Common questions about Petboost pricing, subscription plans, fees, payments, and billing.

Petboost offers four plans for different business stages:

Calendar Lite is for pet professionals who just need scheduling and handle payments their own way.

Business Pro adds online booking, payment processing, SMS reminders, packages, courses, and automation. Best for 1-2 person teams who want bookings, payments, reminders, and records to work together automatically. No admin staff, no spreadsheets - Petboost is your business partner.

Business Flex includes everything in Pro with higher limits: 650 appointments and 700 SMS per month, with full support for keeping your own EFTPOS terminal alongside Stripe. Best for teams outgrowing Pro's limits.

Business Max includes everything in Pro, plus unlimited appointments, the lowest booking fee rate, and 1,000 SMS/month. Best for high-volume businesses that have outgrown the conversation about limits. Unlimited appointments, the lowest fee rate, and no caps to think about.

Pro, Flex, and Max have identical features - the difference is limits and pricing model.

Calendar Lite covers scheduling. These are switched off while you are on a paid Calendar Lite subscription:

Appointment reminder emails and vaccination reminder emails still send on a paid Calendar Lite subscription. They do not send during the 14-day trial, and neither does SMS.

The 14-day trial runs on Business Pro, so none of the above is switched off during it. Reminder emails and SMS are the exception: they do not send until the trial ends.

Business Pro has a $65/month subscription plus a 1.4% booking fee per transaction processed through the platform, plus Stripe processing (1.7% + $0.30 per transaction in Australia).

When your business processes $7,500 or more in Stripe payments in a calendar month, the following month's subscription is waived.

How it works (each month counts separately, not cumulative):

What counts: Stripe payments only (Card on File, payment links, Stripe Terminal)

What doesn't count: Cash, bank transfers, External Payment Machine (your own terminal)

Yes. Every new account starts with a 14-day free trial of Business Pro. You add a card at signup, and nothing is charged during the trial. When it ends, Business Pro starts automatically at the discounted price shown at signup. Cancel before then from Billing and you are not charged.

The trial runs on Business Pro, so Business Pro features are available: self-service online booking, payment processing, Automatic Actions, packages, memberships, intake forms and courses. Self-service booking and payment processing need Stripe Connect connected before they work.

Petboost does not send appointment reminder emails or SMS, Friday reminders, vaccination reminders, or rebooking reminders during the trial. Those start when the trial ends.

Communications Booster and Booking X-Ray Booster cannot be activated during the trial. They unlock once your plan starts. Trips Booster can be activated during the trial.

Your launch period runs from the day you sign up, not from the day your plan starts, so the 14-day trial sits inside it. During it you pay your monthly subscription and Stripe's 1.7% + $0.30, and no Petboost booking fee. After your launch period, the standard booking fee applies. Process above your plan's threshold in card payments and next month's subscription is waived on top of that.

If you click "Upgrade" during your Calendar Lite trial but don't complete the Stripe Connect setup or checkout, your Calendar Lite trial may appear as cancelled even though you haven't subscribed to a paid plan yet. This is a known issue that can occur when the upgrade flow is started but not completed.

If your account is less than 14 days old: Contact the team via chat or email. We can reinstate your remaining trial days so you can continue exploring before committing. You won't lose any data, customers, pets, or settings.

If your account is more than 14 days old: Your trial period has ended. You can subscribe to Calendar Lite ($18/month) for scheduling only, or upgrade to Business Pro or Max for the full feature set including online booking, payments, and automations.

If your monthly bill is higher than expected, the most common cause is the Communications Booster add-on ($49/month) being activated on your account. This add-on gives you a dedicated Australian mobile number and 2-way SMS inbox, but it adds $49/month to your base subscription.

How to check:

Common scenario: A team member activates Communications Booster during setup without realising it adds a monthly charge. The account owner then sees a higher bill (e.g. $114/month instead of $65/month for Business Pro).

Other reasons your bill might change:

If none of these explain the change, contact support and we will review your billing history with you.

The subscription waiver (also called "Pro Status" or "Max Status") means your monthly subscription fee is automatically waived when you process enough card payments through Petboost.

How it works: Each calendar month is evaluated independently. If you process the threshold amount in card payments this month, next month's subscription is $0. Only Stripe card payments count (Card on File, payment links, terminal). Cash, bank transfers, and external terminal payments do not count.

