Drop from $99/mo + 3% to $23/mo + 2% and cancel your Smartwaiver, maintenance-tracking and BI add-ons. This self-serve guide walks through the Checkfront database export, CSV prep, import, OTA re-linking and parallel-run cutover — typically 5–7 business days. No concierge service, no sales call.
From
To
WHY OPERATORS SWITCH
The common thread: operators hit the November 2023 plan consolidation, realised their cost doubled overnight, and started evaluating alternatives. Here's what usually triggers the move.
Checkfront collapsed tiered plans into a single $99/mo + 3% — a big jump for operators who were on lower-tier plans. EquipDash is $23/mo + 2% with more included.
Checkfront has no serial tracking, no check-in/check-out flow, and no maintenance logs. If rentals are more than an afterthought, you're stitching in third-party tools. EquipDash ships all of it natively.
Checkfront's AI strategy is telling operators to build their own via the API. EquipDash ships Dash AI (in-product assistant) and Dash Agents (task automation), plus MCP so ChatGPT and Claude can act on your business.
Checkfront's support is Pacific-Time-based, and third-party reviews cite an 8-hour offset for EU/UK operators plus phone support gated to higher tiers. EquipDash support covers your business hours without tier gates.
BEFORE YOU START
Do these three things first. They prevent the most common migration problems.
STEP BY STEP
Each step assumes the previous one is complete. Run them sequentially, not in parallel.
Checkfront supports a full account export via the admin UI, plus per-table CSV via the Booking Index. Because Checkfront uses passthrough payments (Stripe/PayPal/Authorize.net), your payment records stay with your processor, not Checkfront's wallet.
Pull these, in this order:
Checkfront column headers don't match EquipDash import templates. Download EquipDash's templates (Settings → Import) and remap:
Keep original Checkfront CSVs untouched. You'll want them if anything looks off after import.
Import in this order: Products → Customers → Open bookings. Don't try to import historical bookings — EquipDash treats your switch date as day zero, with customer history imported as notes on each customer record.
Because Checkfront uses passthrough processors (Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net), your merchant account stays with you — reconnect the same account to EquipDash. OTA channels need re-establishing one at a time.
For one week, take new bookings in EquipDash while Checkfront fulfils anything already booked there. Keep Checkfront's read access open for 60 days as your reconciliation safety net.
AFTER MIGRATING
Lower monthly bill is the headline — but the real gain is owning your tool stack: native rental depth, native AI, and a price that doesn't jump 20% at renewal.
HONEST WARNINGS
We'd rather tell you up front than have you discover it day three.
Checkfront's public API v3 is in maintenance mode; v4 is rolling out. If you have custom integrations (accounting, CRM), verify which API they hit before migrating — your old integrations may already be on borrowed time.
Each OTA (Viator, GetYourGuide, Expedia, Google Things to Do) needs reconnection. Some require a fresh certification on the new platform. Budget 1–2 days per OTA, test each before going live.
Checkfront waivers live on their server as templates, not exportable files. Signed waiver PDFs download individually, but you'll rebuild the template itself in EquipDash. Budget ~30 min per waiver template.
Checkfront's reports don't map 1:1 to EquipDash. Export your last 12 months of Checkfront reports before cancelling — those CSVs are your only pre-switch benchmark.
Copy Checkfront email templates to a doc before cutover. EquipDash's template editor uses different variables, so adaptation is manual — ~1 hour per template.
We don't offer paid migration. This guide is what we'd tell you on a call. If you hit a block, email support — but we won't run the migration for you.
MIGRATION FAQ
Everything operators ask before pulling the trigger from Checkfront.
Contact Us5–7 business days end-to-end for single-location shops. Multi-location or complex OTA setups run 10–14 days. The bottleneck is usually OTA re-linking and waiver-template rebuilding, not data import.
Import Checkfront CSVs, reconnect OTAs, rebuild waivers. Flat $23/mo + 2%, native rentals + AI included. 21-day free trial, no sales call.
