appointment booked for a different car can't use that package. The manual Redeem button doesn't check the car, so keep an eye on the plate at the counter.

Track every redemption

Every wash the customer takes should reduce the balance, and the customer should be able to see the count. Without a count, you end up with:

• Arguments about how many washes are left.
• Free washes given by mistake.
• Customers who forget they have a package and never come back.

Keep a running record: purchase date, washes included, washes used, and the date of each use. If you do this on paper, expect to lose a few.

Let customers check their own balance

Most "how many washes do I have left?" messages are avoidable. With the customer portal, a customer logs in and sees their package balance and usage history, so you do not have to answer by message.

Take payment fast at the counter

Walk-in washes and package sales both need a quick way to take money. Quick Sale records a sale in a few taps and saves it as paid, whether the customer pays by cash, card, bank transfer or QR.

A simple checklist

1. Pick one or two packages and price them with a margin.
2. Decide the rules: one car or several, and any expiry.
3. Record every customer's plate number.
4. Reduce the balance on every visit, and keep the history.
5. Give regulars a way to check their balance.
6. Review monthly: which packages sell, and how many go unused?