Answers to frequently asked questions about appointments, booking, payments, and scheduling in Petboost.
General Appointments
What's the difference between Magic Schedule and Quick Force?
Magic Schedule (recommended):
System finds available time slots automatically
Checks team member, resource, and service availability
Presents conflict-free options
Best for avoiding double-bookings and conflicts
Quick Force:
Manual time entry without availability checking
You specify exact date/time
System shows warnings if conflicts exist but allows booking
Best for emergencies, walk-ins, or when you know availability
Recommendation: Use Magic Schedule for 90% of bookings, Quick Force only when necessary.
Can I book multiple pets in one appointment?
Yes! Multi-pet appointments are fully supported with significant benefits.
Benefits of unified appointments:
One calendar card - All pets from the same family appear together
One invoice - Single itemised invoice showing each pet's services
One payment - Customer pays once for all services
Independent timing - Each pet can have different start/end times, team members, and resources
Multi-pet discounts - Automatically applied if configured
How it works:
Select customer
Add first pet and configure services
Click "Add Sibling" to add additional pets
Configure services, times, and team for each pet
System prices each pet separately on one invoice
Each pet can have:
Different services (e.g., one grooming, one bath only)
Different durations
Different team members
Different start/end times
Different resources
Can customers book multiple pets for different services in one booking?
Yes! Petboost supports multi-pet, multi-service bookings in a single transaction. This is particularly popular for grooming + daycare businesses where customers might book one dog for grooming and another for daycare. You can configure whether pets are scheduled simultaneously (same time, multiple team members) or sequentially (back-to-back, same team member) based on your resource availability.
What happens when I try to book a pet that's already on the schedule?
Petboost detects duplicate bookings and offers options:
When you create an appointment for a customer who already has a booking on the same date, you'll see a dialog showing:
The existing appointment details
Option to add the new pet to the existing booking
Option to view the existing booking
Option to go back and choose a different date
Adding to existing booking:
Creates a unified appointment (one card, one invoice, one payment)
Each pet keeps independent timing
Multi-pet discounts apply automatically
This is particularly useful for:
Families with multiple dogs
When customers forget they already booked one pet
Adding a sibling pet's service to an existing appointment
How do I add a pet to an existing appointment?
Two methods:
Method 1: From Duplicate Detection
When Petboost detects an existing booking for the same customer/date:
Click "Add [Pet Name] to [Existing Pet]'s booking"
Configure services and timing for the new pet
Save
Method 2: Edit Existing Appointment
Open the existing appointment
Click "Add Sibling" button
Select pet and configure services
Use Magic Schedule (checks availability) or Quick Force (manual timing)
Save
What's the difference between Magic Schedule and Quick Force when adding pets?
Magic Schedule:
Checks team member availability
Respects resource capacity
Finds optimal timing based on sibling pet gap settings
Recommended for avoiding conflicts
Quick Force:
Skip availability checks
Manually enter exact times
Faster for experienced staff
Shows warnings if conflicts exist but allows booking
Use Quick Force when:
You know staff availability without checking
Special arrangements with customer
Adding a last-minute pet to an existing booking
How do I cancel an appointment?
Open appointment detail
Click Cancel button
Select cancellation reason
Choose whether to notify customer
Process refund if payment collected
Confirm cancellation
Appointment status changes to "Cancelled"
Can customers book appointments themselves?
Yes! Customers can book through:
Your booking website (Petboost booking engine)
Customer portal
Mobile app
You control:
Which services are bookable online
Whether bookings are instant or require approval
Booking window (how far in advance)
Customer eligibility requirements
What happens if I accidentally double-book?
Prevention:
Magic Schedule prevents double-booking
System checks availability before confirming
Warnings shown if conflicts detected
If it happens:
System shows conflict warning
Options:
Reschedule one appointment
Assign different team member
Assign different resource
Split service time
Calendar & Views
How do I find an old appointment?
