5 Risks of Not Using Integrated Payment Processing in Pet Care

In pet care, every moment matters, whether you’re welcoming wagging tails in the lobby or making sure each pup goes home squeaky clean and happy. But when your payment process is disconnected from the rest of your operations, it creates friction at one of the most critical touchpoints of your business: checkout.

If you’re still relying on manual transactions or juggling third-party processors, you’re not just making life harder for your staff—you could be leaving serious money (and customer satisfaction) on the table.

Here are five common (and costly) risks of not using integrated payment processing — and how the right solution can help you avoid them.

person with dog in lap paying bill on computer with credit card

1. Payment Errors That Bite into Your Profits

Manual data entry and disconnected systems make your pet business vulnerable to all kinds of errors, from accidental double charges to missed discounts, incorrect totals, or even lost payments.

These aren’t just little oopsies. For businesses that already feel overwhelmed transitioning from pen and paper, payment mistakes can erode trust with pet parents and create time-consuming reconciliation nightmares at the end of the day.

With built-in payment processing, transactions are accurate and streamlined. Whether it's applying promo codes, calculating tips, or adding services at checkout, you can automate it all, so you and your team spend less time fixing errors and more time high-fiving happy customers.

As a bonus, smart pricing rules in Gingr Payments automatically apply discounts or surcharges, preventing human error and saving you from having to double-check every invoice.

2. More Time at the Register, Less Time with Pets

Every minute spent toggling between systems or chasing down payment confirmations is a minute you're not spending with the pets in your care — or the pet parents waiting in line.

When you're running a doggy daycare, for instance, you're someone who’s constantly on the go and just wants to get organized. If you're using clunky payment systems, your team is often stuck at the front desk during peak hours, entering payment details manually and trying to speed through a crowd of barking, bouncing pups. It's stressful, chaotic, and slows down the entire operation.

With an integrated solution, checkout takes seconds. Staff can process payments directly in the dashboard, add last-minute services, and even send receipts via email or SMS. Gingr’s integration with payment terminals and card-on-file capabilities mean fewer bottlenecks, less lobby chaos, and smoother drop-offs and pick-ups.

Gingr users report saving up to 5+ minutes per check-in with features like PreCheck and integrated payments. Multiply that by every appointment, and the time saved really adds up.

dog groomer spending more time with two dogs

3. Limited Revenue Growth and Upsell Opportunities

When it comes to running a business, numbers are everything.

Pet businesses that don’t use integrated payment processing miss out on seamless upselling, the kind that naturally happens during the booking or check-in flow. That means you're likely losing out on $15–$25 per ticket in potential add-ons!

With the right integrated solution, upselling is built into the process. Whether it’s offering an extra walk, a special treat, or a retail item, you can add these services during booking or check-in. And since pet parents are more likely to say “yes” when the option is convenient and visual, you're not just offering more, you’re actually selling more.

This isn’t just good for revenue — it’s good for relationships. Thoughtful upsells like birthday treats or enrichment sessions show pet parents you’re going the extra mile.

4. No-Shows That Cost You Big Time

No-shows are frustrating. You set aside the time and the space, your staff is ready, and then… nothing. You lose out on revenue and waste valuable resources. Without integrated payments, it’s tough to require deposits or enforce no-show policies. But with Gingr, it’s built in. You can:

Require deposits at booking
Charge cancellation fees automatically
Offer recurring subscriptions that lock in future appointments

This protects your revenue and encourages follow-through and builds commitment from pet parents. And when you combine this with automated SMS and email reminders, you’re cutting down on no-shows before they even have a chance to happen.

5. Disjointed Data That Hinders Growth

Your payment data should be a growth tool—not a headache.

When payments live in one system and bookings live in another, it's hard to track key metrics like:

Which services bring in the most revenue?
Who are your top-spending customers?
What days and times are most profitable?

Eliminate the guesswork with real-time analytics, financial reporting, and booking insights all in one place. Gingr’s business analytics make it easy to compare performance across sites and stay agile, whether you're managing two locations or 20. With over 80 ready-to-use reports, you’ll have everything from period-over-period comparisons to booking-source insights, helping you plan smarter promotions, adjust pricing, and forecast revenue with confidence.

pet business staff collecting credit card payment on terminal

It’s Time to Connect the Dots—and the Payments

If your payment system doesn’t integrate with your pet-care software, it’s time to reconsider your setup. Because integrated payment processing isn’t just a “nice to have” anymore — it’s essential for growing a profitable, streamlined, and modern pet-care business.

Here's what an integrated solution like Gingr Payments can help your business do:

Eliminate manual errors
Reduce front-desk traffic
Upsell more with ease
Lower your no-show rate
Track performance and plan smarter

And that’s just scratching the surface. Integrated payments are just one piece of Gingr’s all-in-one pet-care software—designed to help you maximize revenue, optimize operations, and build customers for life. Whether you're a first-time pet business owner or a seasoned multi-location operator, Gingr gets you.

Book a demo with us to see how Gingr's all-in-one pet-care solution can make your life easier.