Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Rate Load

Owned by Becca Cook (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Nov 16, 2023 by Malissa Olofernes
3 min read

Why should I use Rate Load?

As a ground transportation provider, you want to load your rates into Deem Car Service so that they appear in Deem booking tools for client travel managers who are booking transportation. Travel managers can see your rates online, so they don't have to interrupt the booking process to call your business for rates. By having your rates appear online, clients can "rate shop" to choose the best providers for their needs.

You also want your rates to be compared fairly against other providers in a level playing field. Rate Load provides an automated and efficient method for uploading All Inclusive Rates, which define rates to include all rate components except wait charges, stop charges, parking tolls, and taxes. This standard rate definition helps travel managers compare rates with greater transparency and accuracy across all Deem booking tools.

You can also use Rate Load to improve rate accuracy by defining ZIP code-level rates when appropriate. Rate Load lets you import all of your rates for all types of vehicles in a convenient spreadsheet template already populated with the city and ZIP code information for your area. 

Rate Load provides a mechanism for loading rates into Deem Car Service for providers who are not integrated with Deem Car Service using External Rate Query (ERQ). You can load your rates and change them as frequently as you need to. (To learn now to integrate with Deem Car Service using ERQ, contact us at groundcustomersuccess@deem.com.)

What is the process for loading my rates into Deem Car Service?

After logging in with your username and password, follow these steps:

  1. Generate the template for the Deem Car Service rate file: Choose options and a template type for entering your rates, and download the template for the rate file to your computer. See Generating the Rate File.
  2. Enter rates into the rate file: Use a spreadsheet program to enter your rates into the rate file. See Entering Rates into the Rate File.
  3. Upload rates into Deem Car Service. See Uploading Rates into Deem.
  4. Check the upload status, any error messages associated with the upload, and the rate upload history. See Rate Upload History.

Which template should I choose for my rate file?

Rate Load offers two spreadsheet templates for entering your rates:

  • Rate matrix: Choose this template to load rates for a single "From" location (such as a city) to multiple "To" locations (such as different airports) for one specific vehicle type. The template provides rows with a single column for the "From" location and multiple columns for "To" locations. The rate matrix is particularly useful for entering rates from one city to multiple points, such as airports, train stations, and landmarks.
  • Point to point: Choose this template to load rates using a single "From" location to a single "To" location for multiple vehicle types. The template provides rows with a single column for the "From" location and a single column for the "To" location" for each vehicle type.

See Generating the Rate File for details.

What are common errors to avoid when entering rates into the rate file?

Common errors include entering rates in the wrong column of the rate file, changing the column layouts, or changing the column headers. Don't move the column layouts from their existing locations, and don't rename the headers for these columns. Enter rates only in the cells in the Price column. Don't change the contents of other cells, or convert the cell types to any other fields types. For example, don't convert the Price column cells to the "currency" type, because monetary symbols would appear in the cell, which is not allowed. And don't exceed 2 decimal points in your amounts in the Price column. For more information about entering rates, see Entering Rates into the Rate File.

What does the error icon in the Rate Upload History mean?

To view errors associated with an upload, see Rate Upload History for instructions. If an error icon appears in the Error File column on the Rate Upload History page, it means that at least one error occurred while validating the uploaded information. To see the errors, click the error icon to download a modified version of your rate file, which includes the Exception Reason column showing why the validation failed. Exception reasons include an invalid "From" address, invalid "To" address, and invalid rate amount. Make appropriate changes to your rate file, and upload the revised rate file.