Using Discount Fields for Other Things

Q: We use the discount fields for user defined fields i.e. membership numbers and the like.  When I put in a discount the system "remembers" the last one used.  Is there a way that I can make sure everyone is blank, so Auto-rates don't go goofy because of the wrong discount listed?

A. There isn't a way to keep it from copying a discount from the discounts fields into a new reservation.  If you use these fields for a special purpose and don't have other discounts, then it's simply a matter of ignoring the "Discount Used" and the rates should apply normally.  Just make sure you don't have "Only applies if no discount used" selected in your rate definitions.

However, it sounds like you do have regular discounts as well.  In this case we recommend that you avoid using the 1st Discount field for your special fields, reserving it for a "real" discount.  Of course if it's blank then the next discount will still get copied to the Discount Used, but as long as the name is different from any normal discounts then you can account for this in your rates.  If a normal discount is used, it should go into the 1st spot and will be used to select the appropriate rate as needed.   Just make sure the normal/default rates are below any discount rates in the Rates Setup list to make sure they are applied first for normal discounts, then the normal rate is used if there's no discount, even if one of your "special" values gets in the Discount Used field.