Meet Christina, the passionate owner of Pawsitive Play, a growing, enrichment-focused pet care business based in Gray, Maine, that offers daycare, individualized one-on-one care, overnights, adventure and neighborhood walks, and training support. Since launching in 2013, Pawsitive Play has grown from a one-person operation to a team of 12 caring for nearly 400 families and their pets across Greater Portland, Maine. At the heart of Christina’s approach are Fear Free handling, positive reinforcement, individualized care, and the belief that decisions should be guided by what’s best for each dog. Maintaining that standard of care has always been Christina's priority. But as her business grew, so did the administrative work behind the scenes.

Like many pet care business owners, Christina needed a better way to manage payments, handle invoicing, and control processing fees. That's when she discovered PetPocketbook. But when she first learned about PetPocketbook's service fee model, she wasn't convinced it was the right fit for her business. She worried about how her clients would react.

“I knew I needed a better system, but I was hesitant about adding costs to my clients."

The challenge

Before PetPocketbook, Christina used multiple software platforms to manage different parts of her business. Scheduling, invoicing, payments, and client communication all lived in separate places, creating extra work for both her and her team. She spent countless hours trying to keep up with invoicing and chasing payments. For clients paying with Venmo or credit card, she was taking on unpredictable fees each month while also dealing with the inevitable chargebacks and refunds. 

As Pawsitive Play continued to grow, those disconnected systems made it harder to stay organized, and administrative tasks were taking more and more time away from running the business.

“We spent so much time just creating invoices and then it felt like we were chasing down every payment. On top of that, we were paying processing fees for credit cards. It was difficult to keep track of payments, especially during a time when I was trying to focus on investing in and growing my business.” 

Understanding the service fee

As Christina explored PetPocketbook, she learned more about our unique service fee model. 

When pet parents choose to pay online through PetPocketbook, they pay a small service fee, which supports the platform and the payment experience. This fee helps cover payment processing, refunds, and chargebacks, while allowing PetPocketbook to keep subscription costs affordable for pet care businesses.

Rather than building those costs into higher monthly subscription prices for every business, this model creates value for both pet care businesses and the families they serve, aligning costs with how the platform is used.

Pet care businesses benefit from predictable costs, automated invoicing, and less administrative work. In return, pet parents gain access to a secure, self-service experience where they can book services, communicate with their provider, manage bills and pay online, all in one place. 

A new perspective

Once Christina understood how the service fee worked and the value it created for both her business and her clients, her perspective changed. 

"At first, I was a bit apprehensive about the service fee. But PetPocketbook explained how it worked and how it helped me eliminate my processing fees while keeping my subscription costs incredibly low. Once I understood, it made perfect sense. It was about creating a scalable and sustainable system for everyone."

The biggest surprise? Her clients’ reaction.

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I’d say 99% of my clients have had no problems with the service fee.

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With that concern behind her, Christina quickly began seeing the benefits across every part of her business.

Lower operating costs. By eliminating payment processing costs and consolidating two software platforms into one platform, Christina is saving on average more than $800 monthly while also getting access to better tools her business could rely on. With the money saved, she was able to reinvest more of her revenue back into growing Pawsitive Play.

Healthier, more predictable cash flow. With payments arriving more consistently and fewer outstanding receivables, Christina gained greater control over her business’ finances. That allowed her to spend less time worrying about cash flow and more time planning for growth.

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"No more surprises. I knew exactly how much I'd receive from each transaction, and my receivables improved dramatically. No more payments hanging out for months. This allowed me to accurately forecast my income, improve my cash flow, and plan for growth."

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Less time spent on administrative work. As Pawsitive Play continued to grow, Christina needed a system that could support her team, manage scheduling, and automate routine administrative tasks. By bringing scheduling, invoicing, and payments together in one place, PetPocketbook helped eliminate many of the manual processes that had been slowing the business down.

"PetPocketbook automatically invoices all of my clients. It saves me a ton of time. Instead of manually creating bills, I can just make any necessary tweaks as needed. We’ve been able to take on more clients, too."

The time savings extend beyond routine invoicing. AutoPay reduces the need to follow up with clients and helps payments arrive on time. PetPocketbook also handles chargebacks, removing a surprisingly complicated and time-consuming task that Christina previously had to manage herself.

A better experience for clients. For Christina, the biggest benefit wasn’t just saving time. It was what that extra time allowed her team to do. 

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“Because of the automation, we can focus more of our time on our clients and the dogs in our care, and that’s where the value is. It’s allowed my team to deliver better customer service because we’re spending less time on administrative work. That’s really important to us.”

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And the improvements weren’t limited to just behind the scenes. It also supported a better experience for her clients. Instead of relying on emails, texts, and manual updates, pet parents had a single place to book and pay for services, manage their account, and communicate with their pet care provider.

"My clients appreciated the ease of the platform with online payments and liked having the option to pay with cash if they prefer. And because PetPocketbook is so user-friendly, they rarely had any issues using it."

Pawsitive Outcome

Pawsitive Play has experienced significant growth since implementing PetPocketbook. Christina has been able to expand her team, expand services, and enhance the overall client experience. Her business is more profitable, efficient, and sustainable.

Looking back, Christina sees PetPocketbook’s service fee very differently than she did when she first learned about it.

"Once I understood the model, I saw the bigger picture. It allowed PetPocketbook to remain affordable for a small business like mine while giving us tools that significantly reduced our administrative workload."

For Christina, what began as hesitation about the service fee became confidence in a business model that supports both pet care businesses and the pet parents they serve. By simplifying payments, reducing administrative work, and creating a better experience for everyone involved, PetPocketbook helped Pawsitive Play build a stronger foundation for continued growth. 

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“PetPocketbook has been an important part of helping us scale Pawsitive Play. As we've grown, the platform has grown with us."

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Ready to see how PetPocketbook’s service fee model could work for your business? Book a personalized demo to start your free trial today and discover how PetPocketbook can create a better experience for both your business and clients.

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