Overview
Service Areas help Spiro determine:
where appointments can be booked
how trip fees are calculated
which photographers can service a location
how scheduling behaves
When configuring Service Areas, you'll choose between two different trip fee structures:
Region-Based Trip Fees
Photographer-Based Trip Fees
Both options are fully supported and can be effective depending on your workflow. The right choice depends on how your business schedules appointments and manages photographers.
Service Area settings showing the available Trip Fee Structure options.
(Settings > Service Areas > Settings (Upper Right Gear Icon)
Understanding the Relationship Between Trip Fees and Scheduling
One of the most common questions we receive is:
Why does Spiro automatically switch me to Automatic Scheduling when I select Photographer-Based Trip Fees?
The answer is simple:
Photographer-Based Trip Fees require Spiro to know which photographer is assigned before calculating the travel fee.
To determine the correct trip fee, Spiro needs access to:
the assigned photographer
photographer availability
Google Calendar availability
photographer location
assigned service areas
photographer-specific trip fee settings
Automatic Scheduling provides all of this information during the booking process.
Manual Scheduling does not.
Because no photographer has been assigned yet during Manual Scheduling, Spiro cannot accurately calculate a photographer-specific trip fee.
For this reason:
✅ Photographer-Based Trip Fees require Automatic Scheduling.
❌ Photographer-Based Trip Fees cannot be used with Manual Scheduling.
This behavior is intentional and helps prevent incorrect trip fee calculations.
Option 1: Region-Based Trip Fees
Region-Based Trip Fees calculate travel charges based on the service area or region where the property is located.
Trip fees are tied to regions rather than individual photographers.
Best For
✅ Manual Scheduling workflows
✅ Businesses that assign photographers after booking
✅ Smaller teams
✅ Businesses that want simpler setup and maintenance
✅ Teams that want scheduling flexibility
Pros
Works with Manual Scheduling
Works with Automatic Scheduling
Supports multiple photographers
Supports overlapping territories
Supports different travel rates by region
Often preferred by businesses that want a simpler scheduling workflow
Considerations
Less photographer-specific precision
Does not support the "Photographer Keeps Full Trip Fee" option
Example
A booking falls inside the "North Region."
Regardless of which photographer ultimately takes the appointment, the system applies the trip fee assigned to that region.
Option 2: Photographer-Based Trip Fees
Photographer-Based Trip Fees calculate travel charges based on the specific photographer assigned to the appointment.
Trip fees are tied directly to photographers rather than geographic regions.
Best For
✅ Automatic Scheduling workflows
✅ Businesses with multiple photographers
✅ Large coverage areas
✅ Teams with photographers located in different regions
✅ Businesses that want photographer-specific travel calculations
Pros
Supports photographer-specific travel rates
Provides more precise trip fee calculations
Works well for distributed teams
Supports the "Photographer Keeps Full Trip Fee" option
Uses the photographer's assigned service area configuration
Considerations
Requires Automatic Scheduling
Requires service area configuration at the photographer level
Example
A booking is placed in a city covered by multiple photographers.
Spiro evaluates:
photographer availability
assigned service areas
scheduling rules
photographer-specific trip fee settings
The trip fee is then calculated using the photographer selected by the scheduling engine.
Why Spiro Prevents Manual Scheduling
If you are using Photographer-Based Trip Fees and attempt to switch back to Manual Scheduling, you may see a message similar to:
"This option is disabled because you are using the 'Photographer fee structure' trip fee option."
This is expected behavior.
Because Photographer-Based Trip Fees require a photographer to be selected during booking, Spiro prevents configurations that could result in inaccurate or missing trip fee calculations.
Which Option Should I Choose?
Choose Region-Based Trip Fees if you:
Assign photographers after the order is placed
Use Manual Scheduling
Prefer a simpler setup
Want flexibility in assigning photographers later
Manage a smaller team
Choose Photographer-Based Trip Fees if you:
Use Automatic Scheduling
Want photographer-specific trip fee calculations
Have photographers working from different locations
Operate across a large geographic area
Want photographers to keep their own trip fees
Common Questions
Can Region-Based Trip Fees support multiple photographers?
Yes.
Region-Based Trip Fees fully support multiple photographers.
Can Region-Based Trip Fees support overlapping territories?
Yes.
Multiple photographers can operate within the same regions.
Can Region-Based Trip Fees support different travel rates?
Yes.
Different regions can have different trip fee structures.
Is Photographer-Based better than Region-Based?
Not necessarily.
The best option depends on your workflow.
Region-Based is often preferred for Manual Scheduling workflows.
Photographer-Based is often preferred for Automatic Scheduling workflows.
Can I use Photographer-Based Trip Fees with Manual Scheduling?
No.
Photographer-Based Trip Fees always require Automatic Scheduling.
Best Practices
✅ Decide whether photographers are assigned before or after booking
✅ Choose the trip fee structure that aligns with your scheduling workflow
✅ Use Region-Based Trip Fees for Manual Scheduling
✅ Use Photographer-Based Trip Fees for Automatic Scheduling
✅ Review your service areas whenever adding new photographers