How Gingr Payments Helps Increase Staff Tips at Your Pet-Care Business

Your team goes the extra mile (and sometimes extra walks) to make tails wag at your pet-care business. From kennel attendants making nervous pups feel safe, to groomers turning shaggy mutts into showstoppers stunning enough for the next National Dog Show, their work deserves recognition. And what better way to show appreciation than with tips?

But here’s the catch: Many pet parents may not know the best tipping etiquette or protocol at your business. They may also simply forget in the hustle and bustle of getting their excited pups checked out and picked up.

That’s where Gingr Payments can help. Our integrated payment solution streamlines your checkout process and makes tipping so intuitive and simple that staff tips often rise by up to 80 percent!

Why Integrated Tipping Matters

If you’ve ever fumbled with paper receipts, clunky card readers, or awkward tip jars, you know the experience and practicality of tip collection is extremely important. Digital payment systems remove the guesswork from tipping by presenting pet parents with friendly, customizable tip options—right when they’re most likely to say “thank you.”

Instead of hoping customers will ask if they can leave a tip for great service, Gingr automatically prompts them during checkout, offering easy-to-select percentages or fixed dollar amounts. It’s frictionless, effortless, and effective.

pet parent tipping on phone after dog grooming appointment

Tip-Friendly Features Designed for Your Team and Clients

On-Screen Tip Prompts

With Gingr’s card-present processing, tip prompts appear automatically on your terminal—discreetly and clearly—right at checkout. This moment, when customers are happy and their pup is freshly pampered or safely returned, is the perfect opportunity to remind them that gratitude can come as a tip.

Smart Customization

Choose from fixed amounts, percentages, or a combination of both. Want to suggest 15%, 20%, or 25%? You got it. Prefer to offer $5, $10, or $15? That’s easy too. You can even set a smart threshold to trigger tip prompts only on transactions over a certain amount.

Tips Tied to Staff

When a tip is added during an appointment-based service (like a grooming session), Gingr automatically assigns it to the team member who completed the service. This ensures transparency and makes rewarding your staff accurately and fairly simple.

happy dog groomer shaking paw of his furry client

How to Set It Up in a Few Clicks

Setting up tips with Gingr Payments is a walk in the park:

Go to Reports & More >> Reports >> Gingr Payments Dashboard.
Select Card Readers.
Scroll to the bottom and open Tip Settings.
Choose your preferred tipping format: No Tips, Fixed Amount, Percentage, or Mix.
Set your Smart Tip Threshold if desired.
Save, and voilà! Your tipping strategy is ready to roll.

Even better? The Tips Report provides a detailed view of all collected tips, categorized by team member, service type, and more.

tip setup in Gingr

Why Tips Matter More Than Ever

Staffing challenges are real in the pet-care industry. Tips are more than pocket change—they’re motivators, morale boosters, and retention tools. Encouraging tipping shows your team that their hard work is seen and valued. It also shows pet parents they’re part of a community that appreciates care and compassion.

And when tipping is built into your payment system, you’re not just increasing take-home pay—you’re decreasing turnover, saving time, and improving the overall experience for staff and customers.

Five Strategies to Boost Tipping with Gingr

Ready to make the most of Gingr Payments? These strategies will maximize tipping potential while enhancing your brand experience.

1. Use Tip Prompts—Every Time

The most common reason pet-care professionals are undertipped? Customers just don’t know they should tip! With Gingr’s customizable prompts, you can ensure every checkout is also a moment of gratitude.

2. Set Suggested Tip Amounts

Automated suggestions reduce awkwardness and increase follow-through. Offering preset tip options (like 15%, 20%, and 25%) gives customers an easy, socially acceptable range. Custom dollar amounts also work well—especially for lower-cost services.

3. Personalize the Experience

Using Gingr’s pet profiles and booking history, staff can greet pets and owners by name and reference past services. This small personal touch can significantly increase tip amounts—research shows using a customer’s name boosts tips by up to 1.5%.

4. Say 'Thank You' Creatively

Thanking customers can go a long way. A simple “thanks” at checkout, a branded treat bag, or a quick note on a pet’s report card adds value—and increases the likelihood of a tip. Gingr makes sending follow-ups via email or SMS easy, reinforcing a positive experience.

5. Highlight Other Ways to Show Support

Not every customer will tip—and that’s OK! Gingr helps you showcase other ways to support your business: writing reviews, attending events, sharing on social, or purchasing retail items or packages. It’s all about building community.

tip amount options in gingr

Who Benefits Most?

Gingr Payments is designed for all types of pet-care professionals—from groomers who juggling multiple appointments a day, to kennels that needs an easy way to automate tipping and streamline checkouts.

Even pet business owners managing multiple locations can ensure consistency across teams while building a culture of appreciation that drives staff satisfaction and loyalty.

Gingr’s tip reporting tools make payroll a breeze as well. Each tip added through the terminal is attributed to the correct specialist, and your Tips Report is fully customizable. This means more accurate reporting, fewer questions during payroll, and complete transparency for your team.

More Than Money, It’s About Morale

Increasing tips isn’t just about padding paychecks. It’s about investing in your team. A team that feels appreciated is more likely to stay, smile, and deliver top-tier care every time.

And when your customers are happy, your business grows! With Gingr, that growth is supported by tools designed to make every moment—checkout included—pawsitively seamless.

happy dog groomers smiling while working with a pup

More Tail Wags, Less Busywork

Gingr Payments is more than a payment processor. It’s your all-in-one financial toolkit designed specifically for pet businesses. With features like card-on-file, mobile payments, deposits, and automated batching, you’ll speed up checkout and reduce errors. More importantly, you’ll create a smoother experience for pet parents, so they can check out with confidence and show appreciation with ease.