An honest, side-by-side comparison to help you decide what's right for your Australian pet business.
PetPocketbook is genuinely simple and cheap for the business, because the 5% service fee lands on your customer instead of you. If you're comfortable with pet owners carrying that fee, buy theirs. If you'd rather your customers weren't charged 5% for the privilege of paying you, look at what we do.
Purpose-built for Australian pet businesses. No compromises.
AUD pricing, GST-ready, No FX Fees
Grooming, daycare, boarding, walking, training. All included.
All on one plan. No add-ons.
Minimal digging. No endless menus
Avg. time to book less than 2 min
*Subscription waived as a bonus reward: Pro at $7,500+/mo, Max at $20,000+/mo in card payments
US-based software simply can't match these Australian-specific advantages.
| Payment Processing | PetPocketbook | Petboost |
|---|---|---|
| Business Subscription | $25 USD/month (flat) | $65/mo (or $0 at $7,500+/mo) |
| Payment Processing Model | Pet owners pay a 5% service fee at checkout. Business pays $0 processing fees. | Business pays 1.7% + $0.3 + 1.2-1.4%. Pet owners pay the listed service price only. |
| Who Bears the Cost | Pet owners: 5% added at checkout (e.g. $100 service = $105 at checkout) | Business: fees come from your revenue. Pet owners see transparent pricing. |
| Currency | USD | AUD (native) |
| GST-Inclusive Pricing | Not supported (US platform) | Native AU GST compliance |
| SMS Functionality | PetPocketbook | Petboost |
|---|---|---|
| SMS Availability | ⚠️ Included as fallback. In-app messaging primary, SMS if no app installed | ✅ SMS as primary channel. No app download required |
| SMS Pricing | Appears included in $25 USD/mo flat subscription | Included with Business Pro, Flex & Max plans |
| Australian Phone Number | ❌ Not confirmed. No mention of international support | ✅ Australian number with Communications Booster |
| SMS Payment Links | ❌ Not available. Pet owners pay 5% service fee via app | ✅ One-tap payment via SMS |
| Currency | USD only | AUD (no conversion fees) |
| Requires App Download | ⚠️ Yes, for primary messaging. SMS only as fallback | No. SMS works on any phone |
There are limited scenarios where PetPocketbook may suit you better:
Purpose-built for Australian pet businesses with a design-first approach our customers rave about:
From large daycares to solo groomers, businesses Australia-wide
An honest look at how each platform handles key functionality.
PetPocketbook vs Petboost
How costs are structured
PetPocketbook shifts payment processing costs to pet owners via a 5% checkout surcharge
$25 USD/month subscription. Pet owners pay a 5% service fee at checkout on all online payments.
$65 subscription + 1.2-1.4% booking fee + 1.7% + $0.3 card processing. Business pays directly.
Self-service booking flow for pet owners
Petboost eliminates registration friction with phone-first auth
Online booking requests with approval/decline workflow
Passwordless phone login, progressive info collection, 24/7 booking in under 2 minutes
Pet information management
Family profiles with contact info, pickup instructions, vaccinations, pet birthdays
Full pet profile with vaccinations, care notes, family pets, 2,000+ attributes, emergency contacts
How payments are handled
With Petboost, the business controls fee handling. With PetPocketbook, pet owners see a 5% surcharge.
Online payments via credit/debit/bank transfer. 5% service fee charged to pet owners at checkout.
AU Stripe (1.7% + $0.3) paid by business
Invoice generation and management
Automated invoicing with configurable frequency and bill reminders
Automated invoicing with SMS payment links
Visit updates for pet owners
Both have report cards. PetPocketbook adds continuous GPS route maps. Petboost adds interactive Magic Map with check-in/checkout locations.
