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. It suits 1-2 person teams who want bookings, payments, reminders, and records to work together automatically.

Business Flex includes everything in Pro with higher limits: 650 appointments and 700 SMS per month. It suits busier teams outgrowing Pro's limits.

Business Max includes everything in Pro, plus unlimited appointments, a lower booking fee rate than Pro and Flex, 1,000 SMS/month, and priority support. It suits high-volume businesses that want no appointment allowance to go over.

Pro, Flex, and Max share the same features. The difference is limits, fees and price, and Max adds priority support.

A dedicated account manager is part of Petboost Enterprise, for businesses with two or more locations. See Enterprise Multi-Location.

Every plan has 7-day support from the Petboost team in Sydney. Replies take 20 minutes to 2 hours, depending on urgency, and the platform is monitored 24 hours a day. Business Max accounts are answered first.

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 Calendar Lite, so the list above is switched off during it too, with one exception: you can create, edit and send forms during the trial.

Business Pro has a monthly subscription (the pricing page shows the current price) plus a 1.4% booking fee on card payments through Petboost. Stripe charges its own processing fee (1.65% + $0.30 per transaction in Australia), paid to Stripe.

When your business processes $7,500 or more in Stripe payments in a billing month on Business Pro, the following month's plan fee is waived. A billing month starts on your subscription's renewal date. The waiver covers the plan fee only, so the booking fee still applies.

Each billing month counts separately, not cumulatively:

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

What doesn't count: Cash, bank transfers, Other EFTPOS (your own terminal)

Yes. Every new account starts with a 14-day free trial, and no card is needed. The trial runs on Calendar Lite, so you can set up your calendar, customers, pets, services, team and forms. Online booking, payment processing, SMS and Automatic Actions switch on when you choose Business Pro, Flex or Max in Billing. Online booking and payment processing also need Stripe Connect connected. If you do not choose a plan, the trial ends after 14 days and you are not charged.

Petboost does not send appointment reminder emails or SMS, Friday reminders, vaccination reminders, or rebooking reminders during the trial. They start once you are on a paid plan that includes them.

Communications Booster, Trips Booster and Booking X-Ray Booster cannot be activated during the trial. They unlock once you choose Business Pro, Flex or Max.

New accounts do not get a fee-free period: the standard Petboost booking fee applies from the first card payment, alongside Stripe's 1.65% + $0.30. An account created before October 2026 may still have a booking fee waiver period set on its plan at sign-up. If yours has one, Billing > Plan & Power-Ups shows Booking fee waiver period with its length; if that row is not there, no waiver applies. Reach your plan's threshold in card payments in a billing month and next month's plan fee is waived.

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 can happen if you start the upgrade flow and then close the page or navigate away before you complete checkout.

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 for scheduling only (the pricing page shows its price), or upgrade to Business Pro, Flex 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 being activated on your account. This add-on gives you a dedicated Australian mobile number and 2-way SMS inbox, and it adds its own monthly charge to your plan. The pricing page shows the current price.

To check what is billed on top of your plan:

You can also check the Communications Booster card on SMS in Settings.

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.

Other reasons your bill might change:

If none of these explain the change, select Get Help, then Speak with the team, 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 billing month, which starts on your subscription's renewal date, is evaluated independently. If you process the threshold amount in card payments in a billing month, next month's plan fee is $0. The booking fee, any Power-Ups and any appointment overage are still charged. Only Stripe card payments count (Card on File, payment links, terminal). Cash, bank transfers, and Other EFTPOS 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), with examples and strategies.

No hidden fees.

Calendar Lite: Flat monthly fee for scheduling only, shown on the pricing page.

Business Pro:

Business Flex:

Business Max:

Optional add-on: Communications Booster, a monthly add-on priced on the pricing page, for a dedicated Australian mobile number and 2-way SMS inbox. Business Pro, Flex and Max do not include it by default, so it must be activated separately.

Other optional add-ons: the Trips Booster for mobile runs and the Booking X-Ray Booster, both priced on the pricing page.

Payment links sent by SMS: when Petboost texts a client a payment link, that text uses one SMS credit. It does not add a dollar amount to the booking fee. Send the link by email or copy it and no credit is used.

