Overview
Lifecycle Automation saves 20+ hours per week by automating the entire appointment journey-from booking to payment. With 50%+ of appointments becoming self-service and 70%+ booked after hours, it's like having a 24/7 virtual receptionist trained on your rules.
Key Capabilities:
Self-service booking - Customers book 24/7 based on your availability rules
Automated reminders - SMS & email sent automatically
Terms & vaccination checks - Paperwork verified before booking confirms
Payment pre-authorisation - Cards validated 72 hours before service
Automatic invoicing - Invoices generated automatically
Auto-charge payments - Cards charged automatically after service
Automatic Actions on this page means the five lifecycle automations below: Pre-Hold Funds, Auto-Start, Auto-Complete, Auto-Finalise and Auto-Pay. Appointment reminders and vaccination reminders are separate and are covered in Notifications.
Automate as much or as little as you want. Each setting can be configured per service.
⚠️ Critical: Auto-Pay and Pre-Hold Funds are configured per service as well as globally. If Auto-Pay is enabled globally but disabled for a specific service, appointments for that service won't auto-charge. Check Services → [Service Name] → Automatic Actions for Auto-Pay and Services → [Service Name] → Pricing & Payments for Pre-Hold Funds to verify each service's settings.
Included in Business Pro and Business Max
Plan | Automatic Actions |
Calendar Lite | ❌ Not included |
Business Pro | ✅ Full access |
Business Max | ✅ Full access |
Note: On Calendar Lite the five lifecycle automations stay off, so appointments are started, completed, finalised and charged by hand. Appointment reminder emails and vaccination reminders still send on paid Calendar Lite. They stay off during the 14-day trial. Upgrade to Business Pro or Max to turn the lifecycle automations on.
Pre-Hold Funds Requirement
Where to find it: Pre-Hold Funds is a money setting and lives in Settings → Pricing & Payments, and per service in Services → [Service Name] → Pricing & Payments. It is documented here because it interacts with the automatic actions below.
Automatically pre-authorize payment amounts before appointments to reduce no-shows.
How It Works
72 hours before appointment: System checks customer's card on file
Temporary hold: Places authorization hold for appointment amount
Not charged yet: Funds are reserved but not captured
Appointment day: Hold is released or converted to actual charge
Options
Required - Pre-authorise payment amounts
Card is checked and funds held 72 hours before
Customer notified if card fails verification
Significantly reduces no-shows (80%+ reduction)
Ensures payment method is valid and has sufficient funds
Not Required - Charge when completed
No pre-authorization
Card only charged after appointment completes
Higher no-show risk
Customers with expired/insufficient cards may not be detected until after service
Pre-Authorisation Alerts
When a service has Pre-Hold Funds enabled, staff see a contextual alert on the appointment card showing the pre-authorisation status. The alert adapts to the current state:
Scheduled - Shows when the hold will be placed and the expected amount (appears up to 76 hours before the appointment).
Ready - Within the pre-auth window, staff can manually trigger the hold if it hasn't run automatically.
Active - Displays the held amount, the card used, when the hold was placed, and a link to view the transaction in Stripe.
Failed - If the automatic hold failed (e.g. insufficient funds), staff can retry with one tap.
No card on file - Alerts staff that the hold is blocked because the customer has no saved payment method, with a prompt to contact them.
These alerts appear automatically on qualifying appointments. No configuration is required beyond enabling Pre-Hold Funds for the service.
Why Pre-Hold Funds?
Benefits:
Dramatically reduces no-shows and last-minute cancellations
Validates payment method before appointment day
Customer knows they're committed
You know the payment will go through
Automatic notifications if card fails
When to use:
All appointment types (recommended)
High-value services
Appointments requiring preparation
Businesses with no-show problems
When not to use:
If customers strongly prefer no pre-authorization
For walk-in appointments
Emergency services
Auto-Start Appointments
Automatically move appointments to "In Progress" at their scheduled start time.
How It Works
Scheduled time reached: System automatically starts appointment
Status changes: "Confirmed" → "In Progress"
No manual action: Pet is automatically "checked in"
Timer starts: Service duration tracking begins
Options
Enabled - Auto-start at scheduled time
Appointments start automatically
No need to manually check in pets
Accurate service tracking
Reduces forgotten check-ins
Disabled - Manual start required
You must click "Start" or "Check In" on each appointment
Useful if pets often arrive late
Gives you control over exact start times
Why Auto-Start?
Benefits:
Saves time on manual check-ins
Ensures appointments don't get "forgotten" in Confirmed status
Accurate service duration tracking
Streamlines workflow
When to enable:
Most appointment types
Punctual customers
Grooming, daycare, training
When to disable:
Frequent late arrivals
Drop-off windows (flexible start times)
When you need manual control over start times
Auto-Complete Appointments
Automatically finish appointments when scheduled end time is reached.
How It Works
End time reached: System automatically completes appointment
Status changes: "In Progress" → "Completed"
No manual action: Pet is automatically "checked out"
Ready for invoicing: Appointment ready to finalize and charge
Options
Enabled - Auto-complete when finished
Appointments complete automatically
No need to manually check out pets
Streamlines workflow
Ensures appointments don't sit in "In Progress" indefinitely
Disabled - Manual completion required
You must click "Complete" or "Check Out" for each appointment
Useful if service times vary significantly
Gives you control over exact completion
Why Auto-Complete?
Benefits:
Saves time on manual check-outs
Keeps appointment statuses accurate
Ensures nothing gets stuck "In Progress"
Enables automatic invoicing workflow
When to enable:
Predictable service durations
Grooming with set times
Group classes and courses
Most appointment types
When to disable:
Highly variable service times
When you want to add notes before completing
Services requiring final inspection
Auto-Finalise Appointments
Automatically prepare invoices and finalize appointments for payment.
