Payment Processing

An invoice can be changed until it is paid. Finalise Invoice moves the appointment to Ready to Pay, and a payment moves it to Paid. A card payment that fails leaves it Payment Declined until a retry succeeds, a refund makes it Refund Granted or Partially Refunded, and voiding an unpaid invoice makes it Invoice Amount Void.

Change an invoice line

Each pet has its own lines on the invoice: the service, the quantity, the price, the discount and the line total.

1. Open Appointments and select the booking.
2. On the Invoice, change a quantity with - and +, the price, or the Discount.
3. Under Notify customer?, choose Send notification or Update silently.
4. Select Save Changes.

You can change the lines in every status except Paid, Cancelled and Refund Granted, including after the invoice is finalised. Discount takes a whole percentage from 0 to 100. A fixed-dollar discount only comes from a membership benefit, so for a fixed amount off, lower the price instead. The quantity of a pet's main service cannot be changed.

The appointment page has no control to swap a line for another service. To change the service, select Manage, then Edit, and change it in Services for. See Using the Booking Form.

Remove several lines at once

1. Open Appointments and select the booking.
2. Turn Edit on in the invoice.
3. Tick the lines to remove, then select Mark for Removal.
4. Choose Send notification or Update silently, then save.

Each pet must keep at least one service. If a pet would have none left, set that service's price to $0 instead, or remove the pet from the booking.

Add an item to the invoice

Add products such as food, toys and accessories, an add-on, or a fee or surcharge.

1. Open Appointments and select the booking.
2. On the Invoice, select Add Item for the pet.
3. Choose a service from your list, a product, or type a custom item with its name and price.

The item is added to the invoice. Petboost has no tip field. Do not add a tip as a line item: it would count towards the GST and, when the customer pays the processing fees, towards the surcharge.

Add Item is a charge only. It does not create a time on the calendar or a Trips stop. If the item is a mobile pick-up, a taxi or another timed service that should appear on the calendar or the run, select Manage, then Edit, and add it in Services for instead.

Redeem a package credit on a line

If the owner has a package with uses left, you can spend one credit on a line, and the line's price becomes $0.00.

1. Open Appointments and select the booking.
2. On the Invoice, select Add Item for the pet.
3. Choose the package service from the list.
4. On Redeem Package Credit, select Redeem Credit.

The line shows Redeem 1x Package Credit. On a recurring visit, the credit applies to this visit only and detaches the appointment from the series.

Invoice totals

The invoice shows:

• Subtotal (excl. GST): all items before tax
• GST (10% included): the tax inside the prices
• Total (incl. GST): what the customer pays

A multi-pet discount applies by itself when you have set one.

Add a message to the invoice

A message shows on the invoice PDF, in the email and in the customer's portal. Use it for a thank you, special instructions, a reminder about the next visit or an offer.

1. Open Appointments and select the booking.
2. On the Invoice, type in Add a Message to the Invoice....
3. Select Attach Message to Invoice.

Take a payment

Petboost takes secure payments through Stripe. Three methods collect payment with little or no work from you: a card on file that is charged after each service, a payment link texted to the customer, and a Stripe card reader at the counter. You can also pre-authorise a card for no-show protection, and take cash or a bank transfer for customers who prefer to pay that way.

All payments come with a branded invoice with your logo, colours and ABN. For your accounting, connect Xero's Stripe bank feed in Xero and your card payments reach Xero each day. Cash and bank transfers are entered in Xero by hand.

Under Payment Method on the invoice, choose one of:

Charge the card on file

The card on file is the quickest method: nothing to type, a declined charge can be retried, and it works with Automatic Actions.

1. Open Appointments and select the booking.
2. Under Payment Method, choose the saved card. It shows the card's brand, last four digits and expiry.
3. Select the amount and Charge Card on File.
4. In Confirm Card Payment, select the amount and Charge Card on File again.

The payment goes through straight away, and Petboost emails the customer a receipt if Email the customer: booking updates is on. The card must be valid, not expired, and have the funds. The charge is offered once the appointment has started, or when it is Ready to Review, Ready to Pay or Payment Declined, and only while there is a balance to pay. To retry a declined charge, select Retry Charging Card in the invoice's Manage menu.

Take cash

Cash suits walk-in customers, customers with no card on file, and places that prefer cash.

1. Open Appointments and select the booking.
2. Under Payment Method, choose Cash.
3. Select the amount and Paid by Cash.
4. Optional: print a receipt.

Petboost cannot refund cash for you: return the money yourself.

