Introducing AI-powered assistance, enhanced API Client search results, improved customer information, and full PHP 8.6 compatibility.
IOS Rentals 4.2 introduces a major new feature to the car rental management platform: Artificial Intelligence integration. The new AI capabilities can help rental businesses find answers about their system, retrieve useful information from their own data, and interact with IOS Rentals in a more natural way. Alongside AI, this release brings important improvements to the API Client plugin, better customer information, remote plugin management, PHP 8.6 compatibility, and a number of smaller improvements and fixes.
Artificial Intelligence Integration
Artificial Intelligence is the most important new feature in IOS Rentals 4.2. AI can now be used directly within IOS Rentals in two main ways:
- As a source of help — ask questions such as How do I set prices? and get guidance based on the IOS Rentals documentation and available help resources.
- As a source of data — ask questions such as How many reservations were made in August 2026? and get information based on your rental system's data.
This makes AI more than just a general-purpose chatbot. When configured to work with IOS Rentals data, it can provide a more natural way to access information that would otherwise require navigating through different sections of the administration interface.
Choosing an AI Provider
Before using Artificial Intelligence, you need to select an AI provider. IOS Rentals 4.2 supports three options:
- OpenAI / ChatGPT — requires an OpenAI account and API access.
- Gemini / Google — requires a Google account and Gemini API access.
- Gnosis / IsOpenSource — free for IOS Rentals users.
OpenAI and Gemini use their respective API services, so usage is subject to the provider's current quotas, limits, and pricing. Both providers offer multiple models with different capabilities and usage characteristics. Gnosis, on the other hand, is provided free of charge to IOS Rentals users, making it possible to use the AI functionality without creating an account with an external AI provider.
Using OpenAI or Gemini
If you choose OpenAI or Gemini, you need to create an API key through the selected provider and enter it in IOS Rentals. For OpenAI, API keys and API access are managed through the OpenAI developer platform. For Gemini, API keys can be created and managed through Google AI Studio.
After entering your API key in IOS Rentals, you can load the models available through the selected provider and choose which model you want IOS Rentals to use.
When using a free tier, model selection can be particularly important. Different models can have significantly different quotas and usage limits, and AI usage can consume free credits or quotas quickly. For paid accounts, providers charge according to their applicable usage and pricing model.
As a general starting point, choose a small and efficient model when the goal is everyday questions and data queries rather than complex reasoning. Model names and availability change over time, so the models displayed by IOS Rentals after loading the provider's model list should be considered the authoritative choices for your account.
A Smarter API Client
The API Client plugin receives several improvements in IOS Rentals 4.2:
- The default template now supports color schemes, making it easier to match the plugin's appearance with your website. You can switch between 12 different color variations with one click.
- Search results now display Popular choice and Best price indicators, giving customers additional information when comparing available vehicles and making it easier to identify vehicles that stand out in the search results.
- Customer phone numbers are now displayed together with their country code, while the customer's country is detected automatically where possible.
View Installed Plugins and Versions Remotely
Managing multiple IOS Rentals installations becomes easier with version 4.2. You can now view all installed plugins and their versions on remote sites directly from the IOS Rentals control panel.
This provides a quick overview of the plugin configuration of a remote installation without having to inspect each installation individually. It is particularly useful when managing multiple rental websites and keeping track of their installed extensions and versions.
PHP 8.6 Compatibility and Coding Standards
IOS Rentals 4.2 introduces PHP 8.6 compatibility, together with updated coding standards. The release includes the necessary code improvements to keep IOS Rentals aligned with the latest PHP version and provide a cleaner and more maintainable codebase.
Keeping the platform compatible with current PHP versions is important both for long-term maintenance and for hosting environments that regularly update their PHP versions.
Other Improvements and Fixes
Alongside the major new features, IOS Rentals 4.2 includes several smaller improvements and fixes:
- The dimensions of uploaded images are no longer fixed but are now controlled through the IOS Reservations settings.
- Custom SELECT form fields are now validated against their defined options.
- Fixed invalid Last-Modified HTTP headers.
- Fixed the PayUBiz payment method.
Conclusion
IOS Rentals 4.2 brings a significant step forward with the introduction of Artificial Intelligence, while continuing to improve the platform's API capabilities, administration tools, compatibility, and reliability.
With AI available for both help and access to rental data, improved API Client search results, better international customer information, remote plugin version visibility, and PHP 8.6 compatibility, IOS Rentals 4.2 provides a more modern and flexible foundation for managing car rental businesses.
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Projects
Projects completed
IOS Rentals v4.2
Artificial intelligence, color schemes, PHP 8.6 compatibility, many other iomprovements.September 19, 2026Open Shop 4.5
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Automatic coupon generation, software editionsFebruary 11, 2026IOS Reservations 6.0
Various improvements. Required for IOS Rentals 4.0+February 05, 2026IOS Rentals v3.8
Paypal checkout, diagnostic check and moreNovember 29, 2025Open Shop 4.0, 4.1, 4.2
Removal of inline events, Paypal Checkout, dialog messages, myPOSNovember 19, 2025IOS Rentals v3.7
Vehicle damages management, Digital client List support for AADE (Greek companies)June 28, 2025IOS Rentals v3.6
Export/import data, booking options, global overview and NBG.April 16, 2025
