Understanding Trust Scores

Understanding Trust Scores

TrailerBase assigns every renter a Trust Score between 0 and 100. Think of it as a quick read on how reliable this customer has been to you so far — not a credit score, and not a judgment about them as a person. It is a workspace-specific signal built from the behavior and data inside your account.

How the score is calculated

Six factors feed the model:

1. Completed rentals — volume matters. A renter who has successfully finished ten rentals has a longer track record than one on their first. More weight is given to rentals in the last 12 months.
2. On-time returns — percentage of returns that happened within your grace period. Consistent on-time returns push the score up quickly.
3. Damage history — any reservation that closed with a damage charge drags the score down. The severity (minor, moderate, major) affects the magnitude.
4. Payment reliability — were invoices paid on time? Did cards decline? Did it take reminders? Fast, clean payments lift the score.
5. Cancellation rate — frequent late cancellations or no-shows pull the score down. A single cancel with plenty of notice barely moves the needle.
6. Profile completeness — verified license, valid insurance, address, and phone all act as multipliers. A renter with thin info never crosses into the high range until you collect more.

Scores update automatically whenever any of these signals change. You will see the new score within seconds of closing a reservation or logging a payment.

Color bands

To make the score scannable at a glance, it shows up with a color band:

• Red (below 40) — new or problematic renters. Worth extra verification, deposit increases, or a manager review before the rental.
• Amber (40 to 69) — developing track record. Use normal policies, but keep an eye out.
• Green (70 and above) — reliable customers. Candidates for VIP tagging, loyalty discounts, or self-service perks.

The band appears next to the numeric score on every renter list, reservation card, and invoice header.

Where trust scores show up

• Renters list — sortable column so you can scan your roster by reliability.
• Reservation drawer — instant signal when a booking comes in.
• Overdue banner — alerts you when a red-band renter holds an active rental.
• Reports — cohort analyses by score band for your operational dashboards.

What renters do not see

Trust scores are entirely internal. Renters never see their score, the factors, or the band. It is not shown on invoices, contracts, booking confirmations, or the customer portal. This lets you use it as a candid operational signal without worrying about customer-facing consequences.

Things to know

• New renters start at 50. The score needs rental history to calibrate.
• Manual override is not supported. This keeps scores consistent and auditable. Use tags like VIP or Watchlist (see Renter Tags) to layer your own judgment on top.
• Scores are workspace-specific. A renter who is a 90 in your account may be lower in another workspace — the score reflects their behavior with you.

Trust scores take the guesswork out of quick decisions. Combined with tags and internal notes, they give your team a shared language for "this is a safe one" or "let's double-check the deposit."