A bundle pricing strategy for a pet business is simpler than the retail version: put the service clients always book next to the extra they only sometimes add, and charge less for the pair than for the parts.
The discount is only the lever. The extra is what you are after. Our look at the economics of add-on services has the numbers behind that. A client who books a Full Groom and adds nails 1 visit in 3 is worth more to you, and gets a better result for their dog, if nails are simply part of what they book.
Where we stand. Petboost is our product and the setup steps below are for it, so weigh them accordingly. The pricing logic works in any booking system.
What bundle pricing is
Bundle pricing means selling 2 or more services as one item at one price. The client sees the usual total, the bundle price and the difference. Fast food meals and phone plans work this way; so does a groom with nails done.
For a service business it does 2 jobs. It lifts the average booking, because the extra comes along more often. And it makes the decision easier, because the client picks 1 tile instead of reading a list of extras.
Step 1: pick the pair clients already book
Look at your last few months of bookings and find the extra that turns up on some of them but not most. That is your bundle candidate. An extra nobody ever adds will not sell because it has a price cut, and one nearly everyone adds does not need a bundle at all. If you have not offered extras yet, start with how to sell add-on services.
Good pairs by vertical:
- Grooming: Full Groom with Nail Clip, Teeth Clean or a de-shed treatment
- Daycare: Daycare Day with a Bath before pick-up
- Walking and sitting: Solo Walk with a Feed & Water Visit, for clients who work late
- Training: a private lesson with a follow-up check-in
Keep it to 2 services where you can. A 3-part bundle is harder to price and harder to read on a phone.
Step 2: set the price against the usual total
Start from the usual price of each part for one pet and add them up. The bundle price sits below that total. How far below is your call; what matters is that the saving is big enough to notice and small enough that the extra still earns you something.
A useful check: the saving should be no more than the margin on the extra. If a Nail Clip costs you 10 minutes and you charge $20 for it, giving away $10 of it still leaves you paid for the time, and the client now books it every visit.
Here are the same 3 examples Petboost uses on its own screens:
| Bundle | Usual price for one pet | Bundle price | Client saves |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Groom + Nail Clip | $105 | $95 | $10 |
| Daycare Day + Bath | $80 | $70 | $10 |
| Solo Walk + Feed & Water Visit | $52 | $45 | $7 |
The prices are examples. Use your own.
Step 3: show the saving, not the percentage
"Save $10" beats "10% off" on a service. Clients compare dollars, and a round dollar saving is easier to say at the counter as well.
In Petboost each tile on Bundles shows the services, the bundle price as a flat rate, a green Save badge and the usual price for one pet. If a service in it is priced "from", archived or has its price hidden, the tile says Usual price varies, and if the bundle is not cheaper it says No saving. Both are worth fixing before you share it.
Step 4: put it where clients book
A bundle nobody sees is a price list entry. To create one:
- Open Bundles under What you sell and select New bundle.
- Under Services in the bundle, choose 2 to 10 services.
- Enter the Price for the bundle. The dialog shows Usual price and Customers save.
- Check Name customers see, then select Create bundle.
The bundle applies by itself when a pet's booking has all of its services. It shows as a tile on your booking form when it applies automatically, is for Everyone, and has no limit or condition other than weekdays, times of day and visit dates. Add a limit, a minimum spend or a first-time-only rule and it still applies at the review step, but the tile goes.
A live bundle also has a booking link that opens your booking page with its services already picked. That link is the one to put in a post or a reminder.
When a bundle is the wrong tool
Some offers fit another kind of deal better:
- Several extras, any combination: use Book more, save more, such as Pamper extras at any 2 for $25 or 3 for $35. It counts the services in one pet's booking, so it suits extras rather than a multi-dog household
- A thank-you on a service you want to push: a Free extra, such as a Nail Trim added at $0 to a Full Groom
- Boarding: a stay cannot go in a bundle, because its price moves with the nights. Use long-stay discounts or a pack instead
- Prepaid visits over months: that is a pack or a membership, not a bundle
Frequently asked questions
What is bundle pricing?
Selling 2 or more services together for one price that is lower than their usual prices added up. The client sees the saving and books the set.
How much should a bundle save the client?
Enough to notice and no more than the margin on the extra. On the examples above, that is $7 to $10 on a pair.
Does a bundle work for 2 dogs in one booking?
Each pet's booking is checked on its own, and the usual price shown is for one pet. Each dog that has every service in the bundle gets it.
Can a bundle include a boarding stay?
No. A stay's price changes with the nights, so it cannot be part of a bundle or a book more, save more deal.
Will a bundle change bookings already made?
No. A paid or finished booking is never repriced, and changing a bundle never reprices a booking that used it.
Every bundle setting is in the Petboost Academy guide to Discounts & Deals, and the Discounts & Deals page shows it working.