This is a benefit, not a requirement. If you do not reach the threshold, you simply pay the standard monthly fee. There is no penalty for missing it.

📖 Read more: Subscription Waiver (Pro Status) - full breakdown with examples and strategies

No hidden fees.

Calendar Lite: Flat $18/month for scheduling only.

Business Pro:

Business Flex:

Business Max:

Optional add-on: Communications Booster ($49/month) for a dedicated Australian mobile number and 2-way SMS inbox. This is not included in any plan by default and must be activated separately.

All plans: No per-seat charges, no module unlock fees.

There are two layers of fees when a customer pays by card through Petboost:

1. Booking fee (charged by Petboost):

2. Stripe processing fee (charged by Stripe):

Example on a $100 payment (Business Pro):

Pass Stripe fee to customer and Pass platform fee to customer on Settings → Pricing & Payments add the fees to invoices paid by card. 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.

Unlike competitors who charge $100-415+/month regardless of your business size, Petboost offers plans designed for different business stages.

Growing businesses start at $65/month with Business Pro. Teams outgrowing Pro's limits or bringing their own payment terminal can move to Business Flex at $135/month. Established high-volume operations get all-inclusive pricing with Business Max. All three plans can have their subscription waived when you process enough card payments through Petboost.

Competitors never waive their fees. Petboost does.

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, so the customer sees one price with no surcharge line. See Build fees into your prices.

With Business Pro, Flex and Max, Pass Stripe fee to customer and Pass platform fee to customer on Settings → Pricing & Payments add the booking fee and Stripe processing fee to invoices paid by card.

Stripe charges for card processing. Australian businesses pay domestic rates:

These are Stripe's fees, separate from the Petboost booking fee. Petboost does not set or control Stripe's rates. If you have questions about Stripe's fee structure, currency conversion fees, or international card rates, contact Stripe directly.

📖 Read more: When to Contact Stripe Support

Communications Booster is an optional add-on that costs $49/month on top of your base plan. It provides:

Communications Booster is not included in any plan by default. It must be activated manually from Settings → SMS → Communications Booster. If you see a $49 charge you were not expecting, it is likely that a team member activated Communications Booster on your account.

To check if Communications Booster is active: Go to Settings → SMS and look at the Communications Booster section.

📖 Read more: Communications Booster and 2-Way SMS

Your dedicated number will be released and you will no longer be able to send or receive 2-way messages from it. Existing conversation history is retained for your records.

Note: If you reactivate Communications Booster later, you may receive a different phone number.

Yes. When you deactivate Communications Booster partway through a billing cycle, your next invoice will include a pro-rata credit for the remaining unused days. You are not charged for the full month if you deactivate early.

For example, if you deactivate Communications Booster 10 days into a 30-day billing cycle, you will receive a credit for approximately 20 days on your next invoice.

When you process $7,500 or more in card payments through Petboost in a calendar month, your monthly fee is automatically waived for the following month.

You keep all the same features. You just stop paying the monthly subscription.

Note: Only card payments (online, payment links, terminal) count towards the threshold. Cash and bank transfers don't count.

If your card payment volume drops below $7,500/month, the $65 monthly fee will apply again the following month.

Each month is evaluated independently, so one slow month won't affect your status for other months. This protects you during seasonal dips while ensuring fair pricing for all.

Only card payments processed through Petboost count:

✅ Counts:

❌ Doesn't Count:

Why? Card payments generate transaction fees, which fund the platform at scale. When you process enough card payments, those fees cover your subscription cost.

Setting up payment processing takes about 5-8 minutes:

Requirements:

After connecting Stripe, you can:

If you encounter issues during Stripe Connect setup (identity verification, bank account problems), contact Stripe Support at https://support.stripe.com/.

Yes. Business Pro, Flex, Max, and Enterprise require Stripe Connect to process payments and enable self-service bookings. This is mandatory, not optional. Without Stripe Connect, self-service online booking, payment processing, no-show protection, and auto-pay cannot function.

During onboarding, you'll be guided through connecting your Stripe account. It takes about 5-8 minutes. Have your photo ID, ABN, and bank BSB and account number ready.

Stripe Connect securely links your bank account to Petboost, enabling auto-charging, payment links, pre-authorisation holds, and branded invoices.

