How to Use the Dynamic Base Fee Calculator

When an Elder IT technician visits your home or church in person, a travel base fee is charged to cover vehicle mileage and travel time. The Dynamic Base Fee Calculator allows you to calculate this fee before scheduling an appointment.

How the Travel Base Fee Works

Unlike standard flat travel charges that overcharge nearby neighbors or penalize distant communities, Elder IT uses a fair, standardized driving formula:

Exact Driving Route: The tool maps the shortest, safest driving route from Elder IT’s office in Miamisburg, Ohio to your street address using OpenStreetMap routing.
Round-Trip Calculation: One-way driving miles and travel time are multiplied by 2 to account for the full round trip.
The Standard Formula: $$\text{Base Fee} = (\text{Round-Trip Miles} \times \text{Mileage Rate}) + (\text{Round-Trip Hours} \times \text{Travel Time Rate})$$
Rounding & Minimums: The calculated total is rounded up to the nearest whole dollar and is never lower than the Minimum Base Fee (currently $20).

[!IMPORTANT] Base Fee vs. Hourly Support Time: The base fee covers the travel cost of getting the technician to and from your location. The time spent troubleshooting your devices, configuring Wi-Fi, or running clinics is billed separately (or covered by your church’s monthly support hours).

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Enter Your Destination Address

Type your street address into the search field:

Use the autocomplete suggestions to confirm your street and ZIP code.
Click Calculate base fee.

2. Review Your Estimated Fee

Your results appear immediately:

Inside the Service Radius:

“Your estimated base fee is $35.” “This covers our round-trip drive to this address. The time we spend helping you is charged separately.”
- Includes a direct button: “Contact us to book a visit” linking directly to the scheduling portal.
Outside the Service Radius:

“We can’t visit in person, but we can still help remotely.” “We can help by phone or computer.”
- If your location is outside our driving perimeter, travel details are withheld and remote support options are presented instead.

The Interactive Route Map

Underneath your estimated fee, an interactive map displays the driving path:

Start Point: Elder IT’s headquarters in Miamisburg, OH.
Destination Pin: Your home or church building.
Blue Line: The mapped round-trip driving corridor.
Controls: Dedicated zoom and reset controls designed for easy touch navigation.

How Church Partnerships Affect the Base Fee

If your church has an active Elder IT partnership:

Church Tech Clinics: Base travel fees are typically absorbed by the church under the partnership agreement.
In-Home Member Visits: Depending on your church’s chosen benevolence settings (see Subscription Builder), the base fee may be covered by the church or paid directly by the member at the conclusion of the visit.
Check your church’s specific billing setup using the Church Subscription Lookup.