Question 1

What are the different service types in Petboost?

Accepted Answer

Petboost supports six distinct service types: (1) Initial Services for first-visit gatekeeping (consultations, assessments), (2) Regular Services for core appointments (grooming, walking, training), (3) Stay Services for multi-day boarding with nightly rates and check-in/check-out, (4) Add-on Services for revenue-boosting extras (nail trims, teeth cleaning), (5) Course Templates for multi-week group programmes with enrolment tracking, and (6) Packages for prepaid bundles. Each type is designed for specific use cases.

Question 2

What is an Initial Service?

Accepted Answer

Initial Services are first-visit appointments that gate access to Regular or Stay services. For example, a "Daycare Assessment" can be required before pets can book "Full Day Daycare". This ensures every new pet goes through proper intake. Initial requirements are tracked per pet, not per customer, so if a loyal customer gets a new puppy, the puppy needs its own assessment. Staff can override if needed.

Question 3

When should I use Initial vs Regular services?

Accepted Answer

Use Initial services for first-visit gatekeeping: consultations, assessments, meet-and-greets, trial visits. Link them to Regular services to create automatic enforcement. For example: "Grooming Consultation" (Initial) gates "Full Groom" (Regular). "Daycare Assessment" (Initial) gates "Full Day Daycare" (Regular). Customers must complete the Initial before booking the linked Regular service.

Question 4

What is the difference between Regular and Stay services?

Accepted Answer

Regular services are single appointments lasting hours (grooming, walking, training). Stay services are multi-day boarding with Number of nights or Duration-based pricing, check-in/check-out windows, pickup/dropoff options, and multi-night capacity management. Use Regular for same-day services. Use Stay for overnight or multi-day care. Extra hours can change the price on Duration-based. Windows do not add a late fee.

Question 5

How do Add-on Services work?

Accepted Answer

Add-on Services are extras that attach to Regular, Stay, or Initial services. They cannot be booked alone. During booking, customers see relevant add-ons (like Uber Eats) and can tap to add them. Examples: nail trim, teeth brushing, blueberry facial, medication administration. Add-ons can have zero duration (done during the main service) or add extra time. Appointments with add-ons show a pink badge so staff never forget.

Question 6

How do I link add-ons to specific services?

Accepted Answer

When creating an add-on, you can link it to specific services, service categories, or all services. For example, grooming add-ons (blueberry facial, de-shedding) only show for grooming services. Daycare add-ons (extra playtime, medication) only show for daycare. This keeps the booking experience relevant and prevents customer confusion.

Question 7

What is the difference between Courses and Packages?

Accepted Answer

Courses are multi-week group programmes with enrolment, capacity, and attendance tracking (e.g., 6-Week Puppy School). Customers enrol in a course instance, attend lessons, and you track attendance. Packages are prepaid bundles of services at a volume discount (e.g., 10-Walk Pack). Customers buy credits upfront and redeem them on individual bookings. Use Courses for structured programmes. Use Packages for recurring service bundles.

Question 8

How do I create a new service?

Accepted Answer

Go to Services and click 'New Service'. Enter the service name, description, category, base price, and duration. Assign team members who can perform this service and resources required (if any). Configure booking settings like advance notice and self-service availability. Save, and the service is immediately available for booking.

Question 9

What are service categories and how do they work?

Accepted Answer

Service categories group related services together (e.g., Grooming, Daycare, Training, Boarding). Categories help customers browse your offerings and help you organise your service menu. Categories also enable category-level reporting so you can see revenue breakdown by service type. Create categories that match how customers think about your services.

Question 10

How do I set different pricing for different pet sizes?

Accepted Answer

When creating or editing a service, enable size-based pricing. Define price tiers for Small, Medium, Large, and Extra Large pets. For example, Dog Grooming might be $60 (Small), $75 (Medium), $90 (Large), $110 (XL). When booking, the system checks the pet's size and applies the correct price automatically.

Question 11

What are service eligibility requirements?