Search methods:
Calendar search box - Type customer name, pet name, or service
Date picker - Jump to specific date
Filter by customer - Show only appointments for one customer
Use Month view - See longer date range
For very old appointments:
Adjust date range in calendar
Use Reports section
Search by confirmation number
What do the different appointment colors mean?
Color coding by status:
🔵 Blue - Confirmed
🟡 Yellow - Pending (awaiting confirmation)
🟢 Green - Completed
🟣 Purple - In Progress
🔴 Red - Payment Declined, Cancelled
⚪ Gray - Blocked Time
🟢 Light Green - Course/Group Session
Additional indicators:
↻ Recurring icon - Part of recurring series
⚠️ Warning badge - Requires attention
How do I block time on my calendar?
Click New → Blocked Time (or press
B)Select date and time range
Choose reason:
Lunch break
Team meeting
Facility maintenance
Personal time off
Other
Select team members/resources affected
Create block
Blocked time shows as unavailable for booking
Can I drag appointments to reschedule them?
Yes, with Drag-and-Drop:
Click and drag appointment to new time slot
Works in Day, Week, and Timeline views
Customer automatically notified of change
Drag Lock feature:
Toggle to prevent accidental dragging
Useful on touch screens or busy calendars
Find toggle in top toolbar
How do I customize calendar view?
Customization options:
View mode - Day, Week, Month, Timeline
Group By - None, Team Member, Resource, Service, Customer
Filter by status - Show All, Confirmed, Ready to Pay, etc.
Filter by team/resource - Show specific people/rooms only
Search - Filter to matching appointments
Reset View button restores defaults
Payment & Invoicing
How do I process a payment?
Open appointment (must be "Ready to Pay" status)
Scroll to invoice section
Select payment method:
Card on File (recommended)
Cash
Bank Transfer
Card Reader
Click "$X • Charge Card on File" (or appropriate button)
System processes payment
Status changes to "Paid"
Receipt sent automatically
What if a payment fails?
Common causes:
Insufficient funds
Expired card
Incorrect CVV/ZIP
Card declined by bank
Resolution steps:
Open invoice "Manage" dropdown
Click "Retry Charging Card" (try once immediately)
If fails again:
Wait 24 hours, retry
Contact customer for new payment method
Use "Take In-Person Payment"
After 3 failed attempts, request different card
What if a cancellation fee charge fails?
When cancelling an appointment with a cancellation fee policy, the charge may fail if:
No card on file
Card declined or expired
Insufficient funds
Technical payment processing error
How to identify failed cancellation fees:
Mission Control - Shows cancelled appointments with pending/failed fees in attention items
Appointment Details - Alert banner appears for cancelled appointments with failed/pending fees
Invoice Section - Cancellation fee status displayed with failure reason
How to retry a failed cancellation fee:
Open the cancelled appointment
Look for "Cancellation Fee Issue" alert banner
Click "Retry Charge Cancellation Fee" button
System attempts to charge card on file again
Status updates automatically (Charged, Failed, or Pending)
Note: Ensure customer has a valid payment method on file before retrying. If no card is available, contact customer to add payment method.
How does the payment system work step-by-step?
Full payment lifecycle:
Stage | When | What Happens |
1. Card Saved | At registration | Customer adds card via portal or booking |
2. Pre-Authorisation | 72+ hours before | System verifies card, places temporary hold |
3. Appointment Starts | Scheduled time | Invoice begins building |
4. Service Complete | End of appointment | Staff marks complete |
5. Invoice Finalised | After completion | Pricing locked, ready for payment |
6. Card Charged | After finalisation | Full amount captured |
7. Funds Deposited | 1-2 business days | Stripe deposits to your bank |
Pre-Authorisation Details:
Happens automatically 72 hours before appointment (if enabled)
Places temporary hold on customer's card
Does NOT charge, just verifies funds available
Hold releases automatically if appointment cancelled
Protects against no-shows
When is the customer actually charged?
