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Payment Settings

Overview

Enabling payments for your business is a no-brainer. Card on file, automatic charging, automatic receipts, and a straightforward experience for your team, customers, and accountant. Payment Settings control how you collect payments from customers. Configure who pays processing fees, set up bank transfer details, and activate in-person card payments through Stripe Terminal.

Payment Settings

Australian-First Payments

Petboost uses localised Stripe AU, which provides:

  • GST-inclusive pricing: All prices display GST-inclusive as required by Australian Consumer Law

  • Local processing rates: 1.7% + $0.30 per transaction (vs ~5.4% for US-based software)

  • AUD currency: No currency conversion fees or USD billing

  • Proper GST handling: Invoices and receipts correctly itemise GST for your accountant

  • Xero-ready: Set up Stripe as a bank feed in Xero for automatic transaction sync with correct GST treatment

Fee Configuration

Petboost keeps the Stripe processing fee and the Petboost platform fee separate. Each fee has its own toggle under Fee Configuration in Settings > Pricing & Payments, and both toggles are off on a new account.

From 1 October 2026, card surcharging is banned in Australia on eftpos, Visa and Mastercard debit, prepaid and credit cards. See Build fees into your prices.

Two Separate Fees

Petboost separates fees into two components, giving you control over each:

Fee Type

Rate

What It Covers

Stripe Processing Fee

1.7% + $0.30 per transaction (AU)

Card processing, fraud protection

Petboost Platform Fee

{{BOOKING_FEE_RATE}} (Pro), {{FLEX_BOOKING_FEE}} (Flex) or {{BUSINESS_MAX_BOOKING_FEE_RATE}} (Max)

Software, automation, support

Fee Rates by Plan:

Plan

Petboost Fee

Stripe Fee

Calendar Lite

None

N/A

Business Pro

{{BOOKING_FEE_RATE}}

1.7% + $0.30

Business Flex

{{FLEX_BOOKING_FEE}}

1.7% + $0.30

Business Max

{{BUSINESS_MAX_BOOKING_FEE_RATE}}

1.7% + $0.30

Stripe Processing Fee

Who pays the Stripe payment processing fees

Stripe charges fees for processing card payments (1.7% + $0.30 per transaction in Australia, sourced dynamically from Stripe).

When Pass Stripe fee to customer is on, Petboost adds a Card Processing Fee line to invoices paid by Card on File, Card Reader or Secure Payment Link. Cash, Bank Transfer and Other EFTPOS payments never carry it. When the toggle is off, Stripe deducts its fee from the payment and the customer sees no card fee line.

While Pass Stripe fee to customer is on, the page shows the Card surcharge ban takes effect 1 October 2026 banner. Select Build fees into pricing on the banner to open Pricing Assistant.

Petboost Platform Fee

Who pays the Petboost platform transaction fee

Petboost charges a platform fee for transactions processed through the platform:

  • Business Pro: {{BOOKING_FEE_RATE}} per transaction

  • Business Flex: {{FLEX_BOOKING_FEE}} per transaction

  • Business Max: {{BUSINESS_MAX_BOOKING_FEE_RATE}} per transaction

When Pass platform fee to customer is on, Petboost adds the platform fee to invoices paid by Card on File, Card Reader or Secure Payment Link. The invoice shows it as Booking Fee. It is not added to Cash, Bank Transfer or Other EFTPOS payments. When the toggle is off, Petboost deducts the fee from your payout and the customer sees no booking fee line.

Build fees into your prices

From 1 October 2026, card surcharging is banned in Australia on eftpos, Visa and Mastercard debit, prepaid and credit cards. Most businesses build their processing costs into their service prices, so the customer sees one price with no surcharge line.

To build fees into your prices:

  1. Open Services and select Pricing Assistant

  2. Select Build Fees Into Pricing, then follow the steps in Pricing Assistant

  3. Open Settings > Pricing & Payments

  4. Under Fee Configuration, turn off the toggle for each fee you built into your prices

  5. Select Publish Changes

Pricing Assistant changes service prices only. It does not turn off Pass Stripe fee to customer or Pass platform fee to customer, so a fee you leave on is added on top of the new price.

