As Simple or as Powerful as You Need
Start with the basics, add rules as you grow. Petboost mirrors YOUR business, not the other way around.
The Rules Spectrum
Choose your level of control. Every business is different.
Smart Gates
Good balanceKey eligibility rules, structured capacity, instant or pending. Let the system handle the basics while you focus on pets.
- Grooming salon with 2-3 staff
- Puppy school with age limits
- Mobile groomer with service zones
Configuration at this level
Start minimal, add rules as problems arise. Every rule should solve a real problem you've experienced.
Get Online Booking Working in 5 Minutes
Minimum viable setup, refine later
- 1Set your working hours on your Team Member profile
- 2Create at least one service
- 3Enable self-service booking on that service
- 4Set capacity to 1 (you can adjust later)
- 5Done. Add rules only when you hit a real problem.
The Availability Paradox
The more rules you impose, the narrower your availability becomes.
Don’t Ask
“What rules can I add?”
Ask This Instead
“What rules do I NEED to run my business safely?”
Every rule should answer: “This prevents a real problem I’ve experienced or genuinely fear.”
If you can’t articulate the problem, you probably don’t need the rule.
Available Rule Types
Enable only what you need. Each rule is optional and configurable per service.
Weight Limits
Set minimum and maximum weights per service. XS to XL categories route pets to appropriate services automatically.
Age Restrictions
Puppy services for 8-16 weeks, adult classes for 6+ months. Age calculated automatically from date of birth.
Breed Filtering
Include or exclude specific breeds per service. Customers only see services their breed qualifies for.
Vaccination Requirements
Require proof of vaccination per service (or set a business-wide default). Customers see a clear message if their pet lacks valid certificates.
Suburb Restrictions
Define service areas per mobile service by suburb or postcode. Customers outside your area see the service is unavailable in their location.
Booking Notice Period
Require minimum lead time: 4 hours, 24 hours, or more. No more last-minute bookings disrupting your day.
Initial Service Gate
Require new customers to complete a prerequisite service (like a temperament test or consultation) before booking regular services. Assessment first, then self-service.
Real Examples by Business Type
See how different pet businesses configure their booking rules.
Training
Daycare
Grooming
Walking & Boarding
How Rules Filter Availability
Each rule narrows down what customers can book. This isn’t a bug, it’s by design.
In this example, customers see only 20% of total possible availability.
Some rules have big impact (working hours, capacity). Others have small impact (specific eligibility criteria). The more you stack, the tighter it gets.
Competitive Advantages with Petboost
These aren't trivial feature differences. They're architectural advantages that solve real customer pain points.
Lifecycle Automation
Automate as much or as little as you want, from booking to payment. With 50%+ of appointments self-service and 70%+ booked after hours, your front desk runs itself. Customers book, confirm, pay, and get reminded without a single phone call.
- Self-service booking 24/7
- Automated SMS & email reminders
- Terms & vaccination checks
- Payment pre-authorisation
- Automatic invoicing & receipts
- Auto-charge after service
Dual Booking Modes
Two modes for different workflows. Magic Availability Check handles availability-checked bookings with confidence. Quick Create gives you direct control to schedule without restrictions.
- Self-service with availability checks
- Direct diary control when needed
- Choose based on your workflow
- Best of both worlds
Seamless, Secure Payments
Get paid automatically. Built-in invoices branded with your logo, colours & ABN. Connect to Xero Bank Feeds for seamless accounting. We use Stripe under the hood to securely manage all payment processing.
- Card on File (auto-charge)
- SMS Payment Link
- In-Person Card Terminal
- Pre-Auth for No-Show Protection
- Branded Invoices with ABN
- Xero-ready accounting via Bank Feeds
Self-Service Packages
Customers buy 10-walk bundles at 3am, credits automatically apply at checkout. Lock in recurring revenue with zero admin work.
- 5, 10, 20-pack bundles
- 24/7 self-service purchase
- Automatic credit deduction
- Transparent balance tracking
Per-Resource Capacity
Never overbook your facilities. Set precise limits for every kennel, play area, grooming station, and van.
- Per-resource capacity limits
- Real-time utilisation tracking
- Colour-coded timeline
- Safety regulation compliance
Group Courses
Purpose-built for dog trainers. Not recurring appointments pretending to be courses.
- Course Templates
- Course Instances with real dates
- Enrolment tracking
- Attendance management
- Lifecycle management
Reporting & Intelligence
Dozens of automated insights analyse your revenue, team, services, customers, and geography. Period-over-period comparisons, forecasting, and ready-to-use email templates.
- Revenue & financial reports
- Team performance analytics
- Customer & geographic insights
- Automated forecasting
- Period-over-period comparison
- Marketing campaign ideas
Trusted by Australian Pet Businesses
"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
Hollywoof Walks
"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
"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
"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
"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'."
Annika Le Rade
Hound Health Bondi - NSW
Booking Rules Questions
Everything you need to know about configuring booking eligibility.