Pricing & Configuration Overview
Overview of all configurable pricing parameters in Sixième Étoile — how the pricing engine layers zones, routes, fees, margins, and regulatory thresholds.
What the Pricing Engine Does
The Sixième Étoile pricing engine computes quote line amounts by layering multiple configuration parameters in a defined resolution order. Understanding this layering is essential for operators who want predictable, consistent pricing across all trip types.
Two Pricing Modes
Every quote line has a pricingMode that determines which calculation path is used:
| Mode | Stored value | When to use | How the price is computed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed Grid | FIXED_GRID | Partner agency clients with negotiated contract prices | Price is read directly from the ZoneRoute table (zone-to-zone contractual price) |
| Dynamic | DYNAMIC | Standard VTC pricing based on geographic zones and multipliers | Price is computed from zone multipliers, advanced rates, seasonal multipliers, and margins |
The operator can toggle pricingMode at any time from the quote cockpit. Both calculations are stored in the tripAnalysis JSON field, so switching mode updates the displayed price without discarding the other calculation.
Resolution Order (Dynamic Mode)
When pricingMode = DYNAMIC, the engine applies parameters in this order:
- Base price — from the configured route grid or zone base price
- Zone multiplier — applied by matching pickup and dropoff zones (
priceMultiplieronPricingZone), aggregated usingzoneMultiplierAggregationStrategy - Advanced rate — percentage or fixed amount triggered by night (21:00–07:00) or weekend windows
- Seasonal multiplier — date-range multiplier stacked on top
- Margin / global multiplier — operator markup as a final layer
The formula is:
finalPrice = basePrice × zoneMultiplier × advancedRateFactor × seasonalMultiplier × (1 + marginPercent / 100)Resolution Order (Fixed Grid Mode)
When pricingMode = FIXED_GRID:
- The engine looks up the
ZoneRouterecord matching (origin zone, destination zone) - The
fixedPricevalue on that record is used as-is (HT, pre-tax) - Zone multipliers, advanced rates, and seasonal multipliers are not applied in this mode
- The resulting price represents the negotiated contractual rate for the partner
Configuration Sections
All pricing parameters are accessible from Settings (section N of the design canvas). Each sub-section corresponds to one page in this documentation:
| Settings sub-section | What it controls | Documentation |
|---|---|---|
| Zones | Geographic zone definitions, multipliers, priorities | Pricing Zones |
| Conflict & Aggregation | Zone conflict resolution and multiplier aggregation strategies | Conflict & Aggregation Strategies |
| Routes / Grids | Zone-to-zone contractual fixed prices (ZoneRoute) | Routes and Pricing Grids |
| Forfaits | Flat-rate packages for recurring trips | Forfaits |
| Margins & Multipliers | Global or per-category markups | Margins and Multipliers |
| Fee Catalog / Advanced Rates | Supplementary fee types and time-window rate modifiers | Fee Catalog and Advanced Rates |
| Seasonal Multipliers | Date-range multipliers stacked at the end of the chain | Seasonal Multipliers |
| Cost Parameters | Internal costs for margin analysis (fuel, tolls, staffing) | Cost Parameters |
| Regulatory Thresholds | RSE compliance rules and staffing selection policies | Regulatory Thresholds |
Key Concepts
HT vs TTC
All prices configured in the pricing engine are stored and displayed as HT (hors taxe — pre-tax). VAT is computed at display time and on invoices based on the VAT rate assigned to each fee or line type. Never enter TTC values in pricing configuration fields.
Bidirectional Pricing
When a trip has both an outbound and a return leg, both legs are calculated independently and stored in tripAnalysis. The operator can view both prices in the quote cockpit and choose which to apply.
Conflict When Multiple Rules Match
When more than one zone, route, or forfait matches a trip, the engine uses the configured conflict strategy to pick the winning rule. See Conflict & Aggregation Strategies for the full list.
Practical Tips
- Start with zones. Zones are the foundation of dynamic pricing. Define geographic areas first, then layer multipliers and conflict strategies on top.
- Use Fixed Grid for agency clients. If you have negotiated rates with partner agencies, configure those in Routes/Grids and set their quotes to
FIXED_GRIDmode. This prevents dynamic fluctuations from affecting contracted prices. - Test with a sample quote. After any configuration change, create a test quote with a representative trip and verify the computed price in the quote cockpit's trip analysis panel before going live.
- Cost parameters are internal only. Fuel costs, toll estimates, and driver costs are never surfaced on client-facing documents; they are used only for the operator's margin analysis dashboard.