Bank details on your invoices

Provide your bank account details for customers who want to pay via bank transfer. These are not where Stripe pays you. Your payout bank account is on Settings > Stripe Payouts.

Add bank details to your invoices

  1. Open Settings > Pricing & Payments

  2. Find Bank details on your invoices

  3. Enter BSB

  4. Enter Account Number

  5. Select Publish Changes

Petboost includes these details in emails and PDFs sent to customers who select bank transfer. The For customers paying by bank transfer note on the page confirms that.

Set who pays fees

  1. Open Settings > Pricing & Payments

  2. Toggle Pass Stripe fee to customer if you want the card processing fee added to the invoice

  3. Toggle Pass platform fee to customer if you want the Petboost transaction fee added to the invoice

  4. Select Publish Changes

Appointments that are already paid keep the fees they were charged. Petboost recalculates the fees on unpaid appointments with the new setting when their invoice is generated or they are marked paid.

From 1 October 2026, card surcharging is banned in Australia on eftpos, Visa and Mastercard debit, prepaid and credit cards. See Build fees into your prices.

BSB

Bank-State-Branch number (e.g., 062 124)

Your bank's BSB code, typically 6 digits.

Format: 062 124 or 062-124

Account Number

Bank account number (e.g., 1169 7572)

Your business bank account number.

For customers paying by bank transfer

These bank details will be included in emails and PDFs sent to customers who select bank transfer as their payment method.

What customers see:

  • Invoices include your BSB and account number

  • Customers can transfer payment directly to your account

  • You manually mark payment as received once confirmed

When to use bank transfer:

  • Customers without credit cards

  • Large payments where customers prefer bank transfer

  • International customers avoiding currency conversion fees

  • Alternative to card payments

Best practices:

  • Use business account, not personal account

  • Double-check account details before saving

  • Enable payment confirmation notifications

  • Manually verify bank transfer payments before marking as paid

In-Person Payments

Accept card payments in person using Stripe Terminal physical card readers.

Accept payments in person with Stripe Terminal

Physical card payment terminal connected with Petboost

In-Person Payments settings

Benefits

✅ Works with Petboost

  • Fully connected to Petboost system

  • No separate terminal software needed

  • Charges automatically sync to appointments

✅ 1-click from the appointment card

  • Open appointment in Petboost

  • Select Take in-person Payment

  • Customer taps or inserts their card on the reader

  • Payment complete

✅ Receipts on request

  • Petboost does not email a receipt for a card reader payment

  • To give the customer a receipt, open the appointment and select Download Receipt

✅ Setup help from Petboost support

  • Petboost support guides you through setup

  • Petboost support connects your registered reader to your Petboost account

Requirements

⚠️ Requires Wi-Fi network

  • Terminal connects via Wi-Fi

  • Stable internet connection required

  • No mobile data option

⚠️ Requires a Stripe card reader

  • Physical terminal device required

  • Purchase separately from Stripe

  • New readers are the Stripe Reader S700. Stripe stopped selling the WisePOS E on 1 September 2026, and a WisePOS E you already own keeps working with Petboost

How It Works

  1. Order a Stripe Reader S700 from Stripe

  2. Connect the reader to your Wi-Fi network

  3. Register the reader in your Stripe Dashboard

  4. Ask Petboost support to connect the reader to your Petboost account

  5. Start accepting in-person card payments

For each step, see Card reader setup.

At checkout:

  1. Open completed appointment in Petboost

  2. Under Payment Method, select Card Reader, then select Take in-person Payment

  3. Terminal displays amount

  4. Customer taps or inserts their card

  5. Payment processes through Stripe

  6. Appointment marked as paid in Petboost

When to Use In-Person Payments

Ideal for:

  • Walk-in customers without online bookings

  • Customers preferring to pay in person

  • Supplementing online payments

  • Front desk or reception checkout

  • Mobile grooming (if Wi-Fi available)

Not ideal for:

  • Mobile services without Wi-Fi

  • Very low transaction volumes

  • If you already have another terminal system

Activation

If no reader is connected, the card shows Activate In-person Payments. To order a reader and connect it, follow Card reader setup.

