Common questions about creating, managing and using packages. Prepaid packages can make up over 60% of dog daycare revenue, so knowing how they behave is worth the time.

General questions

Can customers combine multiple packages?

Yes. Customers can buy more than one package, and the credits of each are tracked separately. When booking, they choose which package to use if more than one has credits for the same service.

How many services can a package include?

A package can include one service or several. You choose how the credits are split under Credit Allocation, on Services & Quantity when you create the package and on Basic Info once it is saved: Shared pool puts every service on one pool of credits, and Per service gives each service its own capped credits. A "Dog Walking 5-Pack" with one service can only be used for dog walking appointments.

Can a package cover multiple service types?

Yes. Add each service to the package, then choose the credit split under Credit Allocation. To stop a customer spending a grooming credit on a daycare booking, choose Per service and set a credit count for each service. With Shared pool, any credit covers any service in the package.

To sell a "complete care bundle", add daycare and grooming to one package and choose Per service, for example 10 daycare credits and 5 grooming credits.

Do package credits expire?

No. Once bought, credits stay on the customer's account until they are used, and most customers use them quickly because they have already paid for them.

If your business wants time-limited packages, such as "use within 12 months", manage it by hand:

1. Note the purchase date on the customer's profile
2. Contact customers as their informal expiry approaches
3. Use Adjust Balance to remove lapsed credits if needed

Can I edit a package after it has been purchased?

Yes, with one distinction:

• You can change the package itself, such as its name, price, number of credits or self-service setting, at any time from Packages with Manage
• Changes only affect future purchases. Balances, prices and credit counts customers already hold are not altered

For example, if you raise your "10-Pack Daycare" from $250 to $280, customers who already bought it at $250 keep their credits and price, and only new purchases use the new price.

To change one customer's existing balance, see How do I correct a package credit balance if it's wrong?

Pricing & discounts

What's a good discount percentage for packages?

Most businesses offer 15% to 30% off for packages, rising with the size of the pack:

• 5-pack: 10% to 15% off
• 10-pack: 20% to 25% off
• 20-pack: 25% to 30% off

How does the value analysis help me price packages?

Customer Savings, on Pricing & Settings in the create wizard and on a saved package's Basic Info, works out:

• Regular Price: what the same sessions cost booked one at a time
• Package Price: what the customer pays for the package
• Customer Saves: the saving as an amount and a percentage off
• The savings per session

Use it to try different prices and find one that makes the package worth buying while you keep your margin. It appears for a shared pool only.

How do I set up a package with a discount?

The discount is built into the package price.

1. Open Packages, select Add New, then New Package.
2. On Services & Quantity, choose the service, for example a Full Groom at $80 a session.
3. Set Number of Sessions, for example 10.
4. On Pricing & Settings, set the Package Price below the regular price, for example $640 instead of $800.
5. Read Customer Savings: a Regular Price of $800, Customer Saves $160 (20% off), and $16 savings per session.
6. On Review & Publish, select Create Package.

Customer usage

How do customers know they have package credits?

Customers can see their package balances in three places:

1. Their account in the pet owner app, which shows every active package, the credits left and a stamp for each credit
2. The booking flow, which offers their package credits when they book a service the package covers
3. Email receipts, where each package purchase shows the credits added

Can customers use package credits for any appointment?

Only for a service the package includes. For example, credits from a "Dog Walking 5-Pack" can only be used for dog walking appointments. On a Per service package, each service draws only on its own credits.

What happens if a customer cancels an appointment they paid for with a package credit?

Inside your notice period: the credit goes back to their package on its own, with nothing for your team to do.

After your notice period: when your team cancels, Retain package credits is selected by default and returns the credit. Choose Forfeit package credits to leave it used.

This keeps the rule consistent, and customers can see what happened to each credit in their history.

Can family members share package credits?

Yes. Package balances are held on the pet owner's account, so an eligible pet linked to that account can use the credits for a service the package covers.

1. Sell the package to the customer's account
2. Book an eligible pet on the same account
3. Redeem the credit for a service the package covers
4. The balance is shared at account level, while each use stays linked to its appointment

For example, the Smith family has Max, Bella and Charlie and buys a 20-pack of daycare. All three dogs can use it, and the history shows which pet used each credit.

Keep in mind:

• The pets must belong to the same pet owner account
• The package's service must be one the pet can book
• The history records the pet each credit was used for
• The family sees one balance, with the use of each pet recorded underneath

Booking & appointments

How do I apply package credits at the time of booking?

