If a customer cannot buy a package, cannot see one on your booking page, or the package will not apply to a booking, the cause is almost always one of six things: the service does not match, the balance is empty or not yet paid, the pet fails the service's eligibility, self-service purchase is off, the account has fewer pets than the package's Minimum pets, or the package was edited after it was bought.
Check the service match
Every package holds a fixed list of services its credits can be spent on, and a credit only applies to a booking of one of them. A "5-Pack Group Class" will not pay for a Private Session unless Private Session is also on the package, and "Grooming" and "Bath and Brush" are different services.
- Open Packages and select Manage on the package.
- Choose Services.
- Read Package Services. To add a service, select Manage, tick it, and select Done.
- Select Publish Changes, tick the box in Before You Publish, then select Publish Changes.
When you build a package, link every service you want it to cover. If you sell variations, such as a 30-minute and a 60-minute class, decide whether both belong in the same package or should be sold separately.
Check the balance
A balance can block a credit in three ways.
| State | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Credits left | Credits available | Nothing |
| 0 of 5 remaining | Fully used | Sell the customer a new package |
| Awaiting Payment | A payment link or bank transfer is unpaid | Wait for the customer to pay the link, or select Mark as Paid when the transfer arrives |
Awaiting Payment is the one that catches people out. A purchase sent as a payment link, or paid by bank transfer, shows Awaiting Payment on the package card, and its credits do not apply to bookings until it is paid. A payment link purchase activates when the customer pays the link. For a bank transfer, select Mark as Paid on the package card once the money arrives. Card purchases, including a customer buying online, are available straight away.
- Open Customers & Pets and select Manage on one of the customer's pets.
- Open the Wallet tab, then Packages, and read the package card.
Check the pet's eligibility for the service
A package cannot override a service's own eligibility rules. If the pet fails the rules on the service, such as a weight range, an age, a breed restriction or a required attribute like desexed only, the service cannot be booked, and the package has nothing to apply to. When you sell a package, the Purchase Package screen marks a package whose services this pet cannot book as Not Eligible.
Common causes are a weight range (the service is set to 10kg and the pet is 14kg), an age (a puppy too young for a vaccinated-only class), a breed restriction, or an attribute such as desexed-only daycare.
- Open Services, then Manage on the service and Manage Service.
- On Who Can Book, compare Weight Restrictions (kg), and under Advanced options the age and breed rules, with the pet's profile.
- Loosen the rule, or book the pet a different service.
Check self-service purchase and Minimum pets
Each package has a Self-Service Purchase switch in its Settings. When it is off, the package reads Staff Only: it is hidden from your booking page, and your team can still sell it from the customer's profile. If a customer says "I can't find the package you mentioned", this switch is usually the reason.
A package can also carry Minimum pets, 2 or more. Only customer accounts with at least that many active pets can buy it. Below the minimum the package is hidden from your booking page, and your team cannot sell it from the profile until a pet is added. The check runs when the package is bought: archiving a pet later never touches an existing balance, and any eligible pet on the account can still redeem it.
- Open Packages and select Manage on the package.
- Choose Settings.
- Switch Self-Service Purchase on to sell the package on your booking page.
- Switch Minimum pets on and set the number, or off to open the package to every household.
- Select Publish Changes, tick the box in Before You Publish, then select Publish Changes.
If a one-pet customer can see or has bought a two-pet pack, the package has no Minimum pets set. Turning it on does not change balances customers already hold.
Package edited after purchase
A change to a package, such as adding or removing services, changing the quantity or renaming it, only applies to new purchases. Existing balances keep the service list and quantity they were sold with.
This protects customers who bought in good faith. The trade-off is that two customers with the same package name can have different eligible services, because one bought before a change and one after. If a package used to apply and now does not, check the service list the customer's balance was sold with.
Troubleshooting flow
When a package will not apply, run these checks in order:
- Service match. Is the booking's service on the package's service list for this balance?
- Balance. Are there credits left, and is the purchase paid rather than Awaiting Payment?
- Pet eligibility. Does the pet meet the service's weight, age, breed and attribute rules?
- Self-service purchase. Can the customer see the package on your booking page? This affects buying, not redeeming.
- Minimum pets. Does the account have at least as many active pets as the package's Minimum pets? This affects buying, not redeeming.
- Edits after purchase. Was the package changed after this balance was sold?
Common scenarios
Why can't my client buy this package for Private Sessions?
The package's service list does not include Private Sessions. Add Private Sessions under the package's Services and publish the change. It applies to new purchases only, so existing customers need to buy the package again.
The package shows zero remaining when I know it's new
Check the package card for an Awaiting Payment badge. A payment link purchase activates when the customer pays the link. For a bank transfer, select Mark as Paid once the money arrives.
My customer can't see the package in their portal
The package's Self-Service Purchase switch is off. Turn it on in the package's Settings, or keep it hidden and sell it from the customer's profile.
The package used to apply and now it doesn't
The package was edited after the customer bought their balance. Existing balances keep their original service list. To cover a new service for an existing customer, sell them a new package.
Related articles
- Getting Started with Packages: create and configure packages, including the service list
- Using Packages in Appointments: spend credits on bookings
- Customer Package Balances: track and adjust a customer's credits
- Package FAQ: common questions answered
Still stuck? Contact support or select Get Help in your dashboard and we'll look at the specific balance with you.
