Charging for Additional Pets
Written By Lucas Stefanski
Last updated 2 days ago
The Johnsons have two dogs and a cat. Walking or boarding three pets is real extra work, so you charge a bit more for each one past the first. Additional pet rates handle that automatically on every booking with more than one pet.
ℹ️ Additional pet rates are set per service, not in the Surcharges screen. Each service can charge differently.
Where to set them
Open Services, pick a service, and find Additional Pet Rates under its pricing. The first pet is always included in your base rate; these rates cover every pet after.
Adding a rate
Each rate has three parts:
Starting at: which pet the rate kicks in on (2nd pet, 3rd pet, and so on).
How far it reaches: "Pet #2 only" charges that one pet; "Pet #2 and beyond" repeats for every pet after it, so you don't add a separate row for the 3rd, 4th, and 5th pet by hand.
Amount: a fixed dollar figure, or a percentage of the base service cost that adjusts automatically when you change your base rate.
For example: You set "2nd pet and beyond" at $10 on your dog walk. A walk for the Johnsons' two dogs adds $10; a walk for three dogs adds $20.
Different rates by species
By default a rate covers all pets. You can instead set separate rates per species, say $12 for each extra dog but $8 for each extra cat.
When pets are mixed, the included first pet goes to the most expensive species, which keeps the total fair for the client. Every other pet is charged.
For example: The Johnsons book a stay with two dogs and one cat, with dogs at $12 and cats at $8. Dogs are the pricier rate, so one dog is included as the first pet. The second dog adds $12 and the cat adds $8, for $20 in additional pet fees.
How it adds up across visits and nights
Additional pet rates multiply by the length of the service, just like your base rate.
Appointment: charged per visit. Three dog walks for two dogs at a $5 second-pet rate add $15.
Stay charged per night: charged per night. A four-night board adds the rate four times.
Stay charged per day: charged per day.
Changing a rate later
New pet rates apply to new bookings only by default. While editing, turn on "Apply these rates to upcoming bookings" to recalculate pet fees on upcoming bookings that haven't been invoiced yet.
Where it shows up
Additional pet fees appear on bookings and invoices for both the businesses and pet parents, so everyone is kept in the loop
