Customers ask whether they can use Square, Tyro, Shift4 (formerly Smartpay), their bank's EFTPOS machine or PayPal instead of Stripe. Petboost processes card payments through Stripe only, and Stripe Connect is part of account set-up on Business Pro, Flex, Max and Enterprise. You can keep your own terminal for in-person payments and record those payments in Petboost. What you cannot do is connect that terminal to Petboost or run online booking payments through it.
What you're trying to do
You already take payments another way and want to keep doing so:
You own a Square, Tyro, Shift4 (formerly Smartpay) or bank EFTPOS terminal and have a rate you like
Your customers are used to tapping a card at the counter
You do not want to learn a new payment system or move your money to a new provider
What Petboost does offer
Stripe Connect for cards on file, automatic charging after the appointment, payment links, pre-authorisation for no-shows, branded receipts and Xero through a Stripe bank feed. Stripe Connect is required on every paid plan. The set-up takes about 5 to 8 minutes and needs photo ID, your ABN and your bank BSB and account number. See Connect Stripe.
Stripe card readers are the only card machines that connect to Petboost. New readers are the Stripe Reader S700, and a WisePOS E you already own keeps working. Each payment is recorded on the booking. See Card Reader Setup.
Other EFTPOS, Cash and Bank Transfer as payment methods on every appointment and sale, so a payment taken outside Stripe is still recorded against the booking.
What Petboost doesn't do
Connect a Square, Tyro, Shift4 (formerly Smartpay) or bank terminal to Petboost. Existing terminals cannot be paired
Process online booking payments, cards on file, payment links or no-show charges through any provider other than Stripe
Count payments taken on your own terminal toward the subscription fee waiver. Only Stripe payments count
Choose how to take payments at the counter
For card payments at the counter, we recommend a Stripe Reader S700 connected to Petboost. Petboost sends the amount to the reader, so nobody keys it in by hand, and records each payment on its booking, where it reconciles with your other Stripe payments. See Card Reader Setup.
Petboost is our own product, and we make money when you take card payments through it, on a card reader or online. Weigh this recommendation with that in mind.
You can keep your own terminal for the counter instead. Complete Stripe Connect during set-up: it is required for online booking, cards on file and payment links, and it runs alongside your terminal rather than replacing it. Then take walk-in and counter payments on your own terminal as normal, and record each one on its booking.
Record a payment taken on your own terminal
Do this after the customer has paid on your own terminal, so the booking shows it is paid and how.
Open Appointments and select the booking.
Under Payment Method, choose Other EFTPOS.
Select the amount and Mark as Paid.
The invoice is marked paid and the booking shows how it was paid. For a customer who pays in cash, choose Cash and select the amount and Paid by Cash. For a bank transfer, choose Bank Transfer and select Request bank transfer, then select Mark paid by bank transfer when the money arrives. See Bank transfer payment confirmation.
The trade-off
Payments on your own terminal sit outside Petboost's automation. You mark each one paid yourself, they do not flow to Xero through the Stripe feed, they cannot be pre-authorised for no-shows, and they do not count toward the subscription fee waiver. Anything through Stripe is matched to the booking automatically and reconciles in one place.
You can keep your own terminal on any plan. Payments taken on it carry no Petboost fee and do not count toward the subscription waiver. To compare the plans, see Billing.
Common questions
Do I have to use Stripe for every payment once it is connected?
No. Stripe Connect is required, but you choose the payment method on each appointment. The saved card, Secure Payment Link and Card Reader go through Stripe. Other EFTPOS, Cash and Bank Transfer do not.
Can I avoid Stripe's processing fee on counter payments?
Yes, by taking them on your own terminal, where your bank's rate applies, or as cash or bank transfer, which carry no processing fee. Those payments are recorded in Petboost, and you reconcile them yourself.
Will my accountant have two sets of records?
Stripe payments reconcile through your accounting software's Stripe connection. Payments on your own terminal appear on that terminal's statement, so they are matched to Petboost invoices by hand at tax time.
Can I pass Stripe's fee on to the customer instead?
No. The Reserve Bank of Australia's surcharging ban applies from 1 October 2026, and Petboost no longer adds a card fee line to invoices. See Build fees into your prices.
Related articles
Payment Settings: fees, bank transfer details, Stripe Terminal, and the Stripe and external terminal comparison
Card Reader Setup: Stripe card readers