How to Manage Timesheets & Payroll (What Petboost Doesn't Do)
Customers ask whether Petboost can track staff timesheets and process payroll. Petboost manages when your team is scheduled and available, but it does not offer timesheets (clock in and clock out) or payroll processing. Use purpose-built payroll software alongside it.
What you're trying to do
You want to track the hours your team actually works and process payroll:
Clock in and clock out time tracking
Calculating wages from hours worked
Fortnightly or monthly pay runs
Tax withholding (PAYG)
Superannuation guarantee contributions (12% of qualifying earnings)
Leave accruals (annual, sick, long service)
Single Touch Payroll (STP) reporting to the ATO
Staff commission tracking and payouts
What Petboost does offer
Petboost manages when your team is scheduled and available, not when they actually worked:
What | Where |
Team member profiles: name, contact details, photo and role | Team Members in the sidebar |
Pets at a Time: how many pets a team member can have booked at the same moment, so nobody is overbooked | A team member's Capacity tab |
The services each team member performs. Magic Match in the booking form assigns someone who performs the service | A team member's Services tab |
Working hours: when each team member is available | A team member's Working Hours tab |
Special dates: different hours for a date or a range, such as public holidays, special events or seasonal schedules | Special Dates, then New special dates, on a team member's Working Hours tab or on Schedules & Sessions |
Time off, such as annual leave, sick leave and personal days, and the dates a team member cannot work | A team member's Leaves & Restrictions tab |
Who performed each service, from the Team Member on each booking | Every booking, and the appointments export |
What Petboost doesn't offer
Petboost does not include:
Clock in and clock out timesheets
Tracking of actual hours worked
Payroll processing
Wage calculations
Tax withholding (PAYG)
Superannuation calculations
Single Touch Payroll (STP) reporting
Staff commission tracking
Commission payout automation
Leave accrual calculations
Overtime calculations
Australian payroll is highly regulated: it takes Fair Work compliance, award interpretation, superannuation guarantee calculations, PAYG withholding, STP reporting to the ATO and leave accrual tracking, and the rules change often. Specialist payroll platforms such as Xero Payroll, Employment Hero and Deputy have teams dedicated to that compliance, so Petboost works alongside them rather than building its own.
Export who did each appointment
Do this to work out commission, or to check hours against the appointments each team member did.
Open Export Your Data.
On All Past Appointments, select Prepare Export.
When the export is ready, select Download CSV.
Each row is one service on one appointment, with its Team Member, Price and Grand Total. Calculate commission by your own rules, then enter the amounts in your payroll software as extra pay items.
Recommended alternatives
Use purpose-built payroll software alongside Petboost.
Option 1: Xero Payroll
Recommended if you already use Xero for accounting. Xero Payroll handles PAYG tax calculations, superannuation guarantee contributions, STP reporting to the ATO, leave accrual tracking (annual, sick, long service), weekly, fortnightly or monthly pay runs, and an employee app, Xero Me, where staff submit timesheets and request leave. It runs inside your Xero account.
Payroll is included in Xero's Australian plans, each for a set number of people. The plans and their prices are on Xero's pricing page.
To use it with Petboost:
Petboost holds your scheduled appointments and who is assigned to them.
Export your appointments to see which team member did which appointment.
Enter the hours in Xero Payroll, or have your team enter them through a timesheet.
Xero Payroll calculates wages, tax and super.
Process the pay run in Xero.
Xero reports STP to the ATO.
For example, a dog daycare with five staff could export last week's appointments from Petboost each Monday to see who worked which bookings, have staff submit their timesheets in Xero Me, and process the pay run in Xero, which calculates wages and super and lodges STP with the ATO.
It suits businesses already using Xero for accounting, with payroll and accounts in one Xero account. See Xero payroll.
Option 2: Employment Hero (HR and payroll)
Employment Hero covers payroll processing, award interpretation, STP reporting, employee onboarding, HR document management, performance reviews, an employee self-service portal, time and attendance tracking, leave management and superannuation fund integration.
Its plans and their prices are on Employment Hero's pricing page.
To use it with Petboost:
Run all payroll and HR in Employment Hero.
Export your Petboost appointments for commission calculations.
Your team clocks in and out in Employment Hero's app.
Process payroll in Employment Hero.
Petboost stays your system for bookings.
It suits businesses that want HR management and payroll in one platform. See employmenthero.com.
Option 3: Deputy (roster, timesheets and payroll integration)
Deputy covers roster planning and scheduling, time and attendance (clock in and out), timesheet management, award interpretation and break compliance monitoring. It exports timesheets to Xero Payroll and to Employment Hero Payroll, formerly KeyPay. Your team sees its shifts and clocks in on Deputy's app, and managers approve timesheets in Deputy.
Its plans and their prices are on Deputy's pricing page.
Deputy handles timesheets, and payroll is processed in Xero Payroll or Employment Hero Payroll.
To use it with Petboost:
Take client bookings and appointments in Petboost.
Roster your team and track their time in Deputy.
Your team clocks in and out in the Deputy app.
Export the timesheets from Deputy to Xero Payroll.
Process payroll in Xero.
It suits businesses that need detailed roster planning and time tracking with Xero Payroll. See deputy.com.