Report cards with photos, notes, timestamps, and continuous GPS route maps
Report Cards with customer-facing notes, photos, team member details, and Magic Map location data
Team scheduling and compensation
PetPocketbook has deeper staff management for walking teams
Staff-specific scheduling, approval routing, compensation tracking
Basic staff scheduling
Bookkeeping software sync
QuickBooks Online direct sync
Xero (via Stripe Bank Feeds)
In-app communication
In-app client messaging
SMS and email notifications
Beyond walking/sitting
Dog walking and pet sitting only
All verticals native (grooming, daycare, training, boarding)
Pre-paid service bundles
Petboost has comprehensive package support
Not available
Coffee-card visual tracking, 24/7 self-service purchase, auto top-up, family credit sharing
Training programs and puppy schools
Not available
Native course system
Feature Comparison PetPocketbook vs Petboost | P PetPocketbook | P PetboostAustralian-Built |
|---|---|---|
Pricing ModelHow costs are structured PetPocketbook shifts payment processing costs to pet owners via a 5% checkout surcharge | $25 USD/month subscription. Pet owners pay a 5% service fee at checkout on all online payments. | $65 subscription + 1.2-1.4% booking fee + 1.7% + $0.3 card processing. Business pays directly. |
Pet Owner Booking ExperienceSelf-service booking flow for pet owners Petboost eliminates registration friction with phone-first auth | Online booking requests with approval/decline workflow | Passwordless phone login, progressive info collection, 24/7 booking in under 2 minutes |
Pet ProfilesPet information management | Family profiles with contact info, pickup instructions, vaccinations, pet birthdays | Full pet profile with vaccinations, care notes, family pets, 2,000+ attributes, emergency contacts |
Payment ProcessingHow payments are handled With Petboost, the business controls fee handling. With PetPocketbook, pet owners see a 5% surcharge. | Online payments via credit/debit/bank transfer. 5% service fee charged to pet owners at checkout. | AU Stripe (1.7% + $0.3) paid by business |
InvoicingInvoice generation and management | Automated invoicing with configurable frequency and bill reminders | Automated invoicing with SMS payment links |
Report CardsVisit updates for pet owners Both have report cards. PetPocketbook adds continuous GPS route maps. Petboost adds interactive Magic Map with check-in/checkout locations. | Report cards with photos, notes, timestamps, and continuous GPS route maps | Report Cards with customer-facing notes, photos, team member details, and Magic Map location data |
Staff ManagementTeam scheduling and compensation PetPocketbook has deeper staff management for walking teams | Staff-specific scheduling, approval routing, compensation tracking | Basic staff scheduling |
Accounting IntegrationBookkeeping software sync | QuickBooks Online direct sync | Xero (via Stripe Bank Feeds) |
Client MessagingIn-app communication | In-app client messaging | SMS and email notifications |
Multi-ServiceBeyond walking/sitting | Dog walking and pet sitting only | All verticals native (grooming, daycare, training, boarding) |
Package ManagementPre-paid service bundles Petboost has comprehensive package support | Not available | Coffee-card visual tracking, 24/7 self-service purchase, auto top-up, family credit sharing |
Course ManagementTraining programs and puppy schools | Not available | Native course system |
Last updated: January 2026 • Based on publicly available information
We do fewer things exceptionally well rather than many things adequately. Our customers consistently tell us our design and user experience is miles ahead. Here's where we've intentionally focused elsewhere:
We capture GPS at check-in, checkout, and from photo EXIF data (Magic Map). PetPocketbook records the full walking route.
PetPocketbook has purpose-built walking-specific data fields. Petboost has Report Cards with free-form notes, photos and Magic Map, plus custom fields and intake forms you can set to run every appointment, but no purpose-built visit-report fields.
We connect to Xero via Stripe Bank Feeds
| Feature | Status | Our Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Continuous GPS route tracking | Focused elsewhere | We capture GPS at check-in, checkout, and from photo EXIF data (Magic Map). PetPocketbook records the full walking route. |
| Structured visit fields | Considering | PetPocketbook has purpose-built walking-specific data fields. Petboost has Report Cards with free-form notes, photos and Magic Map, plus custom fields and intake forms you can set to run every appointment, but no purpose-built visit-report fields. |
| QuickBooks integration | Focused elsewhere | We connect to Xero via Stripe Bank Feeds |
If any of these are dealbreakers today, PetPocketbook may be better suited for your current needs.
Based on typical Australian pet business transaction volumes.
* For illustrative purposes only, based on industry averages. Your actual costs may vary.
| Cost Type | PetPocketbook | Petboost |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Subscription | $25 USD/month (~$39 AUD/month incl. FX fees) | $65/mo (or $0 at $7,500+/mo) |
| Payment Processing (Business) | $0 (shifted to pet owners via 5% service fee) | 1.7% + $0.3 + 1.2-1.4% booking fee |
| Cost to Pet Owners | 5% service fee at checkout (e.g. $100 service = $105 total) | $0 additional fees |
| Petboost Booking Fee | N/A (5% charged to clients instead) | 1.2-1.4% on card payments |
What Could You Save?
Calculate your potential savings
Your savings depend on your business size and payment volume. Use the calculator below for a personalised estimate.
Enter your numbers and see
Business Pro starts at -/month with 0 appointments included. Business Max at -/month gives you unlimited appointments.
Total customer payments (all methods)
Appointments you expect each month
Reminders and notifications sent
What percentage of payments go through card on file?
Subscription waiver impact: Your total revenue ($10,000) would qualify for a subscription waiver, but only $8,000 goes through card on file. Increase card payments to $0 to unlock the waiver.
At 100 bookings/month, Business Pro would cost $45/month. Max costs $45/month, which is $0/month more but includes unlimited appointments.
