Booking Software for Charters: Why Captains Choose BookingTerminal

Jarod LaFalce

Co-Founder / COO of BookingTerminal

Published on: September 25, 2025 | Estimated Read Time: 6 minutes

Introduction

As a charter captain—whether you’re running fishing trips, whale watching tours, or party cruises—you have limited time to spend on scheduling. When you’re out on the water with one group, it’s a hassle to juggle calls, texts, and emails just to line up the next trip. A boating booking software solves this by letting your customers reserve in real time, so you can focus on what you do best: delivering a great experience on the water.

But not all booking systems are designed with charters in mind. Choosing the wrong one can leave you with high fees, confusing tools, and no real improvement over the manual way of doing things. That’s why captains turn to BookingTerminal. With low fees, deposit capabilities, and resource logic built for charters, it’s the best booking software for boating businesses in 2025.

Smart Scheduling for Every Type of Charter

Running a charter business often means coordinating different options: open-boat trips, private groups, multiple boat types, or overlapping departure times. With most software, this can feel impossible to manage.

BookingTerminal makes it simple. Our built-in resource logic ensures your boats and trips are never double-booked, no matter how complex your schedule is. You can even set cleanup times between charters and cutoff times before departures, so you always have the breathing room you need to prepare. Best of all, your account manager sets this up for you from the start, so everything is ready to go when you start booking.

Low Online Booking Fee

Adding booking software to your repertoire will automatically increase conversions—giving your customers the ability to book on their own is a must in today’s digital world. But many booking platforms come with a hefty online fee. Most of the big players in the industry charge your customers a 6% fee on top of your pricing just to use their checkout widget. For high-ticket items like private charters, this can be a meaningful added cost for your customers.

BookingTerminal’s online booking fee is only 3%, one of the lowest on the market. This lower fee makes your offerings more appealing to clients, reduces friction at checkout, and keeps your pricing competitive. It also means you can confidently promote online booking without worrying about sticker shock or complaints, giving your customers a smoother, more enjoyable booking experience from start to finish.

No Direct Booking Fee (Phone, Email, Cash, Walk-Ins)

Even with online booking, some customers will still call, email, or pay with cash. In those cases, you can create a direct booking in your dashboard. It’s not always convenient, but it’s a necessary part of managing your business and keeping clients happy.

Some booking platforms still charge a fee for these manual bookings—but BookingTerminal doesn’t. We view booking fees as a convenience fee for your customers, so direct bookings, which are handled manually by you, are completely fee-free. That means you can take calls, handle walk-ins, or process cash without worrying about extra charges cutting into your revenue.

Deposits for High-Ticket Bookings

Private charters can be pricey, so offering clients the option to pay a deposit instead of the full amount upfront can make them feel more comfortable when booking. It also allows you to set a clear refund policy if the deposit is non-refundable.

BookingTerminal makes this easy with a simple deposit option built right into the checkout flow. This helps you secure bookings confidently while keeping the checkout smooth for your customers.

Hands-On Support from Real People

As a charter captain, you don’t need to become a software expert—and with BookingTerminal, you won’t have to. You’ll be paired with an account manager who learns your operations almost as well as you do. They’ll digitize your offerings and set up all the necessary logic, so when your dashboard is handed over, it’s ready to start taking bookings immediately.

The support doesn’t stop there, though. Your account manager—and the rest of the BookingTerminal team—is always available to answer questions or make changes. While we are a software company, we add the human touch that’s often missing from digital products today, giving you confidence and peace of mind as your bookings grow.

Conclusion

Booking charters is hard enough without worrying about complicated software, unexpected fees, or double bookings. With BookingTerminal, you get a system built for the realities of running a charter business—flexible, intuitive, and supported by real people who understand your needs. From securing bookings and managing schedules to keeping your customers happy, everything is designed to make your life easier and your business run smoother.