Accepted Answer

Eligibility requirements control which pets can book a service. On the service's Who Can Book tab you can set a Service Prerequisite (new pets must complete an assessment first), Age Restrictions (minimum or maximum pet age, e.g. 180 days for 6 months), Weight Restrictions (e.g., small dogs only), and Breed Restrictions (include or exclude specific breeds). To require a vaccination certificate, turn on Vaccination certificate on the service's Policies & Paperwork tab (or Require vaccination certificate in Settings, Policies & Paperwork for every service); online bookings then need a current certificate.

Question 12

How do I prevent puppies from booking full groom services?

Accepted Answer

Set a minimum age restriction on your full groom services. Go to Services → [Service] → Who Can Book → Age Restrictions and set the minimum age (e.g. 180 days = 6 months). Pets with a birthday on file younger than this cannot book. Then create dedicated puppy services (e.g. Puppy's First Tidy) with a maximum age limit so puppies are directed to age-appropriate services. Note: age restrictions use the pet's date of birth; online, the booking form asks for it when it is missing.

Question 13

Do age and weight restrictions require pet profile data to be filled in?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Age restrictions are calculated from the pet's birthday field, and weight restrictions use the pet's recorded weight. When customers book online, the booking form asks for a missing birthday or weight where a service needs it. Encourage customers to complete their pet's profile (including date of birth and weight) with your Pre-Appointment Message in Settings → Notifications → Custom Messages, or use a Service Prerequisite (e.g. a Meet & Greet) to verify pet details in person before the first full appointment.

Question 14

How do I configure multi-pet discounts?

Accepted Answer

In service settings, enable multi-pet discounts and set the discount amount (percentage or fixed). For example, '10% off each additional pet'. When a customer books multiple pets for the same service, discounts apply automatically. Discounts can be configured per service, so grooming might offer 15% while daycare offers 10%.

Question 15

How do I set service duration and buffer time?

Accepted Answer

Each service has a base duration (e.g., 90 minutes for grooming). You can also set size-based durations (Small: 60 min, Large: 120 min). Buffer time is the gap between appointments for cleaning, preparation, or travel. Configure this per service. Magic Availability Check includes buffer time when finding available slots.

Question 16

How do I assign team members and resources to services?

Accepted Answer

In service settings, select which team members can perform this service (based on skills/certifications). Also select required resources. For example, grooming requires a grooming station, and daycare requires a play area. When booking, Magic Availability Check only offers times when both an eligible team member AND required resources are available.

Question 17

Can I make some services staff-only (not self-service)?

Accepted Answer

Yes. On the service's Booking Settings tab, turn off Online booking. The service then does not appear on your customer portal and only staff can book it. Useful for assessment appointments, emergency slots, VIP services, or services that need a phone consultation first.

Question 18

How do I set booking windows (advance notice and maximum future)?

Accepted Answer

Set a Booking Notice Period per service on its Duration & Timing tab, or keep the business default (e.g., 24 hours, so customers can't book same-day). This prevents last-minute bookings you can't accommodate. There is no setting that caps how far ahead customers can book.

Question 19

How do I configure cancellation and rescheduling policies?

Accepted Answer

Set a Change & Cancellation Policy per service on its Policies & Paperwork tab, or keep the business default: Allow changes & cancellations, a cancellation fee (a percentage of the booking or a fixed amount, such as $60) and a Notice Period (e.g., 24 hours). The same notice period covers changes and cancellations. A package credit goes back when a booking is cancelled in time; after the cutoff, your team chooses whether to retain or forfeit it.

Question 20

Can I have seasonal or promotional pricing?

Accepted Answer

Public holidays and weekdays are automatic: set a rate in Business Hours (per weekday) or Public Holidays (per holiday, or one policy rate across all of them), as a percentage or a flat amount, on the services you choose. Customers see it badged on those dates while booking and in the total before they confirm, and you can publish it on your showcase page. For a date-range season or a promotion, you can also: (1) Create duplicate services with different prices (e.g., 'Holiday Grooming'), (2) Use discount codes for promotions, (3) Manually adjust prices during booking with Quick Create mode.