After you mark the appointment complete and the invoice is finalised. For businesses using Pro Automations with Auto-Pay, this happens automatically.
How do I record an in-person payment so the saved card isn't charged?
For Cash payments:
Open the completed appointment
Scroll to Invoice section
Click payment method dropdown
Select "Cash"
Click "Mark as Paid"
Appointment status changes to Paid
Card on file is NOT charged
For Bank Transfer payments:
Open the completed appointment
Select "Bank Transfer" payment method
Click "Request Bank Transfer" (sends email with your BSB/Account)
When payment confirmed in your bank:
Return to appointment
Click "Mark as Paid by Bank Transfer"
Important: Always select the correct payment method BEFORE processing. Once an invoice shows payment method as "Cash" or "Bank Transfer", the card on file won't be auto-charged.
How do I issue a refund?
Open appointment (must be in "Paid" status)
Open invoice "Manage" dropdown
Click "Issue Refund"
Choose:
Full refund - Return entire amount
Partial refund - Enter specific amount
Select refund reason
Add notes (optional)
Confirm refund
Customer receives refund in 3-5 business days
How do I resend payment information to a customer?
You can resend payment requests depending on the payment method:
For Bank Transfer payments:
Open the appointment
Scroll to the Invoice section
Click "Resend Bank Transfer Request"
Customer receives email with your BSB/Account details
For Payment Link (SMS):
Open the appointment
Select "Payment Link" as payment method
Click "Send Payment Link"
Customer receives SMS with secure Stripe payment link
For downloading/printing invoices:
Open the appointment
Click "Download Invoice PDF" or "Preview Receipt"
Print or email the PDF manually to customer
When to resend:
Customer didn't receive original payment request
Payment link expired and needs refreshing
Following up on unpaid invoices
Customer requests a copy for their records
Note: SMS payment links incur standard SMS charges ($0.30). Email bank transfer requests are free.
Why does the customer see "checkout" but we call it "check out"?
This is normal terminology variation - both refer to the same action.
In Petboost:
"Check Out" is used for the staff-side action (checking a pet out of your facility)
"Checkout" may appear in customer-facing contexts (like online payment checkout)
The process is the same:
Service is completed
Staff marks pet as ready for pickup
Customer arrives to collect pet
Staff processes payment ("checkout")
Pet departs ("check out")
For boarding/daycare:
"Check In" = Pet arrives and is admitted to your facility
"Check Out" = Pet departs and goes home with customer
Both actions are clearly marked in the appointment workflow, regardless of which spelling is displayed.
Can I edit an invoice after it's finalized?
Yes, but requires un-finalizing:
Toggle "Edit" switch in invoice section (turns on edit mode)
Make changes to items, pricing, discounts
Toggle "Edit" switch off to save
Re-finalize invoice
Process payment
Note: Cannot edit after payment collected (must refund and recreate)
What are Pro Automations?
Automated workflows that reduce manual tasks:
Instant Confirmation - Auto-confirm bookings
Pre-Hold Funds - Authorize payment at booking
Auto-Start - Start appointments at scheduled time
Auto-Complete - Complete at end time
Auto-Finalise - Lock invoice when complete
Auto-Pay - Charge card automatically
Enable per service in Service settings → Pro Automations tab
Best for:
High-volume simple services
Recurring customers
Fixed-price services
How do I add a discount to an invoice?
Two methods:
Method 1: Percentage discount
Enter in discount field:
10%,25%, etc.Automatically calculates amount
Method 2: Fixed amount
Enter in discount field:
$10,$25, etc.Fixed amount deducted
Where to apply:
Per line item (each service)
Entire invoice (discount code field)
Discount stacking:
Multi-pet discount (automatic)
Service-level discount
Line-item discount
Multi-Pet Bookings
How do I book multiple pets from the same family together?
