On Services you create Initial, Regular, Stay and Add-on services. Puppy school, scentwork and other group programmes are courses: create those on Courses, not with New > New Service. The type is chosen when you create a service and cannot be changed afterwards.
Service types at a glance
Type | Purpose | Billing | Standalone? | Example |
Initial | First-visit gatekeeping | Per service | Yes | Daycare Assessment, Grooming Consultation |
Regular | Core appointments | Per service | Yes | Full Groom, Group Walk, 1:1 Training |
Stay | Multi-day boarding | Per night/day | Yes | Overnight Boarding, Extended Daycare |
Add-on | Optional extras | Added to parent | No | Nail Trim, Teeth Brushing, Medication Admin |
Course | Group programmes. Create on Courses, not here | Per enrolment | Yes | 6-week puppy school |
Package | Prepaid bundles | Upfront | Yes | 10-Walk Pack, 5-Groom Bundle |
Initial Services
Initial services are first-visit appointments that gate access to Regular or Stay services. Until a pet has met its Initial service, it cannot book the services linked to it.
Use case | Example | Why |
Daycare assessment | "Daycare Assessment" (2-4 hours) | Evaluate temperament before group play |
Grooming consultation | "Grooming Consultation" (30 min) | Assess coat condition, discuss styling |
Training evaluation | "Training Consultation" (60 min) | Determine training needs and level |
Boarding trial | "Boarding Trial Night" (1 night) | Test overnight before extended stays |
Puppy first visit | "Puppy First Groom" (45 min) | Gentle introduction to grooming |
Link an Initial service to a Regular service
The link lives on the Regular or Stay service, which names the Initial as its prerequisite. Create both services first, for example an Initial "Daycare Assessment" and a Regular "Full Day Daycare".
Open Services, select Manage on the Regular service, then Manage Service.
Choose Who Can Book and switch on Advanced options.
Under Service Prerequisite, switch on Require Prerequisite Service and pick the Initial service.
Select Publish Changes, tick the box in Before You Publish, then select Publish Changes.
From then on, new pets must meet the Initial before they can book the Regular service. Eligibility is tracked per pet, not per customer. Your team can bypass the requirement for special cases. Initial services can be booked online, and the booking portal shows customers what is required.
Charge for consultations, because your expertise has value, and give assessments a realistic duration. Some businesses offer free assessments to win customers. Not every Regular service needs an Initial.
Business | Initial | Unlocks |
Dog grooming | Grooming Consultation | Full Groom |
Dog grooming | Puppy First Groom | All grooming services |
Dog daycare | Daycare Assessment | Full Day Daycare, Half Day Daycare |
Dog daycare | Trial Half-Day | Full Day Daycare |
Dog training | Training Consultation | Private Training Session |
Dog training | Behaviour Assessment | Behaviour Modification Program |
Pet boarding | Boarding Trial Night | Extended Boarding Stay |
Pet boarding | Facility Tour & Meet | All boarding services |
See Service prerequisites for every option.
Regular Services
Regular services are your core appointment types: grooms, training sessions, daycare days and walks. Customers book them on their own, again and again.
Use case | Example | Duration |
Grooming | Full Groom, Bath & Brush, Puppy Groom | 45 min - 3 hours |
Daycare | Full Day Daycare, Half Day Daycare | 4-10 hours |
Training | Private Session, Follow-Up Session | 30-90 min |
Walking | Solo Walk, Group Walk, Adventure Hike | 20-90 min |
Feature | Description |
Flexible pricing | Fixed price, "from" price, or a separate service per size |
Multi-pet discounts | A lower rate per pet when a customer books 2 or more pets |
Duration shown to customers | Show a range such as "90-120 min" in place of the exact duration |
Fixed Start Time | One set start time a day. For several set times, use sessions with Fixed start times |
Recurring patterns | Weekly, fortnightly, or custom recurrence |
Initial linking | Require a first-visit service before booking |
A Regular service can have a fixed price, such as $100 for every booking, a "from" price, such as "from $100" adjusted once the work is done, or a separate service for each size. Its Service Duration is what the booking uses; Duration shown to customers can show a range such as "90-120 minutes" instead, and buffer time adds setup and clean-up time before or after, such as 15 minutes. It can be bookable at any time in working hours, at one start time a day with Fixed Start Time, or at set times through sessions with Fixed start times, and it can be limited to certain team members. Eligibility rules can limit it by breed, by weight, such as under or over 25kg, by age, such as puppies under 6 months or senior dogs, or by an Initial requirement.