1. Open Appointments, select New, then Appointment.
2. Choose the customer, the pet and a service the package covers.
3. Open the purple Package Credit Available badge beside Services for the pet. It lists each package with the credits left.
4. Select Redeem on the package. The service then reads Selected.
5. Finish the booking as normal.

The credit is taken when the booking is saved, with no price to adjust by hand.

If the badge does not appear, check that:

• The service is one the package covers, exactly
• The customer has credits left
• The package is not awaiting payment
• The booking is not part of a recurring series. The badge is disabled for a series; redeem the credits once the series is set up

How do I add a package to an existing appointment?

A booking made before the customer bought the package can still take a credit.

1. Open the booking from Appointments.
2. On the Appointment tab, find Package credits available and select Use Credit.
3. In Use Package Credit?, check what will change, then select Use Package Credit.

To put credits on several bookings at once, open the customer's Packages tab and select the Magic Apply button. It covers future bookings and past ones whose invoice is unpaid, and a booking in a recurring series becomes a standalone booking when a credit goes on it.

If no credit is offered, the booking's service is not one the package covers. Cancelling and rebooking only helps when you rebook it as a service the package does cover.

What happens to package credits if a customer cancels an appointment?

It depends on your cancellation policy.

Cancellation inside the notice period:

• The credit goes back to the customer's balance on its own
• Nothing is needed from your team
• The stamp card shows the credit as available again

Late cancellation, after the notice period:

• When your team cancels, the form asks What happens to the customer's package credits? Retain package credits is selected by default and returns the credit. Choose Forfeit package credits to leave it used
• The choice is logged in the package history, and a forfeited credit shows a Forfeited badge
• Customers cannot cancel a package booking online after the notice period. The pet owner app asks them to contact you. A customer who cancels by replying Y to the late cancellation fee text loses the credit

No-show:

• Mark as No Show returns the credit to the customer's balance
• To take the credit, lower the balance with Adjust Balance on the customer's package card

To set your notice period, open Settings, then Policies & Paperwork, and set Change & Cancellation Notice Period.

Self-service & staff-only

When should I enable self-service purchase?

Turn on self-service for:

• Standard packages you want every customer to find
• Packages that bring repeat revenue
• Services you actively promote
• Packages with straightforward pricing

Keep a package staff-only for:

• Introductory or promotional offers
• VIP or premium packages for some customers
• Packages that need a conversation before they are sold
• Seasonal or limited-time offers you want to control

Can I switch a package from staff-only to self-service later?

Yes, at any time, and the change takes effect as soon as you publish it.

1. Open Packages and select Manage on the package.
2. Choose Settings and switch Self-Service Purchase on or off.
3. Select Publish Changes, tick the box in Before You Publish, then select Publish Changes.

Switching it on puts the package on your booking page. Switching it off takes it down, and credits customers already hold stay valid.

Package archiving

How do I archive a package I no longer want to sell?

Archiving hides a package from new purchases and keeps every customer's credits.

1. Open Packages and select Manage on the package.
2. In Package Summary, or Share purchase link & details on a narrow screen, select Archive Package.
3. If the dialog offers a choice, keep Archive, marked Recommended. Tick the box that confirms you understand, then select Archive Package.

When a package has no linked data, the same dialog also offers Permanently Delete.

When you archive a package:

• It is hidden from the list until you choose Archived under Filters, Status
• Pet owners can no longer buy it, online or from your team
• Customers with credits can still redeem them at appointments
• It shows an Archived badge wherever it appears

How do I restore (unarchive) a package?

1. Open Packages, open Filters and choose Archived under Status.
2. Select Manage on the archived package.
3. In Package Summary, select Restore Package.

The package can be bought again straight away.

Can I permanently delete a package instead of archiving?

Sometimes. When you select Archive Package on a package with no linked data, the dialog offers Permanently Delete beside Archive. On a package that is already archived, the footer link reads Delete Package.

1. Open the package and select Archive Package, or Delete Package on an archived package.
2. Choose Permanently Delete.
3. Type DELETE, tick I understand this action cannot be undone, then select Delete Package.

Where do I find my archived packages?

Archived packages are hidden from the list by default.

1. Open Packages.
2. Open Filters and choose Archived under Status, or All to see both.

An Archived Only chip shows while the filter is on, and each archived package carries an Archived badge.