When a reader is connected, In-Person Payments shows:

  • WisePOS E Terminal (the label for any connected reader, including a Stripe Reader S700) with Online or Offline

  • Reader ID

  • Location ID (when Stripe has one)

  • Splash Screen (when Stripe has a splash image)

  • Manage in Stripe

  • Stripe Terminal Settings to update the splash screen

  • View Terminal Loan Agreement when a loan URL exists

Online and Offline show whether in-person payments are switched on for your account. They do not show whether the reader is connected to Wi-Fi.

Activate in-person payments

  1. Open Settings > Pricing & Payments

  2. Open Advanced options if In-Person Payments is not visible

  3. Find In-Person Payments

  4. If no reader is connected, follow Card reader setup to order, register and connect one

  5. After the reader is connected, check Reader ID, Location ID, and Splash Screen

  6. Optional: tap Manage in Stripe or Stripe Terminal Settings to change the reader or splash image

Payment Methods Comparison

Card Payments (Online) ⭐ Recommended

Why it's worth it:

  • Auto-charge after service - Get paid automatically, no chasing

  • Perfect accounting data - Every payment matches every booking

  • Xero/QuickBooks ready - Connect via Stripe Bank Feeds, zero manual entry

  • Pre-hold funds - No-shows still pay, late cancellations covered

  • Next-day payouts - Money in your account fast

Cost: 1.7% + $0.30 per transaction (pay only when you get paid)

Best for: Most appointments. Saves 20+ hours per month on bookkeeping.

Secure Payment Link

Pros:

  • No card on file required

  • Customer pays on their own device

  • Secure Stripe-hosted payment page

  • Send by SMS or email, or copy the link

  • Automatic payment confirmation

Cons:

  • $0.30 SMS fee when Petboost texts the link

  • Sending by SMS requires the customer's mobile number

  • Customer must complete payment manually

  • Slightly slower than card on file

Cost: Stripe processing and the Petboost platform fee apply as they do to any card payment. When Petboost texts the link, a $0.30 SMS fee is added to the platform fee. A link sent by email or copied carries no SMS fee.

Best for: Customers without card on file, one-off purchases, remote payment collection, package sales

Bank Transfer

Pros:

  • No credit card needed

  • Low/no fees for large payments

  • Direct to business account

Cons:

  • Manual verification required

  • Slower (1-3 days)

  • Customer must remember to pay

  • No automatic payment

Best for: Large invoices, customers without cards, international payments

In-Person Card Payments

Pros:

  • Face-to-face payment

  • Customer trust and comfort

  • Instant confirmation

Cons:

  • Requires a Stripe card reader, bought from Stripe

  • Requires Wi-Fi

  • Processing fees still apply

Best for: Walk-in customers, front desk checkout, in-person services

Cash/Check (Manual)

Pros:

  • No processing fees

  • Immediate funds (cash)

  • Customer preference

Cons:

  • Manual recording in Petboost

  • Security and handling concerns

  • No automatic tracking

  • Reconciliation overhead

Best for: Customers who prefer cash, low-tech customers

External Payment Machine (Smart Pay, Square, Bank EFTPOS)

Use your existing payment terminal alongside Petboost

If you already have a payment terminal (Smart Pay, Square, bank-supplied EFTPOS, etc.) and want to continue using it, you can select Other EFTPOS as the payment method when recording payments in Petboost. This is the external payment machine option.

How it works:

  1. Process the payment on your external terminal as normal

  2. In Petboost, open the appointment and go to the invoice section

  3. Select Other EFTPOS as the payment method

  4. Record the payment: Petboost marks the invoice as paid

Petboost does not charge a fee for External Payment Machine payments.

