The verdict in three sentences
A Lisbon rental company with 160 vans and cars across 2 branches (city centre and airport) loses bookings every week because neither desk sees real-time availability at the other. Two paths exist in 2026: off-the-shelf rental software at 15 to 30 EUR per vehicle per month, or a custom system at 35,000 to 60,000 EUR delivered in 4 months, with tablet check-in and check-out, telematics and online booking. The decision hinges on fleet utilisation: moving from 66% to 75% is worth far more than the software itself.
What poor visibility costs
In Lisbon, demand follows three distinct flows: tourists landing at Humberto Delgado airport, local tradespeople renting vans on weekdays, and house moves at weekends. The airport desk may turn away a 9-seat minibus on a Saturday while two sit unused in the city car park. With spreadsheets or a legacy on-premise tool, transfers between branches and late returns only become visible at the end of the day.
| Indicator | Current situation (estimate) | Target with software |
|---|---|---|
| Fleet utilisation | 62 to 66% | 75% |
| Requests refused for lack of visibility | 8 to 12 per week | Fewer than 2 |
| Check-in or check-out time | 15 to 20 minutes on paper | 6 to 8 minutes on tablet, 20 photos |
| Damage disputes not invoiced | 30 to 45% of cases | Under 10% with timestamped photos |
| Mileage reading | Self-reported, frequent errors | Automatic via telematics box |
| Share of online bookings | 20 to 25% | 50% and above |
Off-the-shelf or custom: the 3-year comparison
Off-the-shelf rental platforms cover standard needs well. They become expensive above 150 vehicles and adapt poorly to negotiated B2B rates, tour operator allotments or one-way pricing between branches.
| Criterion | Off-the-shelf software | Custom build |
|---|---|---|
| Setup cost | 0 to 3,000 EUR | 35,000 to 60,000 EUR |
| Recurring cost for 160 vehicles | 2,400 to 4,800 EUR per month | 500 to 900 EUR per month (hosting and maintenance) |
| Total cost over 3 years | 86,000 to 176,000 EUR | 53,000 to 92,000 EUR |
| B2B rates and allotments | Limited to built-in options | Fully configurable |
| Telematics | Imposed boxes or paid connectors | Your choice of provider, open API |
| Data ownership | With the vendor | With the rental company |
| Go-live time | 2 to 6 weeks | 4 months |
The custom budget breaks down as: multi-branch planning and availability (7,000 to 11,000 EUR), online booking with payment and deposit (6,000 to 10,000 EUR), tablet check-in and check-out with photos and signature (6,000 to 10,000 EUR), telematics and mileage integration (4,000 to 8,000 EUR), contracts and invoicing with Portuguese certified invoicing (6,000 to 11,000 EUR), dashboard and utilisation (6,000 to 10,000 EUR). Telematics boxes come on top, around 6 to 12 EUR per vehicle per month. Prices exclude 23% VAT.
Mini case study
Rui, owner of a vehicle rental company in Lisbon (illustrative persona), averages 58 EUR per rental day. Moving from 66% to 70% utilisation, just 4 points, gives his 160 vehicles 2,336 extra rental days a year (160 × 0.04 × 365), or 135,488 EUR of additional revenue. He adds 35 better-documented damage claims at 400 EUR on average, worth 14,000 EUR. Against that, year one costs 48,000 EUR of development, 15,360 EUR of telematics (160 × 8 EUR × 12) and 6,000 EUR of maintenance, or 69,360 EUR. The project pays back in about 5 to 6 months, before even reaching the 75% target.
FAQ
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Can we keep our current telematics boxes?
In most cases, yes: mainstream providers expose an API that reports position, mileage and fuel level. Budget 4,000 to 8,000 EUR for integration depending on the number of providers.
Does a tablet inspection hold up in a dispute?
Yes, if it includes timestamped photos, geolocation and the customer's on-screen signature, followed by an immediate PDF sent by email. A full inspection takes 6 to 8 minutes with 15 to 25 photos.
Can customers book and pay online?
Yes, the booking module handles availability per branch, card payment and a pre-authorisation for the deposit, often 800 to 1,500 EUR for a van. Payment fees run around 1.5% to 2% per transaction.
From how many vehicles does custom make sense?
Below 60 vehicles, off-the-shelf software is almost always cheaper. Between 100 and 200 vehicles, custom pays for itself in 12 to 24 months on subscription savings alone.
How long does staff training take?
Half a day per branch is enough for planning and inspections, with one month of support. Rollout happens branch by branch so rentals are never blocked.
Let's scope your project. Share your fleet size, number of branches and current tools, and we will scope a build on a 4-month plan. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
