Camper BMS is in beta. We're capping it at 10 Australian campgrounds - and we want to be upfront about why, because "limited beta" usually sounds like marketing speak for manufactured scarcity.
It isn't. Here's what the cap actually means, what early users get, and what happens after we hit ten.
First, "Beta" Doesn't Mean Unfinished
The product is live. It takes real bookings. Real guests pay through your real payment gateway. We're not running it on a staging server somewhere.
What we mean by "beta" is something more specific. The surface area of the product is built - booking flow, dashboards, leases, invoicing, payments - but there are rough edges we know about and probably some we don't. Some workflows still need polish. Some integrations are still on the roadmap.
We call it beta because we'd rather set that expectation honestly than ship version 1.0 and pretend.
Why Ten, Not a Hundred
Two reasons, both practical.
Manageable scale. With ten campgrounds, every park gets attention. With a hundred, that breaks down quickly - and we'd rather earn ten parks than disappoint a hundred.
Product loops. When a real issue lands from a beta park, we want it on the radar in days, not quarters. A small cohort means we can keep that loop tight. Once the cohort grows past what a small team can keep up with, that loop slows right down.
And we're a small team. We pay closer attention to what ten beta parks tell us than we ever could with a hundred - and we learn more from those early signals than any analytics dashboard would show us.
What You Actually Get for Being Early
Two things worth being specific about.
1. The beta rate, locked in for the life of your account. That's 0.75% on the value of paid guest invoices instead of the standard 1.5% - and it stays at 0.75% as long as you're a customer. Not a six-month intro deal that quietly resets. Not a discount we yank back when we leave beta. See the pricing page for how the rate works.
2. A say in what we build. We want as much feedback as you're willing to give - what's working, what's broken, and your wishlist of what you'd love to see next. Beta users' real workflows shape the roadmap. We won't promise to build everything anyone asks for, but the things that come up repeatedly from beta parks tend to land near the top of the queue.
What Happens at Ten
When we hit ten, the public beta closes and a waitlist opens.
The ten beta parks keep their rate for the life of their account. No bait-and-switch - that's a one-line commitment, not a paragraph buried in the terms. New cohorts after the beta may come in at different rates or terms, but the early ten are protected.
We'll write a follow-up post about what we learned from the beta cohort when we get there - what we got right, what we got wrong, what we'd do differently. That's the kind of post we wish more software companies wrote.
Who This Is - And Isn't - For
Applications are reviewed. Not every park is a fit for this beta, and not every applicant will be accepted - the criteria below are the ones we weigh, and they're a useful filter for whether the beta is right for you in the first place.
Good fit:
- Owner-operators who are comfortable giving feedback and want a say in how the product evolves.
- Parks running on phone, paper, spreadsheets, or an older system they've outgrown.
- Operators who'd rather start with something they can shape than wait two years for a "perfect" product.
Not a fit (yet):
- Parks that need every conceivable feature finished on day one.
- Operators who want a hands-off "set and forget" rollout. The product is still learning, and getting set up will take attention from your end.
- Parks that want to be the largest customer and dictate the roadmap. The beta is structured as a partnership.
If that second list sounds like you, we'd genuinely rather you wait for the public release than have a frustrating six months in beta. Saying that out loud is uncomfortable, but it saves both of us time.
One More Thing: This Is an Australian Beta
We built Camper BMS specifically for Australian campgrounds and caravan parks. Local payment gateways, local hours, local context, AU spelling. The beta cohort will be Australian operators only - international parks aren't in scope yet, and that's a deliberate choice rather than an oversight.
What You're Getting in Return
If the cap is part of why you're hesitant, fair enough - but it's worth asking what you're getting in return.
A working booking platform and the lowest rate we'll ever offer. Your guest payments stay yours, your costs scale with your business, and you only pay when invoices are paid. Not a bad trade for being one of the first ten.
If you've read this far, you're probably the kind of operator we want in the beta. Apply and we'll be in touch. Places are limited and every application is reviewed, so not every applicant will make it into the cohort.
Apply to be one of the first ten
Beta access is limited to 10 Australian campgrounds, and applications are reviewed - not first-come, first-served. The beta rate is locked in for the life of your account.