Question 21

How do I set up package-eligible services?

Accepted Answer

Any service can be made package-eligible. When creating packages, you select which service the package applies to. Customers then redeem package credits when booking that service. One service can have multiple packages (5-pack, 10-pack, 20-pack). Configure packages in the Packages section, not service settings.

Question 22

How does stay pricing work?

Accepted Answer

Each Stay has a Pricing Mode. Number of nights charges Rate per night per midnight crossed (Friday 4pm to Monday 9am is 3 nights). Number of days charges every calendar day, arrival and departure included (Friday to Monday is 4 days). Duration-based bills the hours from check-in in 24-hour periods, with optional short-stay / spillover rates, so a later pickup can cost more. Every mode can add extended stay discounts for longer stays. If you do not pick a mode, Duration-based is the default. Configure in Services → the Stay → Pricing & Payments.

Question 23

Why does archiving a service still show it in bookings?

Accepted Answer

Archived services are hidden from NEW bookings but remain visible on EXISTING appointments. This preserves historical records and allows you to complete in-progress bookings. If you need to completely remove a service, you must first cancel or complete all existing appointments using that service. Archiving is reversible - you can restore archived services from Services → Show Archived.

Question 24

Can I require intake forms for specific services?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Link a form to specific services, then set When to collect: Send after booking (SMS and email after the booking is created) or Required before booking (the form appears in self-serve checkout). You can create different forms for different services - for example, a grooming preferences form for groom appointments and a behavioural assessment for daycare. Each form can include custom fields, electronic signatures, and linked profile fields.

Question 25

Can I price a service by a pet attribute rather than by size?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Attach a set of booking properties to one or more attributes. It can adjust the price by a percentage or a fixed amount in either direction, add or take away minutes, and cap how many pets carrying those attributes you take at once. Pets carrying any of the selected attributes pick the properties up automatically. There is more on /business/features/dynamic-pricing.

Question 26

Can I charge a different rate on a weekday or a public holiday?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Set a rate on any public holiday, any weekday, or a date range, as a percentage or a flat amount, on the services you choose. You name the rate and that name is what customers see on the date and in their total. There is more on /business/features/dynamic-pricing.

Question 27

Can I block out time for cleaning between appointments?

Accepted Answer

Petboost lets you add buffer time before and after services, automatically blocking out cleaning and preparation time in your schedule. Set buffer time before appointments (preparation, check-in). Set buffer time after appointments (cleanup, sanitisation). Buffer time automatically blocks booking slots. Different buffer times for different services. Customers see realistic availability that accounts for transitions.

Question 28

How can I be sure customers book the right grooming service?

Accepted Answer

Petboost connects services directly to pet profiles, so customers only see and book services their pet actually qualifies for. Create size-based services with clear pet weight or breed criteria. Customers' booking options are automatically filtered by their pet's recorded details. Tiered pricing (Small, Medium, Large, XL) presented clearly without confusion. Pet profiles store weight, breed, and coat type for accurate matching. Update a pet's details once and their eligible services update everywhere.

Question 29

What if a customer tries to book a large dog service for their Chihuahua?

Accepted Answer

Petboost's pet-based eligibility filtering ensures customers only see and book services their pet actually qualifies for based on weight, breed, or other criteria. Set weight or size criteria for each service tier. Pet profiles store weight and breed information. Customers only see services their pet qualifies for. No more mismatched bookings or pricing confusion. Update a pet's details and eligible services update automatically.

Question 30

How do I offer specialist services for specific breeds only?

Accepted Answer

Petboost lets you set breed-based eligibility rules, so specialist services only appear to customers with the appropriate breed in their pet's profile. Set breed requirements for specialist services. Pet profiles store breed information. Only matching breeds see the service option. Create breed-specific packages and pricing. Market specialist expertise to the right audience.

Question 31

What if certain breeds aren't suitable for group walks?

Accepted Answer

Petboost combines service eligibility rules with pet attributes, letting you control which pets can access specific services based on breed, behaviour, or other factors. Set breed restrictions on group services. Use pet attributes to flag behavioural concerns. Special Attention system highlights pets needing different handling. Offer alternative private services for unsuitable breeds. Clear communication about service suitability.