Pros:

  • Keep using your existing terminal and bank rate

  • No Stripe processing fees on these transactions

  • Familiar workflow for your team

Cons:

  • Payments don't sync automatically with Petboost records

  • No connection to Xero Bank Feeds via Stripe

  • Manual reconciliation required at end of each quarter

  • Two sources of payment data for your accountant

  • No Pre-Hold Funds, no-show protection, or Auto-Pay for these transactions

  • Don't count toward the $7,500 subscription waiver threshold

Best for: Businesses with an existing terminal relationship, lower bank rates, or customers who prefer in-person card payment without Card on File

Stripe vs External Payment Machine: Which Should You Use?

Many businesses ask whether they should use Stripe for everything or keep their existing EFTPOS terminal. Here's a practical comparison:

Fee Comparison (Business Pro)

Payment Method

Petboost fee

Stripe processing

Stripe (Card on File/Online)

{{BOOKING_FEE_RATE}}

{{CARD_FEE}}

External Payment Machine

None

None (your bank's fee applies)

From 1 October 2026, card surcharging is banned in Australia on eftpos, Visa and Mastercard debit, prepaid and credit cards. See Build fees into your prices.

The $0/Month Subscription (Stripe Only)

Process $7,500+ through Stripe in a calendar month → next month's $65 subscription is waived.

  • January: process $7,500 via Stripe → February subscription = $0

  • February: process $7,500 via Stripe → March subscription = $0

  • Each month counts separately (not cumulative)

External Payment Machine transactions don't count toward the $7,500 threshold. Only Stripe payments (Card on File, payment links, Stripe Terminal) count.

The Hidden Cost: Bookkeeping

This is where the real difference emerges:

With Stripe for all payments:

  • Every payment automatically matches to the appointment

  • Stripe Bank Feeds → Xero: one clean data source

  • End of quarter reconciliation: straightforward

  • Time saved: 4-6 hours per week on average

With External Payment Machine (split approach):

  • Stripe payments → Xero Bank Feeds (automatic)

  • External payments → Separate bank statement (manual reconciliation)

  • End of quarter: two sources to match against appointments

  • Additional bookkeeping time required

Recommendation

Scenario

Recommended Approach

High volume, values clean data

Stripe for everything

Low volume, existing terminal with great rate

External for in-person, Stripe for online

Mixed: some customers refuse Card on File

Stripe for most, External for exceptions

Transitioning from another system

Start with External, migrate to Stripe over time

Bottom line: The fee difference is often smaller than it appears when you factor in bookkeeping time. Most businesses find Stripe's automation saves more than it costs.

Hybrid Approach: Stripe + External Payment Machine

You can use both methods in the same business. This is common for businesses transitioning to Petboost or those with specific customer requirements.

Example setup:

  1. Online bookings: Leave Allow booking without card off in Settings > Pricing & Payments so customers add a card when they book, and turn on Auto-pay invoices in Settings > Automatic Actions to charge it after the appointment

  2. Walk-in customers: Use your existing terminal, record the payment as Other EFTPOS

  3. Customers who will not save a card: Turn on Book Without Card on the customer's Settings & Overrides tab, then record their payment as Other EFTPOS, Cash or Bank Transfer

How to configure:

  1. Enable Stripe: Required for Business Pro, Flex and Max (needed for online booking, Card on File, no-show protection)

  2. Per-service settings: To let customers book a service online without a card on file, turn on Allow booking without payment method on that service's Pricing & Payments tab

  3. At checkout: Choose the appropriate payment method for each appointment

A service's toggle only relaxes the rule. When Allow booking without card is on for the business, every service can be booked without a card. A booking that takes a deposit always needs a card.

Important: Even with a hybrid approach, you'll need to set up Stripe to activate Business Pro features. Stripe connection doesn't force you to use it for every payment.

Per-Client Payment Settings Override

You can override global payment settings for individual pet owners. This allows different payment rules for specific customers (e.g., trusted long-term clients may have different pre-authorisation requirements).