How It Works
Scheduled end time passes: Petboost waits 30 minutes after the scheduled end time
Auto-finalise: Generates final invoice with all services and charges
Status changes: "Completed" → "Ready to Pay"
Ready for payment: The invoice stays editable until it is paid
Options
Enabled - Auto-finalise and invoice
Invoices generated automatically
No manual invoicing step required
Moves appointments to Ready to Pay, where Auto-Pay picks them up
Disabled - Manual finalisation required
You must manually click "Finalise" on each appointment
Useful if you need to review charges first
Allows adding last-minute items or adjustments
Why Auto-Finalise?
Benefits:
Eliminates manual invoicing step
Faster payment processing
Reduces forgotten invoices
When to enable:
Standard services with fixed pricing
Most appointment types
When using auto-payment
When to disable:
Services with variable add-ons
When you want to review each invoice
Complex billing scenarios
Auto-Pay Invoices
Automatically charge the customer's card on file after invoices are finalized.
How It Works
Invoice finalised: Petboost charges the card at its next automatic check. Checks run every 15 minutes
Auto-charge: Card on file is automatically charged
Payment processed: Stripe processes the payment
Receipt sent: Customer receives automatic email receipt
Status updated: Payment marked as complete
Options
Enabled - Auto-charge saved payment methods
Cards charged within 15 minutes of the invoice being finalised
Reduces payment collection time
No manual charging required
Customers notified automatically
Disabled - Manual payment required
You must manually process each payment
Customer can choose payment method
More flexibility but more admin work
Why Auto-Pay?
Benefits:
Eliminate manual payment processing
Get paid faster
Reduce outstanding invoices
No chasing customers for payment
Automatic receipt delivery
Before the charge:
Auto-Finalise runs 30 minutes after the scheduled end time
With Auto-Complete, Auto-Finalise and Auto-Pay all on, the card is charged about 45 to 60 minutes after the scheduled end time
Until the appointment is Paid, you can edit the invoice, select Void Invoice in Manage, or take payment another way
When to enable:
All businesses wanting automatic payment (recommended)
High-volume appointment businesses
When customers prefer automatic charging
To reduce admin workload
When to disable:
Customers prefer to review and pay manually
Complex billing requiring review
If you want to offer multiple payment options
Automation Workflow
Complete Automation Chain
When all automations are enabled:
72 hours before: Pre-hold funds (validate card)
Appointment time: Auto-start appointment
End time: Auto-complete appointment
30 minutes after the scheduled end time: Auto-finalise and invoice
At the next 15-minute check: Auto-pay invoice
Done: Customer charged, receipt sent, appointment closed
Total time: Fully automated from booking to payment
Admin work: Nearly zero
Recommended Setup
For Most Businesses:
✅ Pre-Hold Funds: Required✅ Auto-Start: Enabled✅ Auto-Complete: Enabled✅ Auto-Finalise: Enabled✅ Auto-Pay: Enabled
For Businesses Requiring Review:
✅ Pre-Hold Funds: Required✅ Auto-Start: Enabled✅ Auto-Complete: Enabled❌ Auto-Finalise: Disabled (manual review)❌ Auto-Pay: Disabled (manual charging)
Tips & Best Practices
Enabling Automations
Start with one automation at a time
Monitor the first few days
Adjust based on your workflow
Enable all five for maximum time savings
Pre-Hold Funds
Always enable for maximum no-show reduction
Notify customers about the policy
Handle failed cards proactively (rebook or require new card)
Auto-Start/Complete
Enable both together for best results
Ensure accurate service duration in your service settings
Adjust service durations if appointments complete too early/late
Auto-Finalise/Pay
Enable both together for full payment automation
Check invoices before the charge runs. With all automations on, the card is charged about 45 to 60 minutes after the scheduled end time
Train staff on how to cancel/refund if needed
Customer Communication
Explain automation benefits: "You'll be charged automatically after service"
Set expectations: "Card will be pre-authorized 72 hours before"
Highlight convenience: "Automatic receipt and payment"
Common Questions
Q: What if a customer's card fails the pre-hold?
A: Petboost texts the customer and tries the hold again every 4 hours, up to 5 attempts, until the appointment starts. The appointment still goes ahead.
Q: Can I cancel an auto-payment before it processes?
A: Yes, until the charge runs. Auto-Pay charges at the next 15-minute check after the invoice is finalised. Before then, edit the invoice, select Void Invoice in Manage, or turn off Auto-Pay Invoices for that customer on their Settings & Overrides tab.
Q: What if an appointment runs longer than scheduled?
A: Disable auto-complete for that appointment, or manually complete it when finished. You can adjust service durations if this happens frequently.
Q: Do customers get notified about auto-charges?
A: Yes, they receive automatic email receipts immediately after payment processes.
Q: Can I enable some automations but not others?
A: Yes! Enable any combination. Auto-Pay also charges appointments you finalise by hand.
Q: What if I need to add services after auto-finalising?
A: Edit the invoice directly. It stays editable until it is paid. There is no un-finalise step.
Q: Does pre-hold charge the customer?
A: No, it only authorizes and holds the funds. The actual charge happens when the invoice is paid.
Q: How much does Stripe charge for pre-authorizations?
A: Pre-authorizations (holds) are free. You only pay Stripe fees on the actual charge.
Next Steps
Configure Booking Settings to require payment methods
Set up Notifications for automated customer updates
Review Payment Settings to ensure Stripe is connected
Configure Services → Automatic Actions for service-specific automation settings
Test the automation workflow with a test appointment