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

To see which power-ups are on your account:

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 online payment (Business Pro): the booking fee is 1.4% of the $100 and Stripe's processing is 1.65% + $0.30. Both come off the payment before it reaches you.

Pass platform fee to customer on Settings → Pricing & Payments adds the booking fee to invoices paid by card. Stripe's card processing fee cannot be passed on: 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.

Petboost publishes every fee on its pricing page and bills in Australian dollars, so compare its total with the total a competitor quotes you, card processing included. Petboost's plans are built for different business stages. Growing businesses start with Business Pro. Busier teams outgrowing Pro's limits can move to Business Flex. Established high-volume operations can choose Business Max, which has no appointment allowance to go over. On all three, next month's plan fee is waived after a billing month in which your card payments through Petboost reach that plan's threshold. The pricing page has the current 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 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 platform fee to customer on Settings → Pricing & Payments adds the booking fee to invoices paid by card. The Stripe processing fee cannot be added: card surcharging is banned in Australia from 1 October 2026.

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 with its own monthly charge on top of your plan. The pricing page shows the current price. It provides:

Communications Booster is not included in Business Pro, Flex or Max by default. It must be activated with Activate Communications Booster on SMS in Settings, or with Activate on its card on Plan & Power-Ups in Billing. If you see a Communications Booster 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: open SMS in Settings and look at the Communications Booster card.

Read more: Communications Booster and 2-Way SMS.

This works whether or not your dedicated number is live yet.

Petboost releases the dedicated number, so nothing can be sent or received on it. Deactivating also turns off two-way texting, photo messages, Call Catcher, the missed-call text back and rebooking reminders. Existing conversation history stays on the account. Reminder and notification texts on your plan keep sending.

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 billing month on Business Pro, your monthly plan fee is automatically waived for the following month. The threshold is $13,500 on Business Flex and $20,000 on Business Max.

You keep all the same features. The booking fee on card payments, any Power-Ups and any appointment overage are still charged.

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

If your card payment volume on Business Pro drops below $7,500/month, the $65 monthly fee will apply again the following month. The same applies below $13,500 on Business Flex and $20,000 on Business Max, with their own plan fees.

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

Only card payments processed through Petboost count.

Counts:

Doesn't count:

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

Setting up payment processing takes 3 to 8 minutes.

When Stripe sends you back, Petboost Payments on Pricing & Payments shows Petboost Payments Active. Where the dialog does not open, Connect Stripe under Petboost Payments starts the same hand-off to Stripe.

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 3 to 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 is available for scheduling only (the pricing page shows its price).

That full-screen Activate Stripe step stays until you finish Stripe Connect. It is not a bug, and it has no close button.

Business Pro, Flex, Max, and Enterprise require Stripe Connect as part of account setup. It takes 3 to 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 checks in order:

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

Yes, alongside Stripe. You can keep using your existing terminal, such as Smart Pay, Square or a bank EFTPOS machine. Stripe stays connected either way: it is required to activate Business Pro features such as online booking, Card on File and no-show protection.

Take the payment on your terminal as normal, then record it in Petboost:

The trade-off between Stripe and your own terminal:

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 billing month on Business Pro → next month's $65 plan fee is waived. Each month counts separately (not cumulative). Other EFTPOS payments don't count.

No. PayPal integration is not available. Petboost takes card payments through Stripe (Card on File, Card Reader and Secure Payment Link) and records Bank Transfer, Cash and Other EFTPOS payments.

Card on File means a customer has saved their card details in Petboost (in the pet owner app or with a previous payment). Once a card is on file, you can:

Payment links are one-time secure Stripe payment links, sent to the customer by SMS or email, or copied to share another way. The customer opens 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.

The customer receives an SMS with a secure Stripe payment link, pays on their own device, and Petboost records the payment automatically. Email sends the link by email instead, and Copy Link gives you the link to share another way.

You can also send a payment link for a quick sale from the customer's profile, and for an unpaid cancellation fee with Collect fee on the cancelled booking.

Note: Sending a payment link by SMS 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 on your Stripe card reader.

Yes. You have several options:

Only Auto-pay invoices and Pre-hold funds need a card on file. Every other payment method works without a saved card.