Staff operations

How do staff purchase packages for customers?

1. Open Customers & Pets and select Manage on one of the customer's pets.
2. Open the Wallet tab, then Packages, and select New. With no packages yet, the button reads Purchase Package.
3. Under Select Package, choose the package.
4. Choose the Payment Method: the card on file, shown by its brand, Card Reader, Secure Payment Link, Bank Transfer, Cash, Complimentary (no charge) or Other EFTPOS.
5. Select the purchase button, such as Purchase on Card Reader, then confirm.

Credits paid at the counter are on the account straight away. A payment link or bank transfer purchase shows Awaiting Payment until it is paid.

How do I track which customers have purchased packages?

Open a customer's profile from Customers & Pets and choose Packages on the Wallet tab to see:

• Every active package with the credits left
• A stamp for each credit, used or available
• Purchase dates and package details
• The full history of the package

Can I see which customers have active packages?

Yes, from each customer's profile.

1. Open Customers & Pets and select Manage on one of the customer's pets.
2. Open the Wallet tab. The badge on Packages shows how many active packages the customer has.
3. Choose Packages. Packages with credits left are open at the top, and fully used ones are folded at the bottom.

What to look for:

• The badge on Packages, the number of active packages
• 4 of 5 remaining, the exact credits on each package
• The stamps, one per credit, marked used or available

How do I track package usage and remaining credits?

For one customer:

1. Open Customers & Pets, the customer's profile, then Packages on the Wallet tab.
2. Each package card shows its stamps, used and available.
3. Select View Transaction History (History on a wide screen) for every purchase, redemption and returned credit.

On each card:

• 7 of 10 remaining shows the exact count
• Show dates adds the date each credit was used
• Point at a used stamp to see the date and time of its appointment

To find low balances, check the remaining count on each card. Mission Control lists booked pets with low or empty packages under Low Package Balance and Packages Depleted.

Do packages work with online booking?

Yes. When self-service is on, customers can:

1. Buy packages in the pet owner app
2. See their package balances in their account
3. Spend package credits when they book online

It runs without your team: a customer can buy a 10-pack at 2am and book their first appointment straight away.

Can package credits be shared between pets in the same family?

Yes. Package balances are held on the pet owner account, so eligible pets on that account can use credits for a service the package covers.

• Sell the package to the customer's account
• Book an eligible pet on the same account
• Redeem the credit for a service the package covers
• The history records which pet used each credit

For example, a family with Max and Bella buys a 20-pack of daycare. Both dogs can use it, and the history shows which pet used each credit.

Why can't my one-dog customer see the 2-dog pack?

The package has Minimum pets set to 2, in its Settings. Accounts with fewer active pets do not see it on your booking page, and your team cannot sell it from the profile until a second pet is added. Turn Minimum pets off to open the package to every household. Existing balances are never affected by the setting.

How many credits should a 2-dog pack have?

Each pet's visit uses one credit, so a 10-visit pack for two dogs needs 20 credits, or it lasts five visits. The package form warns when the credit count does not divide by the number of pets. Make the 2-dog version, on a saved package, builds the two-dog copy with the credits and price doubled, ready to discount.

Can I sell a cheaper walk pack for the second dog only?

Not as a pack that applies only to the second dog. Package balances belong to the customer account, so any eligible pet on the account can redeem a credit, and a cheap "additional dog" pack can be used for the first dog too. Set Minimum pets to 2 so only two-dog households can buy it, and price it as a two-dog walk pack at the blended rate.

Is there an auto top-up feature?

No. Petboost does not buy packages automatically. Each package purchase is a single payment.

When a package has two credits or fewer, its card shows Low Package Balance, Last Credit or No Credits Left. In the pet owner app, if you sell packages online, the customer can select Top up this pack to buy it again. In Mission Control, Low Package Balance and Packages Depleted cards have a Top Up Package button for your team.

For credits that renew and bill automatically, use a membership. See Memberships Overview.

How are package credits applied during booking?

1. Choose a service the package covers on the booking.
2. Petboost finds the customer's credits for it.
3. Open the purple Package Credit Available badge beside Services for the pet to see each package and its balance.
4. Select Redeem on the package.
5. One credit is taken from the balance when the booking is saved.

Petboost never offers credits for a service the package does not include.

How do I correct a package credit balance if it's wrong?