Single unified appointment (recommended):
Create appointment and select customer
Add first pet and configure services
Click "Add Sibling" to add additional pets
Configure services, times, and team for each pet
Each pet appears on one calendar card with one invoice
Benefits:
One invoice for the family
One payment transaction
Multi-pet discounts applied automatically
Each pet can have different services, times, and team members
Can customers book multiple pets for different services online?
Yes! Petboost supports multi-pet, multi-service bookings in a single online transaction.
Example scenarios:
Book Max for grooming + Bella for daycare
Book both dogs for grooming but different levels (full groom + bath only)
Book same service but different durations based on pet size
Configuration options:
Simultaneous: Pets scheduled at same time (requires multiple team members/resources)
Sequential: Pets scheduled back-to-back (same team member)
Configure sibling pet gap settings in Services → Booking Settings.
Why is my multi-pet discount not applying?
Check these requirements:
Discount configured: Navigate to Service → Pricing & Duration → Multi-Pet Discount Pricing
Same service: Discounts typically apply when booking same service for multiple pets
Same booking: Pets must be in single unified appointment (not separate bookings)
Enabled per service: Each service has its own discount configuration
To verify discount is working:
Create test appointment with multiple pets
Check invoice section - discount should appear as line item
Discount applies to all pets when threshold met (e.g., 2+ pets)
Recurring Appointments
How do I create a recurring appointment?
Start creating regular appointment
Toggle "Repeat" or "Recurring" switch ON
Choose pattern: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Custom
Configure:
Days/dates
Interval (every X weeks/months)
End condition (# occurrences, end date, or never)
Set team assignment (fixed, rotating, or available)
Create series
System generates all future appointments instantly
Can I edit just one appointment in a recurring series?
Yes!
Open the specific appointment
Make changes
System asks: "Update this appointment only or entire series?"
Select "This appointment only"
That appointment updates, rest of series unchanged
How do I stop a recurring series?
Two options:
Option 1: Set end date
Open any appointment in series
Click "Manage Recurring Series"
Change end date to desired stop date
Future appointments after that deleted
Option 2: Delete all future
Manage Recurring Series
Click "Delete All Future Appointments"
Confirm deletion
Note: Cannot undo - future appointments permanently removed
Can I change the recurring pattern after creation?
No - pattern is immutable
What you CAN change:
End date
Team member
Service pricing
Time (all future)
What you CANNOT change:
Recurrence pattern (daily/weekly/monthly)
Days of week
Customer or pets
To change pattern: Delete old series, create new one
How do I skip a week in a recurring series without cancelling it?
To skip individual occurrences:
Open the specific appointment you want to skip
Click Cancel
Select "This appointment only" (not entire series)
Choose cancellation reason (e.g., "Customer unavailable")
The series continues: Future appointments remain scheduled. Only the selected occurrence is cancelled.
For extended breaks:
If customer is away for multiple weeks, cancel each occurrence individually
Or set an end date, then create a new series when they return
Why are my recurring appointments showing for months ahead?
By design: Petboost generates recurring appointments 2-3 months in advance to ensure your calendar shows upcoming bookings.
Benefits:
Customers can see and manage future appointments
You can identify scheduling conflicts early
Team members see their future workload
More appointments appear automatically as time progresses. No action needed.
Can I change the time for all future appointments in a recurring series?
Yes!
Open any appointment in the series
Click "Manage Recurring Series"
Click "Edit All Future Appointments"
Change the time
All future appointments update to new time
Past/completed appointments remain unchanged.
Stay Appointments
What's the difference between a stay and a regular appointment?
Stay Appointments:
Multi-day/overnight bookings
Track check-in and check-out
Nightly or daily rates
Manage kennel/room assignment
Mid-stay service additions
Regular Appointments:
Single time slot (e.g., 2-hour grooming)
Drop-off and pick-up same day
Service-based pricing
No accommodation assignment
How do I add services during a stay?
Open stay appointment
Navigate to "Add Service" section
Select service and date(s)
Choose:
One-time (e.g., bath on day 3)
Daily recurring (e.g., walks every day)
Specific dates (e.g., Mon, Wed, Fri)
Invoice updates automatically
Can customers extend their stay?
