Overview
One of Petboost's unique benefits is the subscription waiver mechanism. When your business processes enough card payments through Petboost each month, your monthly subscription fee is automatically waived for the following month.
This means growing businesses can reach a point where they pay $0/month in subscription fees, only paying transaction fees when customers pay.
How It Works
Thresholds
Plan | Threshold | Monthly Fee |
Business Pro | $7,500/month in card payments | $65/month → $0/month |
Business Max | $20,000/month in card payments | $240/month → $0/month |
The Mechanism
Track card payments — Petboost monitors your card payment volume throughout the month
Hit the threshold — When you process the threshold amount in card payments, you achieve "Pro Status" or "Max Status"
Next month waived — Your subscription fee is waived for the following calendar month
Repeats monthly — Each month is evaluated independently
Example (Business Pro)
Month | Card Payments | Next Month's Fee |
January | $5,200 | $65 (didn't reach $7,500) |
February | $8,100 | $0 (exceeded $7,500) |
March | $7,500 | $0 (exactly $7,500) |
April | $6,800 | $65 (didn't reach $7,500) |
What Counts Toward the Threshold
✅ These Payments Count
Card payments processed through Petboost:
Payment Method | Counts? |
Card on File - Auto-charged saved cards | ✅ Yes |
Payment Links - SMS/email payment links | ✅ Yes |
Terminal Payments - Stripe card reader | ✅ Yes |
Online Payments - Customer pays through portal | ✅ Yes |
❌ These Payments Don't Count
Payment Method | Counts? |
Cash Payments - Recorded manually | ❌ No |
Bank Transfers - Direct to your bank account | ❌ No |
External Payments - Paid outside Petboost | ❌ No |
Why Only Card Payments?
Card payments generate transaction fees, which is how Petboost funds the platform at scale. When you process enough card payments, those transaction fees effectively cover your subscription cost, so we waive it.
Cash and bank transfers don't generate transaction fees, so they don't contribute to the threshold calculation.
Tracking Your Progress
Viewing Your Status
Navigate to Billing
View the "Subscription Waiver Status" section
See your current month's card payment volume
Track progress toward the threshold
What You'll See
Current card payment volume — Total for this calendar month
Threshold amount — $7,500 (Pro) or $20,000 (Max)
Progress bar — Visual indicator of your progress
Status indicator — Whether you've achieved the threshold this month
Next month impact — Whether your next subscription will be waived
Reaching the Threshold
How the Threshold Works
Each calendar month is counted separately (not cumulative):
January: process $7,500 via Stripe → February subscription = $0
February: process $7,500 via Stripe → March subscription = $0
Each month stands alone
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)
What It Takes (Business Pro — $7,500/month)
Scenario | Weekly Volume | Appointments at $100 |
Conservative | $1,875/week | ~19 appointments/week |
Moderate | $2,000/week | ~20 appointments/week |
Active | $2,500/week | ~25 appointments/week |
What It Takes (Business Max — $20,000/month)
Scenario | Weekly Volume | Appointments at $100 |
High Volume | $5,000/week | ~50 appointments/week |
Very High Volume | $6,000/week | ~60 appointments/week |
If Volume Drops
What Happens
If your card payment volume drops below the threshold in a given month:
That month — Standard subscription fee applies the following month
No penalties — There's no penalty for missing the threshold
Try again — Next month is a fresh calculation
Rolling Evaluation
Petboost evaluates each month independently. One slow month doesn't affect your status for other months.
Example:
Month | Card Payments | Status | Next Month's Fee |
July | $9,000 | ✅ Pro Status | $0 |
August | $4,500 (slow month) | ❌ Below threshold | $65 |
September | $8,200 | ✅ Pro Status | $0 |
A slow August doesn't affect your July status or September status.
Seasonal Considerations
Handling Seasonal Dips
Many pet businesses experience seasonal variations:
Summer holidays — Boarding peaks, grooming dips
Winter — Training slows, grooming steady
School terms — Daycare patterns shift
During slower months:
You may not reach the threshold
Standard subscription fee applies
No long-term impact on your account
During busy months:
Easily exceed threshold
Subscription waived
Higher revenue overall
The monthly evaluation protects you — you only pay the subscription fee in months where you don't reach the threshold.
Strategies to Reach Threshold
Encourage Card Payments
Require a card on file for bookings by leaving Allow booking without card off (reduces cash payments)
Use auto-charge — Enable Automatic Actions for automatic payment
Send payment links — For customers without cards on file
Offer terminal payments — For walk-in customers
Reduce Cash/Bank Transfers
Communicate benefits — Faster checkout, automatic receipts
Make card convenient — One-click payment with saved cards
Monitor Your Progress
Check billing dashboard weekly
Review mid-month — Know where you stand
Plan accordingly — Push payment links if running behind
Common Questions
Q: Does the threshold reset each month?
A: Yes. Each calendar month is evaluated independently. Card payments from one month don't carry over to the next.
Q: What if I'm exactly at the threshold?
A: Meeting the threshold exactly ($7,500 for Pro, $20,000 for Max) qualifies you for the waiver.
Q: When does the waiver take effect?
A: The waiver applies to the following calendar month. If you reach the threshold in March, your April subscription is waived.
Q: Can I see my historical threshold performance?
A: Yes. The billing dashboard shows your month-by-month card payment volume and threshold status.
Q: Does the threshold apply to Calendar Lite?
A: No. Calendar Lite has a flat $18/month fee with no payment processing and no subscription waiver mechanism.
Q: If I switch from Pro to Max mid-month, how is the threshold calculated?
A: The threshold for the current month is based on your plan at the end of the month. If you upgrade to Max, the $20,000 threshold applies.
Q: Are refunds deducted from my threshold calculation?
A: Yes. Refunds reduce your card payment volume for threshold calculation purposes.
Comparing Threshold Economics
Business Pro at $7,500/month
If you process exactly $7,500/month:
Component | Amount |
Card payments | $7,500 |
Petboost fee (1.4%) | $105 |
Subscription (waived) | $0 |
Total Petboost cost | $105 |
Effective rate | 1.4% |
Business Pro Below Threshold
If you process $5,000/month:
Component | Amount |
Card payments | $5,000 |
Petboost fee (1.4%) | $70 |
Subscription | $65 |
Total Petboost cost | $135 |
Effective rate | 2.7% |
Business Max at $20,000/month
If you process exactly $20,000/month:
Component | Amount |
Card payments | $20,000 |
Petboost fee (1.2%) | $240 |
Subscription (waived) | $0 |
Total Petboost cost | $240 |
Effective rate | 1.2% |
Pro Status Benefits
Beyond the subscription waiver, reaching Pro Status consistently demonstrates:
Strong business health — Regular card payment volume
Customer adoption — Customers using card payments
Automation success — Automatic Actions working effectively
Growth trajectory — Business scaling well
Related Articles
Billing Overview — Plan comparison and pricing
Payment Settings — Configure payment processing
Automatic Actions — Automate payment collection
Need help? Contact support or click the "Get Help" button in your dashboard to chat with our team.