Streamlined Payments & Happy Accountants
Overview
Many pet business owners ask: "How do I keep my accountant happy without spending hours on paperwork?"
The good news: Petboost + Stripe makes payment collection seamless, and your accountant gets clean data with minimal effort from you. This guide explains how it all works together.
💡 Important: Petboost is NOT accounting software. We help you collect and catalogue payments exceptionally well. Your accountant handles the accounting in Xero or QuickBooks. We just make their job easier.
How It All Works Together
What Petboost Does (Payment Collection)
Petboost handles everything about collecting payments:
Card on File: Customers save their card, get auto-charged after each service
SMS Payment Links: Send secure Stripe payment links via SMS
Pre-Authorisation: Hold funds 72 hours before appointments for no-show protection
Packages: Sell prepaid bundles, credits tracked automatically
PDF Invoices: Generate professional invoices with ABN and GST on-demand
Customer Self-Service Receipts: Customers download receipts from the portal
What Happens Outside Petboost (Accounting)
Your accountant handles the actual accounting:
Stripe Bank Feeds → Xero: You connect Stripe to Xero as a bank feed (configured in Xero, not Petboost)
Categorise Deposits: Your accountant categorises Stripe deposits as "Sales" or "Revenue"
BAS/GST: Your accountant handles BAS lodgement using the clean data
We recommend Xero because it works beautifully with Stripe Bank Feeds and most Australian accountants already use it.
The Old Way vs. The Petboost Way
❌ The Old Way (Lots of Paperwork)
Many businesses still follow this workflow out of habit:
Create invoice in Xero/MYOB for each sale
Wait for customer payment
Chase late payments
Receive payment via Stripe/bank transfer
Match the bank feed to the invoice
Reconcile manually
Generate PDF if customer needs it
Time cost: 4-6 hours per week on admin
✅ The Petboost Way (Minimal Paperwork)
With Petboost handling payments:
Customer pays via Card on File, Payment Link, or Package
Done! Clean data flows to your accountant
Time cost: Zero manual effort
How your accountant gets what they need:
Stripe Bank Feeds send deposits to Xero automatically
Or you export payment data from Stripe and share it
PDF invoices available on-demand from Petboost
How to Give Your Accountant What They Need
Option 1: Stripe Bank Feeds (Recommended)
Connect Stripe to Xero for automatic data flow:
In Xero: Go to Settings → Bank Accounts
Add Stripe as a bank feed source
Your accountant categorises deposits as Sales/Revenue
Done: Every Stripe deposit appears automatically
📖 Set up Bank Feeds: Xero — Stripe Direct Feeds Guide
📖 Need Xero? Get started with Xero
Option 2: Export from Stripe
If your accountant prefers manual data:
Log in to your Stripe Dashboard
Go to Reports → Payments
Export payment data for the period
Share with your accountant
Option 3: PDF Invoices from Petboost
For specific transactions:
Go to Customers & Pets in Petboost
Open the customer's profile
Navigate to Appointments tab
Click "Receipt" on any paid appointment
Download PDF with ABN, GST, and itemised services
When Customers Need Invoices or Receipts
Customer Self-Service
Customers can get their own receipts:
Log in to their Customer Portal
Go to Appointments
Find any past appointment
Click "Receipt" button
Download PDF
The receipt includes:
Your business name and ABN
Customer name and address
Date of service
Service description
GST breakdown
Total amount paid
Staff-Generated Receipts
Staff can generate receipts from the customer profile:
Go to Customers & Pets
Open the customer's profile
Navigate to Appointments tab
Click "Receipt" on any paid appointment
📖 Learn more: Stripe — Best Practices for Invoices in Australia
Why We Recommend Xero
We recommend Xero because:
Stripe Bank Feeds integrate beautifully — deposits appear automatically
Most Australian accountants use it — less friction for everyone
It's popular for good reason — reliable and well-supported
We're not Xero. We just help you collect payments well, and Xero happens to work great with Stripe.
QuickBooks works similarly if that's what your accountant prefers.
📖 Get started with Xero: https://referrals.xero.com/buanj427uiu3
📖 Set up Stripe Bank Feeds: https://central.xero.com/s/article/Stripe-direct-feeds
Packages: Reduce Admin Even Further
How Petboost Packages Work
Petboost Packages flip the traditional model:
Customer buys package → Instant Stripe payment
Credits tracked automatically → Per pet, in Petboost
Credits deduct on booking → No manual work
Done! → Clean payment data for your accountant
Benefits:
No chasing payments (already paid)
No invoicing each visit (package covers it)
No reconciliation drama
Customers love the convenience
Compare to Traditional Subscriptions
Traditional Subscriptions | Petboost Packages |
Create invoice manually | Auto-generated at purchase |
Wait for payment | Instant payment via Stripe |
Chase late payments | Already paid upfront |
Reconcile bank feed to invoice | Bank feed IS the record |
Track credits externally | Built-in credit tracking |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Petboost replace my accounting software?
No. Petboost is NOT accounting software. We help you collect and catalogue payments using Stripe. Your accountant handles the accounting in Xero or QuickBooks. We give them clean data.
How do I connect Stripe to Xero?
This is set up in Xero, not in Petboost. In Xero, go to Settings → Bank Accounts, and add Stripe as a bank feed source. Your accountant can help with this.
What if my bookkeeper has questions?
Share this guide with your bookkeeper. The key points:
Petboost handles payment collection
Stripe Bank Feeds send data to Xero automatically
PDF invoices are available on-demand
Your bookkeeper categorises deposits as Sales/Revenue
Can I still create invoices in Xero if I want to?
Absolutely. If your business process requires a separate invoice trail (e.g., for specific corporate clients), you can continue creating them. But for most pet businesses, it's unnecessary paperwork when you have clean Stripe data.
What about tax invoices and the ATO?
For ATO requirements: tax invoices are only required when a customer requests one (within 28 days). Petboost generates compliant PDF receipts on-demand. Your Stripe transaction records and bank feeds provide the paper trail.
📖 Read more: ATO — Tax Invoices
Time Savings Summary
Task | Old Way | Petboost Way | Savings |
Chasing payments | 1-2 hrs/week | 0 hrs (auto-pay) | 1-2 hrs |
Creating invoices | 1-2 hrs/week | 0 hrs (on-demand) | 1-2 hrs |
Generating receipts | 30 min/week | 0 hrs (self-service) | 30 min |
Payment follow-ups | 1-2 hrs/week | 0 hrs (automated) | 1-2 hrs |
Total | 4-6 hrs/week | 0 hrs | 4-6 hrs |
At $50/hour, that's $200-300/week or $10,000-15,000/year in reclaimed time.
Related Articles
Billing Overview: Plan comparison and pricing
Getting Started with Packages: Create prepaid bundles
Payment Settings: Configure payment processing
Billing FAQ: Common billing questions
Need help? Contact support or click the "Get Help" button in your dashboard to chat with our team.