To see outstanding payments across your business:

On Appointments, you can also open Filter and choose Has Outstanding Payment to see unpaid bookings on the calendar.

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:

Sometimes the customer updates their card after receiving the notification, so a short wait can help. Then:

If the retry fails, send a fresh payment link so the customer can enter different card details, ask them for a new card, or take payment by card reader or cash if the customer is present. If they are unresponsive, contact them directly.

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.

The money goes back to the card it came from. Funds typically return to the customer's account in 3-5 business days, and the refund appears in your Stripe dashboard.

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:

Stripe manages the process with the card network.

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 the Stripe Dashboard, for more detail:

Payout schedule: Stripe pays out on a rolling basis, typically 2 days after a payment in Australia. Your Payout Schedule on Stripe Payouts shows yours, and you change it in your Stripe Dashboard.

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, and the pricing page shows the fee on each plan. The count resets at the start of each billing cycle.

Each booking counts as one appointment, however many pets are on it, so a booking for 3 pets counts as 1 appointment. Each date you book is its own appointment, including each visit in a recurring series. A boarding stay counts once, however many nights it runs. Cancelled and declined appointments do not count.

The ring on the card turns amber at 75% of your allowance and red at 90%. Each appointment beyond the allowance incurs a fee, shown on the pricing page.

To see what your SMS were used for:

Every text you sent is listed, counted on the day it was sent. Not itemised is the credits used by texts to your own phone, such as new booking alerts.

If you exceed your monthly SMS allocation, you can buy SMS credit packs for more credits. On Plan & Power-Ups in Billing, select Top up to open SMS Credits. Top up shows once you have used half your monthly SMS. Packs never expire, and Auto top-up charges your selected pack when you run out.

Yes. Each photo or PDF in a text uses SMS credits, from the same balance as your texts. The number of credits one photo uses is shown beside Photo messages on Settings → SMS, before you switch it on. One message can carry up to 10 photos or PDFs. See Send a photo.

Business Pro includes 500 SMS/month. Business Flex includes 700 SMS/month. Business Max includes 1,000 SMS/month.

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, with no per-seat charges.

Yes. You can change plans in any month from Billing.

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:

Your records remain accessible on Calendar Lite.

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

Subscription fees are billed monthly on your billing anniversary date.

If you have the Communications Booster add-on active, its monthly charge appears on the same invoice as your subscription fee.

The Petboost booking fee is not added to that invoice. It comes off each card payment before your payout, and Stripe Payouts shows it on each payout as Petboost booking fees.

Yes.

See Export Your Data.

See Export Your Data.

Your records remain accessible on Calendar Lite, but online bookings, payments and automations pause when you drop off a paid plan. While a paid plan is still active, Export Your Data lists what you will lose access to.

Contact support to discuss pausing your subscription: select Get Help, then Speak with the team. 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):

If you need the figures for one bank deposit:

If you need the same fee split for a month, quarter, or financial year:

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?.

Connect Stripe to Xero for automatic data flow. Every Stripe deposit appears in Xero automatically. Your accountant categorises deposits as Sales/Revenue.

Log in to your Stripe Dashboard, open Reports, export your payment data, and share it with your accountant.

Open a paid booking from Appointments and select Download Receipt for a PDF with your ABN, and your GST when you are registered.

When a booking has more than one service, the payment's description in your Stripe Dashboard reads the date and multiple items instead of listing every service, such as "12 October 2026 multiple items". A deposit or cancellation fee on that booking reads the same way after "Deposit for" or "Cancellation fee for". A booking with one service shows that service's name. The services themselves are on the booking's invoice and receipt in Petboost.

Petboost generates PDF invoices with your ABN, a GST breakdown when you are registered for GST, and itemised services.

Customer self-service: in the pet owner app, the customer opens the paid appointment and selects Download receipt.

Staff-generated receipts:

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 the PDF on demand.

Read more: ATO: Tax Invoices.

For a full explanation, see Payments and tax compliance.

Petboost Packages flip the traditional model:

The customer pays up front, Petboost tracks the credits, and the credits are used as the customer books.

Need help? Select Get Help, then Speak with the team, to chat with our team.