You can fix most balance problems in Petboost:

• Accidental charge or double purchase: use Refund on the package card (see How do I handle a customer wanting a refund?) to refund the payment and remove the credits in one step.
• Accidental use: cancel the appointment. The credit comes back when it is cancelled inside your notice period.
• Manual correction: use Adjust Balance to set the credits left (see How do I manually adjust a customer's package credit balance? below).
• Promotional credits: use Adjust Balance to add free credits as a goodwill gesture without a new purchase.

How do I manually adjust a customer's package credit balance?

Your team can set the remaining credits on any customer's package card without a payment or a refund. Use it to correct a mistake, add goodwill credits, remove lapsed credits, or change whether that card is a shared pool or per service.

Publishing a change to the package you sell does not rewrite cards customers already hold. Use Adjust Balance on that customer's card when their balance needs to match.

1. Open Customers & Pets and select Manage on one of the customer's pets.
2. Open the Wallet tab, then Packages.
3. On the package card, select Adjust Balance.
4. Choose Shared pool or Per service.
5. Set the remaining credits. For a shared pool, set the one total under Remaining credits. For per service, set the credits left on each service. Used credits stay on their service and cannot be removed from the card.
6. Fill in Reason (required). It is recorded in the transaction history when the remaining credits change, and your team can see it.
7. Tick I understand this changes this customer's existing package. If they bought the package more than once, the box reads that remaining credits update across every purchase.
8. Select Update Balance.

Keep in mind:

• No payment is charged when the credits go up.
• No refund is issued when the credits go down. If the customer is owed money, use Refund instead.
• The customer sees the change in their account.
• If the same package was bought more than once, Adjust Balance sets the combined credits left, shown as Current remaining (all purchases), rather than one purchase card on its own.
• A service that already has used credits cannot be dropped from a per-service card.

Common reasons:

• Goodwill credit: add credits after a service issue
• Match a package change: after you switch the package you sell between Shared pool and Per service, update this customer's card if it should match
• Lapsed credits: set the remaining credits to 0
• Duplicate entry: reduce credits that were added by mistake

Credit management & adjustments

My customer has old package credits from when we first started - how do I zero them?

If a customer has old credits that are no longer valid, such as from a trial, an old promotion or a mistake during setup, remove them with Adjust Balance.

1. Open the customer's profile, then Packages on the Wallet tab.
2. Find the package card with the old credits and note the current balance.
3. Select Adjust Balance on the card.
4. Set the remaining credits to 0.
5. Enter a reason, such as "Old credits from setup, no longer valid".
6. Tick the confirmation box.
7. Select Update Balance.

How do I handle a customer wanting a refund on unused package credits?

Refund, on the package card, handles the Stripe refund and the credit change in one step, with no need for the Stripe Dashboard or support.

1. Open Customers & Pets and select Manage on one of the customer's pets.
2. Open the Wallet tab, then Packages.
3. Find the card for the purchase you want to refund. If the customer bought the same package more than once, each purchase is a separate card.
4. Select Refund on the card to open Refund Package.
5. Check the breakdown of the purchase amount, the credits used, the credits left and the Maximum refundable.
6. Enter the Refund amount, which starts at the maximum refundable.
7. Choose Keep remaining or Remove remaining credits, and add a reason if you want one.
8. Select Confirm Refund.

What happens next:

• If the customer paid by card, on the card on file, the card reader or a payment link, the refund goes to their original payment method through Stripe, and Petboost's application fee is reversed automatically.
• If the customer paid by cash or bank transfer, no Stripe refund is issued. The credits are updated, and you return the money the same way yourself.
• The package balance updates straight away.

Common cases:

• Accidental double purchase: refund the second purchase in full and remove its credits.
• Partial refund for unused credits: enter the amount for the unused credits and remove the remaining credits.
• Full refund, credits kept as goodwill: refund the full amount and choose to keep the remaining credits.

Before you refund:

• Check your terms and conditions for your package refund policy
• For a cash or bank transfer purchase, return the money through the same channel after you update the credits in Petboost
• A clear package refund policy in your terms and conditions prevents disputes

Related FAQs from other sections

These FAQs from other guides may also help:

• How do payment processing fees work?
• Do multi-pet discounts work with packages?
• How does Petboost prevent no-shows and missed payments?

Related articles

• Getting Started with Packages: create and configure packages
• Customer Package Balances: track a customer's credits
• Using Packages in Appointments: spend credits on bookings

Need help? Contact support or select Get Help in your dashboard to chat with our team.