Record a payment on your own terminal

1. Open Appointments and select the booking.
2. Under Payment Method, choose Other EFTPOS.
3. Select the amount and Mark as Paid.

If the booking is still Pending, Petboost asks you to confirm in Mark as paid first. Petboost has no separate option for a payment made elsewhere: use Other EFTPOS for your own terminal. For a visit you are not charging for, use Void Invoice once the invoice is Ready to Pay.

Request a bank transfer

A bank transfer suits large invoices, corporate clients, customers who prefer transfers and international payments. It needs you to check the transfer has arrived.

1. Open Appointments and select the booking.
2. Under Payment Method, choose Bank Transfer.
3. Select the amount and Request bank transfer.
4. When the money arrives, select the amount and Mark paid by bank transfer.

Request bank transfer emails the customer the invoice with your bank details, and the invoice number is the reference they quote. It marks the appointment as awaiting payment, not paid. Afterwards you can Download updated PDF invoice or Resend bank transfer request.

Take a card reader payment

You need a Stripe card reader connected to your Petboost account and to the internet over Wi-Fi. It takes Visa, Mastercard, American Express and eftpos cards, and mobile wallets, by tap or chip.

1. Open Appointments and select the booking.
2. Under Payment Method, choose Card Reader.
3. Select the amount and Take in-person Payment.
4. The customer taps or inserts their card.

Petboost marks the appointment paid when Terminal Payment shows Payment Complete. For a receipt, select Download Receipt. If the reader freezes, the customer changes their mind, the amount is wrong or you need another method, select Cancel Reader Action in the payment dialog: the reader goes back to ready, and you can choose another method or try the reader again. For setting up a reader, see Card Reader Setup.

Send a payment link

A payment link suits customers with no card on file, one-off purchases such as packages, products and services, and taking payment remotely. The customer pays on their own device, on a secure page hosted by Stripe, and Petboost marks the appointment paid when the payment comes in. The customer needs a phone number on file, and your business needs the Business Pro, Business Flex or Business Max plan.

1. Open Appointments and select the booking.
2. Under Payment Method, choose Secure Payment Link.
3. Under Deliver Link By, choose SMS, then select the amount and Send by SMS.
4. In Send Payment Link by SMS, check the preview, then select Send Payment Link and the amount.

Email sends the link by email instead, and Copy Link gives you the link to share however you like, with no text sent. After the first text, the button reads Resend Payment Link by SMS and sends the same link again. Petboost emails the customer a receipt when they pay if Email the customer: booking updates is on.

The customer receives a text with your business name, what the payment is for, the link and the amount:

Hi [Customer Name], [Business Name] has sent you a secure payment link for [Description]:
https://buy.stripe.com/[link-id]

Amount: $X.XX
(no-reply)

The text ends in (no-reply) when your business has no active dedicated number.

The fees on a payment link:

• SMS Payment Fee: $0.30, added to the Petboost booking fee when Petboost texts a new link. It is not added for Email or Copy Link, or when the same link is sent again. It covers the text
• Petboost Platform Fee: 1.4% (Pro), 1.4% (Flex) or 1.2% (Max)
• Stripe Processing Fee: 1.7% + $0.30

Charge a pre-authorised hold

When Pre-hold funds is on, under Pricing & Payments, Petboost places a hold on the card on file 72 hours before the appointment. The hold reserves the money without charging it, which reduces no-shows and makes sure the money is there at checkout.

1. Open Appointments and select the booking.
2. Check Pre-authorisation ready and the time it is Held until.
3. When the service is finished, charge the card on file before that time. Petboost uses the hold for the charge.

If the booking is not charged in time, the hold is released back to the customer, and a cancelled booking releases it too. When the hold failed, the booking shows Pre-authorisation declined: select Retry Card Pre-auth in the invoice's Manage menu, or ask for another card. To let a hold go early, choose to release it and confirm Release hold in Release pre-authorisation?. The money is back on the card within 1 to 24 hours, depending on the card issuer.

Use the invoice's Manage menu

The invoice has its own Manage menu, separate from the one at the top of the page. It holds the money actions, and shows only what applies to the status and how the booking was paid.