To set per-client overrides:

  1. Open the pet owner's profile

  2. Open the Settings & Overrides tab

  3. Configure client-specific payment rules

  4. These override your global defaults for this customer only

Bank Transfer Payment Confirmation

When a customer pays via bank transfer, you can mark the payment as received directly in Petboost:

  1. Open the appointment or invoice

  2. Select "Mark as Paid" with Bank Transfer as the method

  3. The pet owner receives a confirmation notification

  4. The transaction is recorded in your payment history

Payment Settings Best Practices

Fee Configuration

Considerations:

  • Industry norms in your area

  • Competitor pricing strategies

  • Customer price sensitivity

  • Profit margins

Common approaches:

  • Build fees into your prices with Build Fees Into Pricing in Pricing Assistant

  • Absorb the fees and keep your prices as they are

Bank Transfers

Tips:

  • Only provide for customers who specifically request it

  • Verify account details are correct

  • Set up automatic payment reminders

  • Follow up on unpaid invoices

  • Mark as paid only after confirming receipt

In-Person Payments

Before activating:

  • Ensure stable Wi-Fi at payment location

  • Calculate terminal ROI (saves time vs purchase cost)

  • Train staff on terminal usage

  • Plan for terminal placement and charging

After activation:

  • Test transactions before going live

  • Have backup payment method

  • Keep terminal charged

  • Secure terminal when not in use

Common Questions

Q: Should I pass fees to customers or absorb them?
A: From 1 October 2026, card surcharging is banned in Australia on eftpos, Visa and Mastercard debit, prepaid and credit cards. Most businesses build their processing costs into their service prices with Build Fees Into Pricing in Pricing Assistant. See Build fees into your prices.

Q: Can I change who pays fees later?
A: Yes. Appointments that are already paid keep the fees they were charged. Petboost recalculates the fees on unpaid appointments with the new setting when their invoice is generated or they are marked paid.

Q: What if a customer's bank transfer never arrives?
A: Follow up with the customer. They may have made an error or forgotten. Use payment reminders and track overdue invoices.

Q: Do I need a card reader?
A: Only if you want to take in-person card payments through Petboost. It's optional. You can rely on online payments only. New readers are the Stripe Reader S700, and a WisePOS E you already own keeps working with Petboost.

Q: Can I use my existing card terminal with Petboost?
A: Not connected to Petboost. Petboost connects to Stripe card readers only. You can keep another EFTPOS machine and record those payments as Other EFTPOS on the appointment.

Q: Can I use my bank-supplied EFTPOS terminal instead of Stripe to avoid transaction fees?
A: Petboost integrates exclusively with Stripe. Here's why that's actually better:

What you lose without Stripe:

  • Auto-charge after service (manual collection required)

  • Perfect accounting data (manual reconciliation)

  • Xero/QuickBooks connection (manual entry)

  • Pre-hold funds (no no-show protection)

  • 20+ hours/month saved on bookkeeping

Zero-fee options available:

  • Cash payments (manual tracking, no Stripe fees)

  • Bank Transfer (manual verification, no Stripe fees)

The reality: Most businesses find Stripe's automation saves $2,000+ per month in bookkeeping time, worth far more than the 1.7% + $0.30 fee.

Q: What are Stripe's fees?
A: Typically 1.7% + $0.30 per transaction in Australia. Check your Stripe dashboard for your exact rate based on volume.

Q: Can customers pay with PayPal or other services?
A: Petboost supports Stripe (card payments), bank transfer, and cash/check (manual). PayPal integration is not available.

Q: What if my Wi-Fi goes down and I have in-person payments?
A: You'll need an alternative payment method (cash or manual card terminal). Stripe Terminal requires internet connectivity.

Related FAQs

Have questions about payments? See these commonly asked questions:

Next Steps

  • Build card and platform fees into your prices with Pricing Assistant, or absorb them

  • Add bank transfer details if offering that option

  • Consider activating in-person payments if you have walk-in customers

  • Connect your Stripe account in Business Profile

  • Test payment workflows with a test appointment

  • Configure Automatic Actions to enable auto-payment

  • Review your Payouts to understand when money arrives in your bank

Need Help with Stripe?

For issues that are outside Petboost's control, such as disputes, payout failures, bank account verification, Stripe fees or account restrictions, you'll need to contact Stripe directly.

📖 See: When to Contact Stripe Support: guidance on when and how to contact Stripe's 24/7 support team.

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