Car Wash: Detail Package Lookup

Excel Formulas › Car Wash & Detailing

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Detail packages have set prices, so pricing a ticket is a lookup, not a calculation. VLOOKUP finds the package on your menu and returns its price every time.

Quick formula: Look the package up in the price table:

=VLOOKUP(B2,$D$5:$E$8,2,FALSE)

Pick "Deluxe" and the ticket fills in $60 straight from the menu — no memorizing prices.

Functions used (tap for the full reference guide):

VLOOKUP

The example

Vehicles and chosen packages on the left; the price menu in columns D–E.

	A	B	C	D	E
1	Vehicle	Package	Price	Menu	$
2	Sedan	Deluxe	$60	Express	$30
3	SUV	Premium	$95	Deluxe	$60
4	Truck	Showroom	$150	Premium	$95
5	Coupe	Express	$30	Showroom	$150

The formula

VLOOKUP matches the package name exactly and returns the price column:

=VLOOKUP(B2,$D$5:$E$8,2,FALSE) // find the package, return its price

How it works

The lookup reads straight off your menu:

B2 is the package the customer chose.
$D$5:$E$8 is the menu — package names in the first column, prices in the second.
FALSE forces an exact match, and 2 returns the price column.

Lock the table with the dollar signs so the range does not drift when you copy the formula down the tickets.

Try it: interactive demo

Interactive

Choose a detail package to price the ticket.

Package

Variations

Add-ons on top

Add a la carte services to the package price.

=VLOOKUP(B2,$D$5:$E$8,2,FALSE)+Addons

Guard a blank choice

Return a friendly note when no package is picked yet.

=IFERROR(VLOOKUP(B2,$D$5:$E$8,2,FALSE),"Pick a package")

Pitfalls & errors

Use FALSE for an exact match. Approximate match on an unsorted menu returns the wrong package price without any error.

Anchor the table with $D$5:$E$8 so copying the formula down the ticket list does not slide the lookup range off the menu.

Practice workbook

📊

Download the free Car Wash: Detail Package Lookup practice workbook

Edit the yellow Package cells or the D-E menu; the Price recalculates.

Frequently asked questions

Why FALSE in the VLOOKUP?

FALSE demands an exact match on the package name. Without it, VLOOKUP assumes a sorted table and can return the wrong price silently.

What if the package cell is blank?

Wrap it in IFERROR: =IFERROR(VLOOKUP(B2,$D$5:$E$8,2,FALSE),"Pick a package") shows a prompt instead of an #N/A error.

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Function references: VLOOKUP