Yes!
Open stay appointment
Edit checkout date
Extend to new date
System recalculates nights and pricing
Update invoice
Notify customer of additional cost
How do I check a pet in/out?
Check-In:
Open stay appointment
Click "Check In" button
Record arrival time
Inspect pet condition
Confirm belongings
Status changes to "In Progress"
Check-Out:
Click "Check Out" button
Record departure time
Review stay with customer
Return belongings
Finalize invoice and payment
Team & Resources
How do I assign a specific team member to an appointment?
During creation:
Magic Schedule mode: System suggests available team
Quick Force mode: Choose from team dropdown
After creation:
Open appointment
Click team member dropdown
Select different team member
System checks availability
Confirms reassignment
What if my preferred team member isn't available?
Options:
Choose different team member
Reschedule appointment to when they're available
Use "Any Available" - system assigns when appointment starts
Override (if urgent) - system shows warning but allows
How do I assign a room or resource?
Similar to team assignment:
Open appointment
Click resource dropdown (or "Change Location")
Select room/kennel/van
System checks availability
Confirms assignment
Auto-assign option available if flexible
Booking Settings & Rules
How do I control how far in advance customers can book?
In Service settings:
Edit service
Go to "Booking Settings" tab
Booking Window section:
Minimum advance (e.g., 2 hours)
Maximum advance (e.g., 90 days)
Save
Example: "Customers can book 2 hours to 90 days in advance"
Can I restrict bookings to certain customers?
Yes! Multiple methods:
1. Customer selection (per service):
Allow all customers
Only specific customers
Only customers with active packages
2. Eligibility requirements:
Initial service required first
Vaccination requirements
Age/weight/breed restrictions
3. Manual approval:
Disable instant booking
All bookings require your approval
How do I make a service require manual approval?
Edit service
Go to "Booking Settings" tab
Approval setting:
Toggle OFF: "Instant Booking"
Or select: "Require Manual Approval"
Save
Result: Customer bookings start as "Pending" status
Mobile Service
How do I book a mobile service appointment?
Same process as facility appointments:
Create appointment
For location:
Select "Mobile Service"
Enter customer address
System geocodes address
Assign mobile team member
Assign vehicle/van (resource)
Create appointment
Mobile services show address on calendar
Can I optimize routes for mobile appointments?
Use Timeline view:
Group by van/vehicle
See all mobile appointments in chronological order
Drag to reorder based on geographic proximity
Minimize drive time between appointments
Best practices:
Book same-area appointments consecutively
Allow travel time between appointments
Set realistic service windows
Troubleshooting
Petboost is loading slowly or not loading at all
Quick fixes to try:
Refresh the page - Press F5 or Cmd+R (Mac)
Clear browser cache - Clear cache and cookies for petboost.com.au
Try a different browser - Chrome is recommended; also try Firefox or Safari
Check internet connection - Verify you're online and connection is stable
Disable browser extensions - Some ad blockers cause issues
If using mobile:
Close and reopen the app
Check for app updates in your app store
Verify mobile data or Wi-Fi is connected
Still not working? Contact support via the Help button or email [email protected]
"No available time slots found"
Use the Availability Troubleshooter - Click "Why these results?" after checking availability to see exactly what the booking engine considered.
Common causes & solutions:
Team member unavailable → Check team schedule, assign different member
Resource unavailable → Check resource calendar, assign different room
Service duration doesn't fit → Extend search window, try different date
Working hours restriction → Adjust working hours or use Quick Force
Buffer time conflicts → Reduce buffer time or extend search window
Capacity at maximum → Check resource capacity limits
Pro tip: The troubleshooter shows red badges on exactly which requirement failed, with direct links to fix the issue.
Why can't my customer book online even though I see availability?