1. Open Appointments and select the booking.
2. Select Manage on the Invoice.
3. Choose the action.

• Charge Card Now, or Retry Charging Card after a decline: charges the same card on file again, useful for a temporary problem such as low funds or a daily limit
• Take in-person payment: takes the payment on the card reader, for example when the card on file keeps failing
• Cancel Reader Action: stops a card reader payment that is waiting, so the reader is free for the next one
• Issue Refund: a full or partial refund to the original payment method
• Retry Card Pre-auth: tries the hold again when the first one failed, to check the card before the service
• Finalise Invoice: moves the appointment to Ready to Pay
• Preview Receipt: generates the receipt as a PDF to check before you share it
• Download Receipt: for a paid appointment, generates a fresh receipt PDF, which helps when an earlier receipt link has expired. Receipt links expire after 24 hours
• Download Bank Transfer PDF: after a bank transfer request, generates the invoice with your bank details, fresh each time
• Apply Package Credit and Refund Cancellation Fee, when they apply
• Un-mark as Paid & Re-process: for an appointment paid by Cash, Bank Transfer or Other EFTPOS, so you can take payment another way
• Void Invoice: sets every line to $0.00 without taking or returning any money
• Consolidate Future Payments: moves later visits' totals onto this invoice and sets those visits to $0.00
• View in Stripe: for a paid card payment

Refund a payment

Refund promptly once you have decided, record the reason, and tell the customer.

1. Open Appointments and select the paid booking.
2. Select Manage on the Invoice, then Issue Refund.
3. Under Refund Type, choose Full Refund or Partial Refund. For a partial refund, enter the Amount, up to the Maximum amount: shown.
4. Under Reason, choose Duplicate, Fraudulent, Requested by customer or Other. For Other, enter the specific reason.
5. Answer Notify customer?, or choose Refund silently.
6. Select Process Refund.

A card refund goes back to the original payment method straight away in Petboost, and how long it takes to reach the customer's account depends on their bank. Until then they may see it as pending on their statement. After a partial refund, the rest of the invoice stays paid. Cash, bank transfer and Other EFTPOS payments are not refunded through Petboost: use Un-mark as Paid & Re-process, or return the money yourself.

A partial refund suits a service that was only partly done, one pet of several cancelled, an adjustment for a problem, or a refund less a cancellation fee. After a refund the appointment reads Refund Granted for a full refund or Partially Refunded for a partial one. The Activity Log, the invoice and the receipt all show the refund.

Discounts

The Discount on an invoice line is a whole percentage, such as 10 or 25. It works out the amount for you and follows the price when the price changes. A fixed-dollar discount appears only from a membership benefit. A multi-pet discount applies by itself when you have set one.

Common uses:

• First-time customer: 10% to 20% off, with a note such as "Welcome! First visit discount"
• A service issue or complaint: a partial refund, or a discount on the next visit, with the reason in the notes
• Loyalty or packages: a discount code or percentage, with the package noted
• Staff, family and friends: 100% off, noted as staff or family

Automate payments

Automatic payment steps save manual status changes.

1. Open Automatic Actions.
2. Switch on the steps you want: Auto-start appointments, Auto-complete appointments, Auto-finalise appointments and Auto-pay invoices.
3. Select Publish Changes, tick the box in Before You Publish, then select Publish Changes. Switching on Auto-pay invoices adds a second tick, I understand & take responsibility.

A service can keep its own value on its Automatic Actions tab, under Manage on Services, and the service's value wins. The badge under each switch shows how many services use their own setting.

A common way to start is in three steps: first Instant confirmation and Pre-hold funds, then add Auto-start and Auto-complete, and finally all of them, for trusted customers and simple services.

Reconcile the day's payments

At the end of the day, settle what was taken against what the day was worth.

1. Open Reporting & Intelligence on Day View.
2. Read Expected, Collected and Outstanding, and the split under Payment Methods.

On Appointments, the Paid tab lists the paid appointments and their total, and an Owner Admin or Admin can export the calendar as a CSV for accounting. The Payment Declined tab lists failed payments to retry, chase or cancel: expired cards tend to show up monthly, low funds around weekends and month end, and a wrong security code or postcode from data entry. The Refund Granted and Partially Refunded tabs list refunds, so you can spot patterns such as service issues or cancellations.

Void an invoice

Void an invoice when no payment was taken and you want to close it without any money moving. Void Invoice is offered while the appointment is Ready to Pay or Payment Declined, and greyed out otherwise.

1. Open Appointments and select the booking.
2. Select Manage on the Invoice, then Void Invoice.
3. Confirm with Void Invoice.

Every line is set to $0.00, the appointment reads Invoice Amount Void, and no money moves.

Collect or retry a cancellation fee

When an appointment is cancelled with a cancellation fee, the fee may fail to charge because the card is declined, expired or missing. You can still collect it without waiving it and raising a new invoice, and without asking the customer to add a card first.