Option 4: Employment Hero Payroll (payroll for complex awards)
Employment Hero Payroll is Employment Hero's payroll product. It was called KeyPay until 6 March 2023, when the KeyPay name was retired. It covers advanced payroll processing, complex award interpretation, STP reporting, payroll across several states, leave management, superannuation integration, an API for custom integrations and employee self-service.
Its plans and their prices are on Employment Hero's pricing page.
To use it with Petboost:
Set up your employees in Employment Hero Payroll.
Export your Petboost appointments for commission calculations.
Your team enters hours in Employment Hero Payroll, or you import timesheets.
Process payroll in Employment Hero Payroll.
Employment Hero Payroll lodges STP.
It suits businesses with complex award requirements or operations across several states. See employmenthero.com.
Option 5: Manual payroll and an accountant
For a business with very few staff, under 3, that wants to keep software costs down:
Track staff hours by hand, in a spreadsheet or on paper.
Calculate wages from the award rates.
Give them to your accountant each month or fortnight.
Your accountant processes payroll and lodges STP.
Your accountant handles super contributions and tax.
Accountants set their own fees for payroll services, so ask for a quote. This suits very small businesses with 1 to 3 employees that want to outsource payroll completely. The limits: tracking by hand raises the risk of errors, payroll depends on your accountant's availability, and there is no employee self-service or live view of leave balances.
Example set-ups
These set-ups illustrate how a business might run payroll alongside Petboost. They are illustrations, not real businesses.
Example 1: A grooming business with three staff, on Xero Payroll
A grooming business pays three casual staff by the hour and already uses Xero for accounting. It uses Petboost for bookings and appointments, and Xero Payroll for pay.
Staff record their hours on a paper timesheet each week.
The manager enters the hours in Xero Payroll.
Xero calculates wages, tax and super.
The pay run is processed each fortnight.
Xero lodges STP with the ATO.
Example 2: A dog daycare with eight staff, on Employment Hero
A dog daycare with a growing team wants HR and payroll in one place, with employee onboarding and performance reviews. It uses Petboost for operations and Employment Hero for HR and payroll.
New staff are onboarded in Employment Hero, with contracts and tax declarations.
Staff clock in and out in Employment Hero's app.
The manager approves timesheets each week.
The fortnightly pay run is processed.
STP, super and leave accruals are handled in Employment Hero.
Performance reviews are tracked in Employment Hero.
Staff see their payslips and request leave in Employment Hero's employee self-service portal.
Example 3: A mobile groomer with two staff, with an accountant
A mobile grooming business wants as little software as possible, with an accountant handling payroll compliance. It uses Petboost for bookings, a spreadsheet for hours and an accountant for payroll.
Staff record their hours in Google Sheets.
The manager sends the timesheet to the accountant each week.
The accountant processes payroll and lodges STP.
Staff are paid by bank transfer.
The accountant handles all super and tax.
Frequently asked questions
Will Petboost add timesheets and payroll features?
Not in the near term. Australian payroll compliance is complex and changes often, across Fair Work, awards, superannuation rules and STP requirements, and building and maintaining compliant payroll software takes a dedicated team. Specialist platforms such as Xero Payroll, Employment Hero and Deputy do that, and Petboost works alongside them.
Can Petboost export staff appointment data for commission calculations?
Yes. Export your past appointments from Export Your Data, as in Export who did each appointment. Each row shows the team member who did the service and its price. Calculate commission by your own rules, then enter the amounts in your payroll system as extra pay items.
Do I legally need to use payroll software in Australia?
You do not legally need payroll software, but you do legally need to:
Pay staff according to Fair Work awards
Withhold PAYG tax and pay it to the ATO
Pay superannuation guarantee contributions: 12% of qualifying earnings, paid with each payday from 1 July 2026 (ATO: Payday Super)
Lodge Single Touch Payroll (STP) reports with the ATO
Track leave accruals
Payroll software makes this easier and reduces the risk of errors, and most accountants recommend it.
What if I have complex rostering needs, such as shift swaps and availability?
Consider Deputy for rostering and timesheets, then export to Xero Payroll for payroll. Deputy handles complex roster planning, with shift trading, availability management and staff communication.
Can Petboost handle payroll for me?
No. Payroll processing is outside what Petboost does, which is pet business operations: bookings, payments and pet records. Payroll is a specialised service that needs ongoing compliance expertise, so use Xero Payroll, Employment Hero or an accountant.
Next steps
To go ahead with Xero Payroll (Option 1):
Choose a plan that includes payroll for your team on Xero's pricing page, and sign up.
Set up your employee records.
Set up each employee's pay template.
Run your first pay run. Xero guides you through it.
Xero lodges STP for you.
To go ahead with Employment Hero (Option 2):
Request a demo at employmenthero.com.
Choose a plan on Employment Hero's pricing page.
Onboard your existing employees.
Set up timesheets and payroll settings.
Process your first pay run with their support team.
To go ahead with Deputy (Option 3):
Sign up at deputy.com.
Import your staff roster.
Set up time and attendance.
Connect Deputy to Xero Payroll or Employment Hero.
Start tracking staff hours.
To use an accountant (Option 5):
Find a local accountant with small business payroll experience.
Agree the pay run frequency and their fee.
Give them your staff details and award information.
Set up a regular way to send them timesheets.
Your accountant handles the compliance.
Related guides
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