How to price photo booth rentals.

A booth feels like an asset that earns while it sits at the party. It still needs someone to load it, set it up, run it, handle jams and take it down. Count the time at the venue and the time on either side.

• Equipment wear: the booth, camera, lighting, printer, tablet and cases all wear out. Set aside part of each rental toward replacing them.
• Consumables: print paper, ink or ribbon, props and backdrops, and the cost of spoiled prints.
• Attendant time, including your own, for loading, travel, setup, the event and teardown.
• Software, hosting for galleries and sharing, insurance and storage space.
• Card and platform fees, taxes, and the months with fewer events.

• Hourly with a minimum: a base number of hours, with a set price for each extra hour.
• Packages by tier: a basic booth, a standard package with prints and props, and a premium package with a custom overlay and a backdrop.
• Unlimited prints versus capped prints: state which one the package includes, since prints are a real cost.
• Add-ons: a branded overlay, an extra attendant, a guest book, a second booth and a custom backdrop.
• Corporate pricing: a separate package for branded events, with a custom design fee and gallery delivery.

• Hours and event type: a short party differs from a long wedding reception or a full-day corporate event.
• Booth style: an open booth, a mirror booth, a 360 booth or an enclosed booth each have different equipment costs and setup times.
• Venue: stairs, a long load-in, outdoor power or strict setup windows add time.
• Travel and date: a far venue or a peak Saturday costs more of your time.
• Customization: a custom overlay, branded prints and a themed backdrop add design time.

Take a deposit at booking, with the balance before the event. Spell out what the deposit covers, the cancellation rule, and what happens if the venue changes or your setup window closes. The deposit calculator shows an example split.

Set a minimum booking length so a short rental still covers loading and travel. Raise prices for new bookings when you are regularly booked out, or when equipment, paper or travel costs rise. Keep signed bookings at the agreed price.

• Worked example in the calculator: enter [Event hours] plus [Load, setup, teardown and travel hours] and [Your hourly income], add [Equipment wear, prints and props], then choose [Profit margin]. The result is a package price.
• Divide by [Event hours] to check your effective hourly price, then compare it with your extra-hour price.

Show each package with hours, prints, props and the setup space you need. A line about travel area and lead time answers most early questions.

• A storefront page with your packages, photos and a booking link.
• Customers request a date and pay a deposit online.
• Card payments add a service fee for the customer on top of your price.