Question 32

Can customers only see services their pet is eligible for?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Petboost automatically filters services based on the pet's profile details, so customers only see and can book services their pet genuinely qualifies for. Pet profiles store weight, breed, age, and attributes. Service eligibility rules define who can book. Customers see filtered options based on their pet. No wrong bookings, no corrections needed. Update pet details once, eligibility updates everywhere.

Question 33

What if I need different rules for initial vs. return appointments?

Accepted Answer

Create separate services in Petboost for initial consultations vs. return appointments, each with appropriate durations, pricing, and settings. Create "Initial Consultation" with longer duration. Create "Return Appointment" with standard duration. Different pricing for each appointment type. Set booking requirements appropriate to each. Customers see options based on their history.

Question 34

Can I set minimum notice periods so people can't book last-minute?

Accepted Answer

Petboost's booking notice period setting lets you require a minimum advance time for bookings, ensuring you always have adequate preparation time. Set minimum advance notice (hours or days). Customers can only book after your required lead time. Different notice periods for different services if needed. Staff can still book same-day appointments when necessary. Protect your schedule while maintaining flexibility.

Question 35

Can I offer different services on different days?

Accepted Answer

Petboost's service availability settings let you control which days each service is offered, so customers only see bookable options. Set availability by day of week for each service. Group walks available Monday-Friday only. Grooming available Saturday-Sunday only. Customers see appropriate services for each day. Flexible scheduling that matches your actual operations.

Question 36

How do I stop customers booking too far in advance?

Accepted Answer

Petboost lets you set a maximum advance booking window, preventing customers from booking too far into the future when your availability isn't yet confirmed. Set maximum advance booking period (weeks or months). Customers can only book within your defined window. Schedule opens up as time progresses. Reduces forgotten appointments and scheduling chaos. Staff can still book further ahead when needed.

Question 37

How long will it take me to learn new software?

Accepted Answer

Petboost is designed specifically for pet business owners, not software engineers. The interface is intuitive, and Australian-based support is available to help you get started. Intuitive interface designed for non-tech users. Australian-based onboarding support. User guides tailored for pet professionals. Start with basic features and expand as you are ready. No technical background required.

Question 38

What if I need help getting set up?

Accepted Answer

Petboost is Australian-owned and operated, with real humans ready to help you get set up and succeed. Onboarding support to configure your account correctly. Australian-based team who understands local pet businesses. Documentation and guides tailored for pet care professionals. Responsive support when you have questions. Regular updates based on feedback from Australian pet businesses.

Question 39

Is there support from real people?

Accepted Answer

Petboost is Australian-owned and operated, with a real team of humans who understand pet businesses and are ready to help you succeed. Not chatbots, not offshore call centres. Australian-based support team. Real humans who understand pet businesses. Responsive help when you need it. Onboarding support to get you started right. Feedback that actually gets heard and acted on.

Question 40

Can I try it before committing?

Accepted Answer

Petboost is designed with commitment-phobes in mind. Start with a 14-day free trial, no card needed. There's no lock-in contract, and real humans help you get set up. Business Pro is $65/month (waived at $7,500+ in card payments). No lock-in contracts: cancel anytime without penalty. Australian-based onboarding support to help you get started. Book a demo call with our team to see if it's right for you. Start with just one or two services and expand when you are ready. Your data belongs to you: export anytime.

Question 41

What are the steps to set up my Petboost account?

Accepted Answer

Setting up Petboost involves creating your account, configuring your business details, adding services and pricing, connecting Stripe for payments, and optionally importing existing customer data. Most businesses are fully operational within a few days. Create your account and configure business details (name, address, hours). Add your services with pricing, durations, and any eligibility rules. Set up team members and their working hours (if applicable). Connect Stripe for payments: just a few clicks, no technical knowledge needed. Import existing customers via CSV or add them as they book. Share your booking link and start accepting appointments.

Services & Configuration

Services & Configuration