Failed fees show on Mission Control among the items needing attention, as a banner on the cancelled appointment, and in the invoice with the reason it failed: no card on file, a declined or expired card, low funds, or a processing error.

1. Open Appointments and select the cancelled booking.
2. Select Collect fee.
3. Choose Card on file to retry, Payment link to text a Stripe link, Cash, Bank transfer or Other EFTPOS.

The status updates by itself. If the retry fails again, ask the customer to add or update their card, consider waiving the fee if they are responsive, and note what happened in the appointment notes.

Un-mark as Paid & Re-process

If you marked a visit paid by Cash, Bank Transfer or Other EFTPOS by mistake, you can send it back to Ready to Pay. This is not available for card, payment link or card reader payments.

1. Open Appointments and select the paid booking.
2. Select Manage on the Invoice, then Un-mark as Paid & Re-process.
3. Tick the acknowledgement.
4. Select Confirm & Re-process.

The appointment becomes Ready to Pay, and you choose a payment method and take payment again. Un-mark as paid in the Manage menu at the top of the page does the same.

Delete a declined appointment

A Payment Declined appointment cannot be archived or deleted as it is. Void its invoice first, which makes it Invoice Amount Void, then delete it.

1. Open Appointments and select the booking you want to delete.
2. Select Manage on the Invoice, then Void Invoice, and confirm with Void Invoice.
3. Select Manage at the top of the page, then Delete Appointment.
4. Choose Permanently Delete, type DELETE, tick the box, then select Delete Appointment.

The invoice is set to $0, then the appointment is removed. This cannot be undone. A course booking is cancelled with Cancel Enrolment instead.

Consolidate future payments

You can prepay later visits by adding their lines to this appointment. Petboost then sets the selected future bookings to $0.00. This is not available for a recurring series with no end date.

1. Open Appointments and select the booking to charge now.
2. Select Manage on the Invoice, then Consolidate Future Payments.
3. Optional: select Select All or Deselect All, or tick individual dates.
4. Select Consolidate and the number of payments you ticked.

Record an additional sale

A sale made with New Additional Sale is separate from the appointment invoice and does not change the appointment's payment status.

1. Open Appointments and select the booking.
2. Under the invoice, select New Additional Sale.
3. Complete New Sale.

After you save, the sale appears under Additional Sales.

Take a deposit or send a card request

If a deposit is due and has not been taken, the appointment shows Deposit due and the amount.

1. Open Appointments and select the booking.
2. Find Deposit due.
3. If the owner has a card on file, select Take and the amount.
4. If they have no card but have a mobile number, select Send card request.

Send card request is hidden when the owner has no mobile number. Once the deposit is taken, the banner shows Deposit paid and the amount.

Staff can take a deposit by any method the business has set up. Open the method list on the deposit banner, or on the booking form when you create the appointment.

A pending booking is confirmed when the invoice comes to zero, or when you waive the hold.

Tips

• Check the total before you take payment, add an invoice message, and preview the receipt before you share it
• After a decline, retry once straight away in case it was temporary, retry again after 24 hours, and after two failures ask the customer for another card. Do not retry more than three times, as the bank may lock the card
• Keep customers' cards and contact details up to date, ask customers to update an expiring card, turn on Pre-hold funds to catch problems early, and check the payment method before a high-value service

Common issues

Card declined

Check with the customer, retry once, and ask for another card if it keeps failing.

Pre-authorisation failed

The card did not have enough available credit. Ask for another card, or select Retry Card Pre-auth.

Refund still pending

The refund has left Petboost. How long it takes to reach the customer depends on their bank, and they may see it as pending on their statement until then.

Customer disputes a charge

Provide the invoice PDF, the service notes and the receipt, and work with Stripe on the dispute.

Cannot change the invoice

A Paid, Cancelled or Refund Granted invoice cannot be changed. For a cash, bank transfer or Other EFTPOS payment, use Un-mark as Paid & Re-process first. Before payment, you can change the lines even after finalising.

Related FAQs

Have questions about payments? See these commonly asked questions:

• How do I resend payment information to a customer?
• Can I use my bank EFTPOS terminal instead of Stripe?
• How do payment processing fees work?
• What payment methods does Petboost support?
• What if a payment fails?
• What if a cancellation fee charge fails?
• Can I customise what appears on invoices?
• How does the payment system work step-by-step?
• How do I record an in-person payment so the saved card isn't charged?

What's next?

• Managing Appointments
• Recurring Appointments
• FAQ