Examples by business type
Business | Services | Tips |
Grooming | Full Groom (Small) from $130, 1h 15m; (Medium) from $145, 1h 30m; (Large) from $180, 2h; (X-Large) from $245, 2h 30m | Use a "from" price for coat condition, a service per size for different durations, and 15-30 minutes of buffer time for clean-up |
Daycare | Full Day Daycare $65, Full Day; Half Day Daycare $40, Half Day; Puppy Socialisation $55, 3 hours | Use fixed prices for predictability, and link a Daycare Assessment Initial service |
Training | Private Training Session $100, 60 min; Follow-Up Session $75, 45 min; Behaviour Consultation $150, 90 min | Fixed prices build trust; offer packages for commitment, and link a Training Consultation Initial service |
Walking | Solo Walk (30 min) $25; Group Walk (60 min) $35; Adventure Hike $55, 90 min | Keep prices simple, consider multi-pet discounts, and set up regular recurring bookings |
For daycare with one drop-off time, use Fixed Start Time. For a drop-off range, set A window under How the time reads (previously Times customers see or Service Windows). To hide the clock and show Morning or Afternoon, select A message instead of a time. See How do I show Morning or Afternoon instead of clock times?.
Stay Services
Stay services are built for multi-day boarding. Unlike a Regular service, which is one appointment, a stay handles overnight care with a check-in, a check-out and nightly or daily pricing.
Aspect | Regular Service | Stay Service |
Duration | Hours (single day) | Days and nights (multi-day) |
Pricing | Per service | Number of nights, Number of days or Duration-based |
Time handling | Start time + duration | Check-in & Check-out Windows |
Capacity | Single time slot | All nights of the stay |
Feature | Description |
Pricing Mode | Number of nights (hotel), Number of days (every calendar day) or Duration-based (24-hour periods) |
Check-in & Check-out Windows | From / Until per side. Same values lock the pet owner picker |
Spillover pricing | On Duration-based only: leftover hours after full 24-hour periods |
Multi-night capacity | Checks availability for the whole stay |
Stay add-ons | Attach extras: medication, playtime, a departure groom |
Windows do not add an early or late fee. Charge more through Duration-based spillover, an invoice line, or an add-on.
On Pricing & Payments, set Pricing Mode:
Number of nights: enter Rate per night, and Daycare rate (same-day stays) if you take day stays
Number of days: enter Standard Daily Rate; arrival and departure days are both charged
Duration-based: 24-hour periods, with optional short-stay and spillover rates
Each mode can add Extended Stay Discounts for longer stays. See Stay pricing and the Service Pricing Guide.
Set check-in and check-out bands on Duration & Timing, under Check-in & Check-out Windows. Pet owners can only pick inside the band; your team's New Stay stays editable. See Stay Check-in and Check-out Windows.
When a pet books a 5-night stay, Petboost checks capacity for all 5 nights. If any single night is full, the booking cannot go ahead, which prevents overbooking on busy nights such as holidays even when other nights are free.
Boarding extras include medication, an extra playtime session, a groom on the departure day, photo or video updates and a special diet meal. On a stay booking, your team can set a quantity on an add-on, such as one medication round for each day.
Stay | Price and set-up |
Overnight Boarding | $55/night on Number of nights, check-in window 14:00-17:00, check-out window 10:00-12:00 |
Extended Daycare Stay | $65/night, includes daycare access, check-in and check-out 7am-6pm |
VIP Suite | $85/night, a private suite, two playtime sessions, webcam access and a bedtime treat included |
Add-On Services
Add-on services attach to Regular, Stay or Initial services. They cannot be booked alone; they always go with a main service.
Use case | Example | Typical price |
Grooming extras | Nail Trim, Teeth Brushing, Blueberry Facial | $10-25 |
Daycare extras | Extra Playtime, Training Session, Photo Updates | $10-30 |
Boarding extras | Medication Admin, Special Diet, Bedtime Treat | $5-35/day |
Convenience | Pet Taxi Pickup, Early Drop-off, Express Service | $15-50 |
A customer selects a main service, such as a Full Groom, and the add-ons for it appear in the booking flow. They tap to add one, such as a Nail Trim, and the price updates. The appointment shows the add-ons icon on the calendar, and your team sees exactly what was requested.
Feature | Description |
Add-ons while booking | Add-ons shown in the booking flow |
Add-on Pairing | Show an add-on only with the services you pick |
Visual staff reminders | Add-ons icon on calendar cards; each add-on named on Mission Control cards |
Clear price breakdown | Itemised on invoice and receipt |
Per-pet control | Add for all pets or specific pets |
An add-on can have a fixed price, such as $15 for a Nail Trim, or a "from" price, such as "from $10", for extras you adjust. Turn on Add extra time with this add-on under Extra time when the extra needs time of its own. That time is added on top of the main service. Leave it off and the appointment stays the length of the main service. By default an add-on shows with every service; to show it only with specific services, use Only Show With Certain Services under Add-on Pairing on its Who Can Book tab, which applies to online booking only.
