If you run a pet daycare, you already know this truth: Demand can be unpredictable. Some weeks you’re booked solid, others you’re juggling open spots, staffing, and cash flow, all while trying to deliver amazing care. Understanding your local competition and what they offer is crucial for standing out in a crowded market. But offering incentives to your loyal customer base (and new clients) can have a more immediate effect on your bottom line.
That’s where memberships and packages come in. Thoughtfully designed memberships help smooth out revenue, encourage repeat visits, and give pet parents a reason to choose your facility again and again. Even better? When memberships are automated, they save your team time and reduce billing headaches—so you can focus on what really matters: the pets.
Loyalty programs are an effective way to differentiate your pet daycare from competitors and build customer engagement.
Let’s walk through why memberships matter, the most popular and creative membership ideas, and how to package them for long-term success in your daycare.
Memberships aren’t just a pricing model. They’re a relationship builder. When pet parents commit to a recurring plan, they’re doing more than saving money, they’re choosing your daycare as part of their routine. That consistency benefits everyone. A well-designed membership program can foster customer loyalty and long-term engagement by providing structured incentives and exclusive benefits that keep pet parents coming back.
With Gingr’s Memberships feature, you can automatically renew benefits on a weekly, monthly, or annual schedule, ensuring pet parents always know what they’re getting—and you always know what’s coming in.
While these terms are sometimes used interchangeably, they serve slightly different purposes. Subscription models are another approach, typically focused on the recurring delivery of products or services, and can be compared to memberships in terms of generating steady recurring revenue. Let's walk through the differences so you can decide which makes the most sense for your daycare.
The most successful daycares offer both, using packages as an entry point and memberships as the long-term solution.
Let’s start with proven options before layering in creative upgrades. Each of the following is an example of a successful membership idea for pet daycares.
This is a fan favorite for frequent daycare users.
How it works:
Why it works:
Pro tip: Set clear policies around reservations and no-shows to protect capacity.
A flexible option for pet parents who don’t attend daily.
How it works:
Why it works:
This model is especially popular with work-from-home pet parents who need occasional coverage.
Perfect for dogs who thrive on structure.
How it works:
Set daycare days each week (e.g., Mondays & Wednesdays)
Reserved spots built into the schedule
Recurring weekly billing
Why it works:
Now for the fun part! These ideas help differentiate your pet daycare and deepen customer loyalty.
Designed specifically for puppies and first-time pet parents, this type of membership gives families peace of mind that their little furry ones are well cared for.
Includes:
Why it works: Puppy parents are eager to invest early, and if you win them now, you’ll likely keep them for years.
Not every dog loves high-energy play, and that’s OK! Taking care of seniors in a special way shows parents you're committed to each and every pet's health and happiness.
Includes:
Why it works: This shows pet parents you understand their dog’s changing needs, prioritizing the health and comfort of older dogs, and positions your facility as thoughtful and inclusive.
A premium tier with exclusive perks makes any pet lover feel like royalty.
Includes:
Why it works: Some clients want to spend more for convenience, and VIP tiers reward loyalty while boosting revenue.
Great for dogs who need mental stimulation, enrichment adds a playful educational component without the commitment of a full-on training session.
Includes:
Why it works: Adds value without increasing group size and positions your daycare as more than “just playtime.”
These keep things fresh and encourage sign-ups year-round. Seasonal memberships often include discounted services as an incentive, such as exclusive discounts on grooming, boarding, or other pet care offerings.
Perfect for busy months of vacation, travel, kids home from school, and extended outdoor time.
Includes:
Why it works: Creates urgency and locks in revenue before the season starts.
Designed for the chaos of holidays, where last-minute shopping, unexpected family visits, questionable weather, and making magic happen for little ones can feel like a whirlwind for even the most organized among us.
Includes:
Why it works: Pet parents love peace of mind during hectic seasons. They feel appreciated when offered special holiday perks, such as dog-friendly events at your dog daycare, making these memberships a valued gift.
Lower commitment, high conversion. Rather than offering a free trial that may or may not result in a long-term commitment, a lower-priced option helps ease new clients in and gives your team time to build relationships with pets and their people.
Includes:
Why it works: Reduces friction for first-time customers and encourages repeat visits. This low-commitment offer is easy to sell to new clients, making it an effective way to introduce your services.
Membership pricing doesn’t need to be complicated, but it does need to be intentional. When setting your pet daycare membership prices, it’s important to balance cost and value. This ensures that the benefits you offer justify the price for your customers, while also supporting your business goals.
Here are a few tips to help you set the right price for your membership program:
Memberships only work if they don’t create extra work.
With the right pet daycare software, your employees can easily manage and sell memberships through the integrated POS system.
With Gingr, you can:
That means fewer billing errors, fewer manual adjustments, and happier pet parents.
Your memberships can do more than generate revenue, they can inform smarter decisions. By tracking details such as attendance, pet preferences, and member feedback, you can optimize your pet daycare membership offerings to better meet client needs and improve overall service quality.
These reporting strategies are vital for any pet care business aiming for sustainable growth. Membership insights help you grow strategically instead of guessing.
Even great ideas can fall flat without the right setup. To maximize your pet business's success offering these programs to clients, it's best to proactively avoid these common pitfalls:
Train your staff to confidently explain memberships and highlight them during onboarding, check-in, and seasonal promotions.
The best memberships feel personal. Fostering a sense of community among pet owners can significantly increase engagement and loyalty.
Consider:
These small touches turn loyal customers into lifelong advocates.
Memberships and packages aren’t just about stabilizing revenue—they’re about creating trust, routine, and long-term relationships. These strategies help any pet business build lasting relationships with clients and achieve stable, recurring revenue. When pet parents know their dog has a place they belong, they stop shopping around. They stay. They refer friends. They grow with you.
With the right tools and systems in place, memberships become easier to manage, easier to scale, and easier to love for both your team and your clients.
Book a demo to see how Gingr helps pet daycares build predictable revenue and loyal customers for life!