What is a pre-authorisation hold?

A pre-authorisation temporarily "earmarks" funds on the customer’s card without actually charging them. The money remains in their account but cannot be spent elsewhere. Once you capture the payment, the hold converts to an actual charge. If you release the hold, the funds become available again.

When is the hold placed?

By default, Petboost places the hold 72 hours before the appointment. This can be configured per service to match your business needs.

What happens if the customer cancels?

If they cancel outside your cancellation policy window, the hold is released automatically. If they cancel inside the window (or no-show), you can capture the cancellation fee from the held funds.

Does the customer know their card is being held?

Yes. Petboost sends the customer a notification explaining the hold and the amount. Transparency is key to preventing disputes and building trust.

Can I use pre-authorisation without Auto-Pay?

Yes. Pre-authorisation and Auto-Pay are independent features. You can hold funds and then manually capture with one tap, or let Auto-Pay handle capture for you.

Payments & Revenue

Guarantee Every Booking. Hold Funds Before the Appointment Starts.

Pre-authorise your customer’s card 72 hours before their appointment so you are always protected against no-shows and last-minute cancellations.

Pre-authorisation puts an end to the no-show nightmare. Petboost automatically places a hold on the customer’s card before their appointment, guaranteeing funds are available. If they show up, you capture the payment instantly. If they do not, you are protected. It is the single most powerful tool for safeguarding your revenue.

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Sound Familiar?

No-shows cost pet businesses thousands every year. You block out time, turn away other customers, and then the client simply does not appear. You are left with an empty slot, lost revenue, and the uncomfortable decision of whether to charge a cancellation fee. Without pre-authorisation, you have no leverage and no protection.

The Petboost Solution

How Petboost helps

Petboost pre-authorisation automates fund holds so you never worry about no-shows again:

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Automatically hold funds on the customer’s card 72 hours before their appointment.

The hold guarantees the full appointment amount is available when you need to charge.

If the customer cancels within your policy window, capture the cancellation fee from the held funds.

Holds are automatically released if the customer cancels outside the policy window.

Customers are notified transparently about the hold, building trust and reducing disputes.

Works seamlessly with Auto-Pay: hold the funds, deliver the service, charge automatically.

Step by Step

How It Works

Customer books with a card on file

When the customer books (or already has a saved card), the system schedules a pre-authorisation hold.

Funds are held automatically

72 hours before the appointment, Petboost places a hold on the customer’s card for the full appointment amount. The customer is notified.

Service is delivered

You deliver the groom, walk, or daycare session knowing the payment is already secured.

Payment is captured

After the service, capture the held funds with one tap (or let Auto-Pay do it). If the customer no-showed, capture the cancellation fee.

Unused holds are released

If the appointment is cancelled within the free cancellation window, the hold is automatically released back to the customer’s card.

Why It Matters

Key Benefits

Eliminate no-show losses

Customers with held funds almost never no-show. And when they do, you are fully protected.

Protect your schedule

Every booked slot is backed by guaranteed funds. No more gambling on whether customers will turn up.

Automatic and hands-free

Holds are placed and released automatically. You do not need to do anything manually.

Fair and transparent

Customers receive clear notification about the hold and your cancellation policy. No surprises, no disputes.

Instant capture after service

Because funds are already held, payment capture is instant. No declined cards, no "insufficient funds" surprises.

Enforce cancellation policies

Charge cancellation fees confidently, knowing the funds are already secured on the customer’s card.

Trusted by Australian Pet Businesses

via G2

"I could tell immediately that Petboost was something unique"

"Best in market software for Pet Care industries. Support is amazing and the software is the best on market for pet industries. I've worked in software and marketing prior to owning my own pet care business, and could tell immediately that Petboost was something unique."

Hollywoof Walks

via G2

"The customer service is out of this world"

"You won't regret joining…it's the best. I own a dog daycare, grooming and training. I was using an American company for 6 years, which was ok but expensive, not a great system and to get any support took days. When I came to Petboost which is Ozzy owned I knew they were a small business but wanted to give them a go. I have been extremely impressed, the customer service is out of this world, they focus on what animal businesses actually need and listen to their clients. The pricing structure makes sense and is very affordable, it is very easy to use and navigate, and the way they have built the business reports and analytics is so impressive, easy to understand and personalised."

Sacha

My Dogs Daycare - QLD

via G2

"The automatic payments feature is a blessing"

"Streamlined Invoicing and Booking for Small Teams. I really like how much quicker and easier Petboost Business has become after the upgrades. The automatic payments feature is a blessing as it helps me not to stress, and the self-booking option for clients is amazing for my business! These features ease the mental load and reduce manual admin tasks, allowing me to focus on what I do best."

Fion Chen

Fion's Dog Training - NSW

via Capterra

"I no longer have to chase clients for late payments"

"Petboost has truly been a saving grace! As a platform that's actually all-in-one, it has streamlined so much, saving me time and reducing costs. One of the biggest time-savers has been the automated invoicing feature. I no longer have to chase clients for late payments or spend hours preparing invoices manually."

Camille Hartnett

Trail Sniffers - NSW

via Capterra

"I haven't had a single missed payment or no-show"

"Just try it, you won't look back. The moment I turned Petboost on for my business, I never looked back. I haven't had a single missed payment or no-show. I no longer have to manually reconcile payments either. Now I can finally get time to do other things in my business instead of sitting in front of a screen for 'admin days'."