Check these common issues:
Self-service booking disabled - Service → Booking Settings → Enable "Allow Online Booking"
Minimum advance notice - If set to 48 hours, customer can't book for tomorrow
Maximum advance booking - If set to 30 days, customer can't book further ahead
Customer eligibility - Pet may not meet weight, age, or vaccination requirements
Initial service required - Customer may need to complete consultation first
Service visibility - Service may be marked as inactive or staff-only
To test as customer:
Open your booking page in incognito/private browser window
Try to book the service as a new customer
Note any error messages to troubleshoot
The calendar shows appointments but they're missing from Mission Control
Likely causes:
Date mismatch - Verify you're viewing same day in both views
Active filters - Mission Control may have filters hiding appointments (click "Clear All")
Status filtering - Cancelled appointments may be filtered out
View mode - Try switching to List View to see all appointments
To verify:
Go to Mission Control
Click "Clear All" to remove all filters
Ensure correct date is selected
Switch to List View
Appointments should now appear
"Pet doesn't meet eligibility requirements"
Common requirements:
Initial service - Must complete first-time service before regular bookings
Vaccinations - Proof of vaccines required
Age - Minimum/maximum age (e.g., puppies only)
Weight - Size restrictions (e.g., small dogs only)
Breed - Included/excluded breeds
Solution: Check pet profile and service eligibility settings
"Cannot finalize invoice"
Common causes:
Appointment not yet completed → Mark as complete first
Services still being added → Finish adding all services
Pricing errors → Verify all items have prices
Missing payment method → Ask customer to add payment method
"Recurring series not creating future appointments"
Explanation:
Series generates appointments 2-3 months ahead
More appointments appear automatically as time progresses
This prevents calendar clutter
If truly missing:
Check end date hasn't been reached
Verify series not accidentally stopped
Look for errors in Activity Log
"Drag-and-drop not working"
Possible causes:
Drag Lock enabled → Toggle off in toolbar
Appointment in past → Cannot reschedule past appointments
Browser issue → Refresh page, try different browser
Permission restriction → Check user role permissions
Best Practices
What's the recommended appointment workflow?
Standard workflow:
Booking → Confirmed
Pre-Hold Funds (optional but recommended)
Day Before → Send reminder
Day Of → Start appointment
During Service → Add notes, take photos
After Service → Complete appointment
Finalize Invoice → Review items and pricing
Charge Payment → Process payment
Send Receipt → Email confirmation
With full automation enabled: Steps 3-8 happen automatically!
How should I handle no-shows?
Prevention:
Enable Pre-Hold Funds (financial commitment)
Send 24-hour and 2-hour reminders
Call to confirm day before
When it happens:
Mark appointment as "Cancelled"
Select reason: "No-show"
Apply late cancellation fee (if configured)
Charge fee to card on file
Update customer notes
Policy recommendations:
First no-show: Warning
Second no-show: Fee + pre-payment required
Third no-show: Block future bookings
Should I use automations?
Start conservative, expand gradually:
Phase 1: Instant Confirmation + Pre-Hold Funds
Low risk, high value
Reduces no-shows
Faster booking confirmation
Phase 2: Add Auto-Start + Auto-Complete
For simple, standardized services
Services with fixed durations
Trusted regular customers
Phase 3: Full automation (all 6)
High-volume services
Recurring customers only
When confident in process
Never automate:
Complex variable-pricing services
New customers (first visit)
Services requiring manual review
How often should I review my calendar?
Daily:
Check today's appointments
Confirm tomorrow's appointments
Process any pending payments
Weekly:
Review next week's schedule
Identify capacity gaps
Follow up on pending bookings
Monthly:
Analyze booking patterns
Adjust service availability
Review no-shows and cancellations
Plan for upcoming holidays
Need More Help?
Still have questions?
📧 Email Support: [email protected]
💬 Live Chat: Available 9am-5pm AEST Mon-Fri
📞 Phone: +61 1300 PET BOOST
📚 Knowledge Base: help.petboost.com.au
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