20 of your 100 appointments are paid without card on file
$1 in fees saves $408 in hidden costs
Annual impact: $4,892/year in recoverable losses
Business Pro includes 0 SMS/month. Most businesses never hit these limits. You've set 300 SMS/month. You'll need 3 SMS Power-Up Packs ($45).
Save $636+ per month compared to typical competitors.
All plans include SMS Power-Up Packs at $15 for 100 additional SMS if needed.
* Estimates based on $10,000 total revenue (80% card on file), 100 appointments, and 300 SMS. Hidden cost estimates use industry averages for no-show rates, cancellation losses, and admin time. Actual costs vary.
Enter your business numbers and compare total costs including international card and currency conversion fees.
See exactly what you save with Petboost
5% service fee charged to pet parents for online payments by default; the business may choose to cover part or all of it. Business pays $0 in processing fees.
If platform fee built into pricing: $0/mo
Annual savings: $432
Compared to PetPocketbook Standard at 100 transactions/month
PetPocketbook pricing from their pricing page. Verified 2026-08-24. USD converted to AUD at current exchange rates.
"Within just 2 days my calendar was up and running"
"Huge shout out to the team at Petboost. After months of wasting time and money trialling other software, dealing with endless setup issues and ongoing emails, I finally threw in the towel and gave Petboost a go. Within just 2 days, all of my client information had been transferred, services created, staff added, and my calendar was up and running. Every question I've had has been answered so quickly, and the support team has been incredible throughout the entire setup process. The software itself is so well thought out and easy to navigate. From appointments and invoicing to pet profiles, grooming notes, banking integration and automation, everything just works seamlessly. It already feels like it's saving me hours of admin, and I can't wait to keep customising it over the coming months. I'm genuinely impressed with how smooth the transition has been. If you're a pet business looking for new software, I'd absolutely recommend giving Petboost a look."
Meg O
Hounds with Hair - QLD
"Built by people who actually walk into salons"
"I bought this salon in Brisbane at the start of the year with my wife Andi. I've run businesses for 35 years but never a grooming salon, so I inherited a team of groomers, a full client book & software I hadn't chosen. This salon had been through several systems over the years & nobody here had any appetite for doing it again. I was extremely reluctant. I'm very glad we did. What stands out is that Petboost is built by people who actually understand this industry. I asked them once how to handle a price rise & instead of just answering me they went & wrote a proper guide on it for the industry. When I showed them the whiteboard my team writes out & rubs off every day, they'd already seen the same board taped up in salons interstate. They moved our data properly, which is the part I dreaded most. Reception takes payment on the card reader at the counter against the booking, so nothing gets written down twice. The reporting is what changed how I run it. I can see which days are running over capacity & which aren't, & which parts of the menu are earning. That turned a decision about taking on another groomer from a gut feel into something I could actually look at. I've used a lot of software over 35 years. This is the best in its field in Australia."
Craig H
The Grooming Salon - QLD
Petboost fits your business. Whether you're a one-person mobile groomer, running a large facility with multiple staff and spaces, or managing several locations at once.
One-person operations with streamlined scheduling and automated payments.
3-10 staff with resource management, shared calendars, and team coordination.
Multi-space daycare and boarding, high-volume salons, and busy multi-service businesses.
Multi-location groups and franchises running every site from one HQ dashboard.
It's easier than you think. Here's what to expect if you decide to move from PetPocketbook.
Customer Data
Export and import assistance provided
Booking History
Historical records can be imported
Timeline
2-3 weeks typical
If you're using a Stripe WisePOS-E terminal with PetPocketbook, you can bring it across to Petboost. No new equipment needed.
We're here to help. We provide migration assistance for businesses switching from PetPocketbook.
Contact us for a migration assessmentFrom large daycares to solo groomers, businesses Australia-wide
Still unsure? Book a no-pressure demo and we'll help you figure out if we're the right fit, even if that means recommending someone else.
Honest about change
Switching to any new system is a big adjustment. Buttons are in different places, naming might be different, and the muscle memory you have built does not transfer overnight. We tell every customer the same thing: give it 4 to 6 weeks. Then, one day, you realise it is so much better.
Common questions about switching and comparing these platforms.
Purpose-built features for every type of pet business.
Last verified: 24th August 2026 | Pricing and features sourced from www.petpocketbook.com
Exchange rate: AUD figures converted at 1 USD = $1.4 and 1 GBP = $1.91, the European Central Bank via Frankfurter rate as at . Rates move daily, so the AUD amounts above are indicative; we re-check them every week.
Found an error? Let us know and we'll correct it promptly.
PetPocketbook® is a registered trademark of its respective owners. This comparison is based on publicly available information and is not affiliated with or endorsed by PetPocketbook.