You can still use your own EFTPOS or payment processor for in-person payments. Stripe sits alongside that. Connecting it lets you optionally store cards on file so you can charge no-shows and cancellations.

If you don't need payment processing or self-service booking, Calendar Lite ($18/month) is available for scheduling only.

That full-screen step stays until you finish Stripe Connect. It is not a bug and it cannot be dismissed.

Business Pro, Flex, Max, and Enterprise require Stripe Connect as part of account setup. It takes about 5-8 minutes.

Once Stripe is connected, the step closes and you can keep setting up the rest of your account.

If Stripe finishes but the Petboost step is still there after you come back, ask the team in chat.

If you are unable to charge a customer or complete a checkout, work through these steps:

1. Check Stripe connection status:

2. Check for Stripe account issues:

3. Check the customer's payment method:

4. Check the appointment status:

5. Try an alternative payment method:

If none of these resolve the issue, contact Petboost support with the appointment details and any error messages you see.

Yes! While Petboost integrates with Stripe for automated card payments, you can keep using your existing terminal (Smart Pay, Square, bank EFTPOS). Here's how it works:

Stripe vs External: The trade-off

Card surcharges: 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 $7,500 subscription waiver: Process $7,500+ via Stripe in a calendar month → next month's $65 subscription is waived. Each month counts separately (not cumulative). External Payment Machine transactions don't count.

Currently, Petboost supports Stripe (card payments), bank transfer, and cash/check (manual). PayPal integration is not available.

Card on File means a customer has saved their card details in Petboost (via the Pet Owner Portal or a previous payment). Once a card is on file, you can:

Payment links are one-time secure Stripe payment URLs sent to the customer via SMS or email. The customer clicks the link, enters their card details, and pays. Payment links are useful when:

In short: Card on File is for repeat, automated payments. Payment links are for one-off collections or when no card is saved.

Payment links can also be sent from the customer's profile for non-appointment charges (e.g. outstanding balances, cancellation fees).

Note: Sending a payment link uses one SMS credit. The customer must already exist on the account, with a valid Australian mobile number on their profile. A payment link does not create a customer or pet record. For a walk-in with no record, add the customer and pet first, then send the link, or take payment in person with the WisePOS E terminal.

Yes. You have several options:

The only method that requires a card on file is auto-charge (Automatic Actions) and pre-authorisation. All other payment methods work without a saved card.

To see outstanding payments across your business:

For a specific customer:

Tips for reducing unpaid invoices:

When a card payment is declined, Petboost notifies both you and the customer:

What the business sees:

What the customer sees:

What to do next:

Common decline reasons: Insufficient funds, expired card, card blocked by bank, daily limit exceeded. The specific reason comes from the customer's bank, not from Petboost or Stripe. If the customer needs details, they should contact their bank directly.

Refund timing:

Important notes:

📖 Read more: Fixing Invoice Problems

A payment dispute (chargeback) occurs when a customer contacts their bank to reverse a charge. Disputes are handled by Stripe and the customer's bank, not by Petboost.

If you receive a dispute notification:

What Petboost can help with:

What Petboost cannot do:

Prevention tips:

📖 Read more: When to Contact Stripe Support

Payouts (the money Stripe transfers from your Stripe account to your bank account) can be viewed in two places:

In Petboost:

In Stripe Dashboard (more detail):

Payout schedule: By default, Stripe pays out on a rolling basis (typically every 1-2 business days in Australia). You can adjust your payout schedule in your Stripe Dashboard settings.

If a payout is missing or delayed: This is a Stripe matter. Contact Stripe Support at https://support.stripe.com/ - they can investigate the bank transfer status. Petboost does not control payout timing or bank transfers.

Business Pro includes 450 appointments per month. Business Flex includes 650 appointments per month. Each additional appointment beyond the included limit incurs a fee ($0.40 on Pro, $0.50 on Flex). The count resets at the start of each billing cycle.

Each individual pet booking counts as one appointment. A multi-pet booking with 3 pets counts as 3 appointments.

View your appointment count in Billing. You can see:

If you exceed your monthly SMS allocation, you can purchase SMS Power-Up Packs for additional messages.

