User Question: "Can I use Square (or Tyro, Smart Pay, my bank's EFTPOS machine, PayPal) instead of Stripe?"
Quick Version: Petboost processes card payments through Stripe only, and Stripe Connect is part of account setup 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, Smart Pay 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, SMS payment links, pre-authorisation for no-shows, branded receipts and Xero via Stripe Bank Feeds. Stripe Connect is required on every paid plan. The setup takes about 5 to 8 minutes and needs photo ID, your ABN and your bank BSB and account number. See Payment Settings.
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, Smart Pay 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.
What To Do Instead
Keep your terminal for the counter, use Stripe for everything else. This is how most businesses with an existing terminal run Petboost.
Complete Stripe Connect during setup. It is required for online booking, cards on file and payment links, and it runs alongside your terminal rather than replacing it.
For a walk-in or counter payment, process it on your own terminal as normal.
In Petboost, open the appointment, choose Other EFTPOS as the payment method and record the payment. The invoice is marked paid and the booking shows how it was paid.
For customers who pay in cash or by bank transfer, choose Cash or Bank Transfer the same way. Bank transfer has a Request Bank Transfer step and a Mark as Paid by Bank Transfer step. See Payment Settings.
The trade-off, stated plainly: payments on your own terminal sit outside Petboost's automation. You mark each one paid yourself, they do not flow to Xero through Stripe Bank Feeds, 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, receipted, and reconciles in one place.
If most of your in-person payments will stay on your own terminal, compare the plans in Billing: Business Flex is built for businesses that keep their own EFTPOS terminal alongside Stripe.
Common Questions
Q: Do I have to use Stripe for every payment once it is connected?
A: No. Stripe Connect is required, but you choose the payment method on each appointment. Card on file, payment link and Stripe Terminal go through Stripe; Other EFTPOS, Cash and Bank Transfer do not.
Q: Can I avoid Stripe's processing fee on counter payments?
A: Yes, by taking them on your own terminal (your bank's rate applies) or as cash or bank transfer (no processing fee). Those payments are recorded in Petboost but reconciled by you.
Q: Will my accountant have two sets of records?
A: Stripe payments reconcile through Stripe Bank Feeds. Payments on your own terminal appear on that terminal's statement, so they are matched to Petboost invoices by hand at tax time.
Q: Can I pass Stripe's fee on to the customer instead?
A: The Reserve Bank of Australia's surcharging ban applies from 1 October 2026. See Build fees into your prices before adding any fee line.
Related Articles
Payment Settings - fees, bank transfer details, Stripe Terminal, the Stripe vs external terminal comparison
Card Reader Setup - Stripe card readers