Kind | Examples |
High-value | Blueberry Facial $20, De-Shedding Treatment $35, Flea & Tick Treatment $25 |
Convenience | Pet Taxi Pickup $15, Pet Taxi Dropoff $15, Early Drop-off $10, Late Pickup $10 |
Care, for boarding | Medication Administration $5/day, Special Diet Meal $5/day, Extra Playtime $15/session, Cuddle Time $10/session, Photo Updates $5/stay |
Upselling extras can raise revenue by 10-30% (Accenture). A second offer at checkout catches extras customers missed, and customers add them themselves with no work from your team. See the Add-ons Guide.
Course templates (group programmes)
A course template is the blueprint for a multi-lesson group programme, such as puppy school, scentwork or obedience. You create it on Courses, not on Services.
Do not create a Regular or Lesson service for a group class. The template creates the lesson service. Staff enrol from Courses with New > Enrol pet(s), or Manage > Enrol Pet on the course. The New > Appointment form on Appointments does not list courses.
Concept | Description |
Course template | The programme design (6-week puppy basics) |
Course instance | A published run with real dates |
Enrolment | A pet added to that published run |
Lesson | One session inside the course |
Attendance | Which pets attended each lesson |
Use courses for puppy school, group obedience at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels, speciality programmes such as agility, scentwork or therapy dog training, and any fixed group programme with a class list. Use a Regular service for a single appointment, including 1:1 training, and recurring appointments to repeat that one service for one pet. See Courses versus services.
Run a course
Open Courses, select New, then New Course Template, and build the template.
Select New, then Publish New Course, and set the start date.
Enrol pets with New, then Enrol pet(s), or Manage, then Enrol Pet, on the course.
Track capacity and mark attendance on each lesson.
See the Courses overview.
Packages (Prepaid Bundles)
Packages are prepaid bundles of services, often sold at a volume discount. Customers pay up front, and credits are taken off as they book.
Feature | Description |
Self-service purchase | Customers buy at any time on your booking page |
Stamp-card tracking | A stamp for each credit shows what is used and what is left |
Credits at booking | Credits pay for bookings of the services the package covers |
Multi-pet sharing | Eligible family pets on one owner account can use the same credits |
Transaction history | Every purchase, redemption and adjustment is recorded |
Business | Packages |
Dog walking | 10-Walk Pack $225 (save $25), 20-Walk Pack $420 (save $80) |
Daycare | 10-Day Pack $550 (save $100), 20-Day Pack $1,000 (save $300) |
Grooming | 5-Groom Pack $600 (save $50), 10-Groom Pack $1,150 (save $150) |
Training | 6-Session Pack $480 (save $120), 10-Session Pack $750 (save $250) |
Package customers bring prepaid cash before services are delivered, commit up front, and tend to book more often; packages can raise customer lifetime value by 30-50%. See the full Packages Guide.
Which type should I use?
Scenario | Use this type |
First-time visit assessment | Initial |
Standard single appointment | Regular |
Multi-day overnight boarding | Stay |
Extra that enhances a main service | Add-on |
Puppy school, scentwork, or group class | Courses (create a course template; do not add a Regular service) |
Prepaid bundle with volume discount | Package |
Common mistakes
Mistake | Better approach |
Using Regular for overnight stays | Use Stay for proper capacity and pricing |
Creating boarding as a "long appointment" | Use Stay for check-in and check-out handling |
Making nail trim only a Regular, or only an Add-on | Use both: keep an Add-on for extras during a groom, and create a separate Regular if clients should also book a standalone drop-in. Service type cannot be changed after you create the service. |
Creating a Regular service or a recurring appointment for a group class | Go to Courses, create a New Course Template, then Publish New Course. Enrol from Courses, not New Appointment. |
Selling individual sessions when bundles make sense | Create Packages for prepaid credits |
How the types work together
Combination | How it fits together |
Daycare | An Initial (Daycare Assessment) gates access to a Regular (Full Day Daycare), add-ons (Medication Admin, Extra Playtime) enhance it, and a package (10-Day Daycare Pack) bundles it |
Puppy school | A course template (6-Week Puppy School) creates a course instance (Fridays starting 31 May), which includes lessons (Week 1 to Week 6) that track attendance (which puppies attended) |
Boarding | A Stay (Overnight Boarding) requires an Initial (Boarding Trial Night) and is enhanced by add-ons (medication, a groom on departure) |
Related guides
Getting Started with Services - Create your first service
Pricing Guide - All pricing models including stays
Add-ons Guide - Deep dive into upselling
Courses Overview - Group programme management
Packages Guide - Prepaid bundles
FAQ - Common questions answered