Quick start
RentalTide is a full-stack management platform for watercraft rental operators and marinas. It handles bookings, point of sale, fleet tracking, staffing, and financial reporting in one place.
Follow these four steps to go from sign-up to accepting your first booking.
1. Create your account
Sign up at app.rentaltide.com. You will be asked for your name, email, and a password. After verifying your email you will land on the setup wizard.
RentalTide supports Google and Apple sign-in. You can link these to your account later from the Admin settings page.
2. Set up your first location
A location represents one physical site — a dock, marina, or rental counter. Each location has its own timezone, operating hours, tax rates, and Stripe account.
- Enter your business name and address.
- Choose your timezone and set your operating hours for each day of the week.
- Configure your tax rates and optional fees (fuel surcharge, cleaning fee, etc.).
You can add more locations at any time from Admin > Locations.
Operating hours control which time slots appear on your public booking page. You can override hours for holidays or special events from the calendar.
3. Add your inventory
Inventory items are the assets your customers rent — jet skis, pontoons, kayaks, paddleboards, or slip spaces. For each item you will set:
- Name and category (e.g., "Yamaha EX" in the "Jet Ski" category)
- Pricing — hourly, half-day, full-day, multi-day, or seasonal rates
- Quantity — how many units are available for booking
- Photos and description — shown on the public booking page
Head to Fleet > Inventory to create your first item.
Want to offer a "Sunset Package" that includes a pontoon and a cooler? Create a bundle under Marketing > Bundles to group items at a discounted price.
4. Accept bookings
Once your location and inventory are configured, your public booking page is live. Share the link directly or embed the booking widget on your website.
Bookings appear in real time on the Core > Bookings page and the Operations > Journey Board. From there you can:
- Confirm or decline pending bookings
- Collect payment or send payment links
- Assign specific assets to each reservation
- Check customers in and track their journey
Your location is now accepting bookings. Continue to the initial setup guide for Stripe onboarding, staff invitations, and waiver configuration.