Business Pro includes 500 SMS/month. Business Flex includes 700 SMS/month. Business Max includes 1,000 SMS/month. Most businesses never hit these limits.

Calendar Lite uses email notifications only.

No. Unlimited team members are included at no extra cost on all plans. Add as many staff as you need without per-seat charges, unlike most competitors who charge $10-30 per additional user.

Yes.

Upgrades take effect immediately with prorated billing.

Downgrades take effect at the end of your current billing period.

Downgrading from Business Pro/Flex/Max to Calendar Lite means you lose access to:

You keep:

No long-term contracts. Monthly billing. Cancel anytime with no cancellation fees.

Subscription fees are billed monthly on your billing anniversary date. Transaction fees are included in your monthly invoice.

If you have the Communications Booster add-on active, the $49/month charge appears on the same invoice as your subscription fee.

Yes. Update your payment method in Billing → Payment Method.

See Export Your Data.

Open Billing and select Cancel (or Export your data if you already have no subscription). Download the CSV cards on Take your data with you. See Export Your Data.

Your data is retained for 90 days after cancellation. During this period, you can reactivate your account with all data intact.

After 90 days, data is archived and eventually deleted per our data retention policy.

Contact support to discuss pausing your subscription. We can work with you on seasonal or temporary arrangements.

A statement for your accountant is a PDF from Billing. Reporting & Intelligence is a look at the year's sales, not a tax document.

If you are not sure which you need, decide whether you are giving figures to an accountant or looking at the year yourself.

The PDF uses charge dates. It splits card payments into appointments, package sales, quick sales, and membership payments, and shows Stripe fees, Petboost fees, and net after fees. Those figures will not match one bank deposit.

Petboost is not accounting software. The Billing statement and Reporting figures only cover payments recorded in Petboost. Actual earnings can vary for any payments collected outside Petboost, such as cash, bank transfer, or another payment machine.

No. Petboost is not accounting software. Petboost collects and catalogues payments through Stripe. Your accountant handles the accounting in Xero or QuickBooks.

What Petboost does:

What your accountant does (outside Petboost):

Most Australian accountants already use Xero, and Stripe Bank Feeds connect to it.

If you need the figures for one bank deposit, open Settings > Stripe Payouts, find the payout by arrival date, and expand it. The summary shows card sales, Stripe fees, Petboost fees, and net transferred.

If you need the same fee split for a month, quarter, or financial year, open Billing, then the Invoices & Payment tab, switch the view to Monthly, Quarterly, or EOFY, expand the period, and read Card sales this period. Select Download FY Statement (or the matching month or quarter button) for a PDF of that recon. The PDF splits card payments into appointments, package sales, quick sales, and membership payments. Those figures use charge dates, so they will not match one deposit.

Reporting & Intelligence shows sales by appointment date. Its fee breakdown is estimated and will not match the bank. See How do I get a sales report or statement for the financial year?.

Option 1: Stripe Bank Feeds (Recommended)
Connect Stripe to Xero for automatic data flow. Every Stripe deposit appears in Xero automatically. Your accountant categorises deposits as Sales/Revenue.

📖 Set up Bank Feeds: Xero: Stripe Direct Feeds Guide

📖 Need Xero? Get started with Xero

Option 2: Export from Stripe
Log in to Stripe Dashboard → Reports → Export payment data → Share with accountant.

Option 3: PDF Invoices from Petboost
Go to Customers & Pets → Customer Profile → Appointments → Click "Receipt" → Download PDF with ABN and GST.

Petboost generates professional PDF invoices with your ABN, GST breakdown, and itemised services.

Customer self-service:

Staff-generated receipts:
Go to Customers & Pets → Customer Profile → Appointments → Click "Receipt"

📖 Read more: Stripe: Best Practices for Invoices in Australia

Share this guide with your bookkeeper. The key points:

For tax invoice requirements: the ATO only requires you to issue a tax invoice within 28 days if a customer requests one. Petboost generates compliant receipts on-demand.

📖 Read more: ATO: Tax Invoices

For a full explanation, see Streamlined Payments & Happy Accountants.

Petboost Packages flip the traditional model:

Customer pays upfront → Credits tracked automatically → Credits deduct on booking → Done!

Most businesses save 4-6 hours per week on payment admin.

Need help? Contact support or click the "Get Help" button in your dashboard to chat with our team.