Before Stowley
- Pickup lists on paper and photos on someone's phone
- Finding one customer's box means walking the racks
- Every return is a phone call, a lookup, and a callback
Valet storage
Pick It Up, Rack It, Bring It Back. Every Item Accounted For.
Valet storage is a logistics business that happens to own a warehouse. Stowley runs the part your customers never see: photo intake at the curb, a rack location for every item, monthly billing that charges itself, and a portal where customers ask for things back without calling you.
- Per item
- or flat monthly, prorated to the day
- Auto-charge
- card on file on the billing day
- Self-serve
- return requests from the portal
With Stowley
- Every item photographed, labeled, and racked at intake
- Search any item and see its warehouse, row, and bin
- Customers pick what they want back and choose a delivery window
01
Billing that runs itself
Set a per-item rate or a flat monthly plan per customer. On the billing day Stowley builds the invoice, emails it, and charges the card on file. Items picked up or returned mid-cycle are prorated to the day, so you never hand-adjust an invoice for a Tuesday pickup.
02
Customers ask for things back without calling
Customers sign into a portal, scroll their own items by photo, and request a return. If you offer delivery windows, they pick one from the slots you have open. Your desk stops fielding “can you bring my…” calls and just works the queue.
03
Intake happens at the curb, on a phone
Crews photograph and label each item on their phone during the pickup, so the record exists before the truck leaves. Back at the warehouse, a scan puts the item in its row and bin.
Capabilities
Built for valet storage
Every capability below ships in Stowley today. No add-ons, no roadmap promises.
Intake on the truck, not at a desk
The Field view logs items with photos and condition on a phone at the pickup. The customer signs the item list on the spot, and the signed receipt is on their record before the crew pulls away.
A rack location for everything
Items live in a warehouse, zone, row, and bin. Search by customer or item and walk straight to it. Print QR labels in bulk and scan them with any phone camera.
Per-item or flat monthly, charged for you
Bill each customer per item stored or on a flat plan. Recurring invoices generate on the billing day and charge the saved card through Stripe. Free days before billing starts and proration for mid-cycle pickups and returns are settings, not spreadsheet columns.
A portal that answers the question
Customers see their items with photos, request returns or new pickups, message your team, and pay invoices. Put your own name on it with white-label on Premium.
Delivery windows customers book themselves
Offer the windows you can staff and let customers choose one when they request a return. Capacity per window keeps the schedule honest, and the crew's day shows every stop.
Proof of delivery, item by item
Crews mark each item delivered, photograph the drop, and capture a signature on the phone. The receipt PDF records the outcome of every item, so a “that never arrived” claim is answered from the record.
Past-due accounts surface on their own
Invoices flip to past-due when the due date passes. Aging buckets sit on your dashboard, and the failed-charge retry runs without you starting it.
Scan in, scan out, from any phone
QR labels print on standard label stock. A scan moves an item into a bin, stages it for a return, or confirms it back on the rack. Every scan lands in the item's audit log.
Getting started
How it works
- 01
Photograph and label items at pickup
Crews log each item on a phone; the customer signs the list.
- 02
Rack it and set the rate
Scan items into a bin. Set per-item or flat billing once.
- 03
Let the portal and the billing day do the rest
Customers request returns; invoices charge themselves.
From the blog
Valet Storage vs Self-Storage: Which Model Wins in 2026?
Drive-up self-storage and full-service valet storage look similar from the curb. The economics, software, and customer expectations are not the same business.
Read the guideIs Stowley a self-storage facility system?
No. Facility software manages units, gates, and leases for customers who haul their own things. Stowley is built for operators whose crews pick items up and bring them back: item-level inventory, pickups and returns as scheduled jobs, and a customer portal. If you run drive-up units, keep your facility system.
How is billing set up for valet customers?
Pick a model per customer: per item stored, a flat monthly plan, or per square foot. Recurring invoices generate on the billing day, email themselves, and charge the saved card or bank account through Stripe. Items that arrive or leave mid-cycle are prorated to the day, with optional free days before billing starts.
Can customers request a return without calling?
Yes. Every customer gets a private portal scoped to their items. They browse by photo, request a return or a new pickup, choose a delivery window if you offer them, message your team, and pay invoices.
How do crews log items during a pickup?
The Field view runs in the phone's browser. Crews add items with photos, condition, and notes at the curb, and the customer signs the item list on the screen. A QR label printed later links the physical item to that record.
What about pickup and return fees?
Add them as lines on the customer's next invoice, or send a one-off invoice from the request. Storage recurs on its own; service fees are yours to set per job.
Do we need scanners or special hardware?
No. QR labels print on standard label stock and scan with any phone camera. There is no app to install for staff or customers.
Live demo
See a valet warehouse running on Stowley
Open a demo loaded with a racked warehouse, household and business customers, return requests, and recurring invoices. Run a pickup, request a return from the portal, and watch an invoice charge itself.
Start a free trial
Quick email check-in for a demo. No strings attached.