Payments that work with your business, not against it.
BooknBuddy gives you the choice between fully integrated payments and predictable revenue-based software pricing. Start small, keep your payment records organised, and choose the model that makes sense as your business grows.
$39.99 CAD a month with integrated payments · Free 30-day trial · Your business stays the merchant
Four short sections. Pick one, or read them in order.
One booking, one payment trail, start to finish.
Every step below happens on its own when the card payment goes through BooknBuddy. Staff only step in at the counter.
When a booking is requested or approved, the deposit is worked out from your settings and sent to the customer with a Pay Now link. When they pay, the booking and invoice update straight away. At pickup, staff take the balance on the till, a card reader or a phone, and the tip and the staff member go on the same record.
- Pet boarding deposits that collect themselves. Percentage or flat amount, per service, with “Deposit due” and “Deposit paid” shown everywhere.
- BooknBuddy knows what was paid. Every payment carries its booking and invoice, so there is nothing to match up afterwards.
- Refunds go back through the same processor and the invoice shows it.
- Invoices and payments sync to QuickBooks Online or Xero.
Every connected payment is one nobody has to record.
Whatever card machine you use today, a payment taken through BooknBuddy records itself. One taken anywhere else is five steps by hand, every time, and the difference repeats on every payment.
Integrated payment
- Deposit requested automatically when the booking is requested or approved
- Customer pays from the booking flow, the email, the app or the portal
- BooknBuddy knows which booking and invoice were paid
- Tips and the till record stay with the payment
- Refunds and payment status flow back to the invoice
- Payouts arrive on your processor’s schedule
External payment
- Find the right customer, booking and invoice
- Record the amount and the method by hand
- Separate the tip and note who earned it
- Check the processor’s report against BooknBuddy at the end of the day
- Repeat the same steps for any refund or dispute
- Miss one step and a deposit or balance shows the wrong amount until somebody notices
| Integrated payment | External payment | |
|---|---|---|
| How it gets into BooknBuddy | Automatically | Staff record it |
| Deposit and balance | Updated the moment the customer pays | Updated when the payment is recorded |
| Pay Now for the customer | Yes | Not for that payment |
| Tips | Captured with the payment | Entered and split by hand |
| Refunds and status changes | Flow back to the invoice | Recorded by hand in both systems |
| End-of-day reconciliation | Already matched | Compared against the other processor’s report |
| Support | One place to look | Split between BooknBuddy and the other processor |
Payments through BooknBuddy
Payments taken your own way
Stripe or Square still charge you their own card fees either way, so those are left out of both columns. Change any of the numbers on the left — if taking payments your own way works out cheaper for you, it will say so.
Seven ways a customer can pay you.
Integrated payment methods can record automatically when the payment is started through BooknBuddy. Anything taken elsewhere is recorded by hand.
While booking online
Pay the deposit, or the whole stay, as part of the booking form.
From an email
Confirmations, deposit requests and invoices carry a Pay Now link.
In the customer app
Outstanding balances sit on their account with a Pay button.
In the desktop portal
The same balances and the same button, for customers on a computer.
Tap to Pay
A contactless card or phone wallet held to your compatible phone.
At the counter
A Square Terminal reader at checkout, or a saved card where the customer allowed it.
Cash, cheque, bank transfer
Always accepted and never charged a platform fee. Staff record these by hand. (Interac e-Transfer in Canada; Zelle where a US business’s bank supports it.)
Your phone is the card terminal.
Tap to Pay for dog daycare, grooming and boarding, on compatible iPhones and Android phones, through Stripe or Square.
Open the booking in the BooknBuddy business app, press Tap to Pay, and the customer holds their card or phone wallet near yours. Eligible contactless cards and digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay are accepted. For supported transactions, no separate reader is needed.
The payment lands on the right invoice and booking, with the tip and the staff member who took it, exactly as it would at the front desk.
At a show or event
Sell a groom slot or a bag of food from a booth without a laptop or a reader.
At the door
Walkers and sitters take the balance at the client’s house.
When the reader is not there
Busy pickup rush, second checkout line, or a reader that needs charging.
Eligibility applies. Tap to Pay needs a compatible phone model and operating system version, a supported country and a Stripe or Square account approved for it. Not every phone, card or wallet qualifies, and it runs in the BooknBuddy business app rather than a web browser. Square Tap to Pay runs on compatible iPhone and Android phones. Stripe Tap to Pay runs on compatible Android phones; on iPhone it depends on your app build, so ask us before you rely on it.
The stay, the retail and the tip on one ticket.
If you sell food, treats or toys, the till is where integrated payments save the most time.
Scan the treats onto the booking’s invoice, apply a discount, take one payment. The stock count drops, the tip is split out for the right staff member, and the sale is on the same invoice as the stay. Nobody rings the retail up again on a second machine.
- Barcode scanning at checkout and a walk-in till for retail-only sales.
- Inventory counts that move when you sell. With Square, your item library and stock counts sync both ways.
- Tips recorded against the staff member who earned them, ready for payroll.
- Bundle, volume and staff discounts shown as their own lines, with tax worked out after the discount.
On a separate machine, the same sale means ringing the retail twice, typing the tip in by hand, and adjusting stock later. That is the work integrated payments remove.
Why we connect to Stripe and Square, and not every processor.
Keeping a payment tied to a booking needs the processor to talk back. Most payment machines do not.
For a payment to sync, three things have to be true. Stripe and Square offer all three to software platforms. Many bank-issued terminals, countertop machines and payment apps offer none of them, or only to large certified partners.
- An authorised connection to your account. You approve BooknBuddy once, and it can start a charge on your account without ever holding your card data.
- A reference that travels with the charge. The booking and invoice go out with the payment, so the answer to “what was this for?” comes back with it.
- Webhooks. A signed message the processor sends the moment a payment succeeds, fails, is refunded or is disputed. Without it, the software only knows what somebody types in.
Even with Square, a sale rung up in the Square app outside BooknBuddy has no booking attached. Square knows $191.00 was paid; it has no way of knowing it was Luna’s stay.
What the platform fee pays for.
BooknBuddy is priced low on purpose. Integrated payments help fund the platform, and they fund the part of it that saves you the most time.
Automation
Deposits requested, payments matched, invoices closed and tips assigned without anyone touching them.
Customer convenience
Pay Now in every email, balances in the app and portal, saved cards and Tap to Pay.
Reconciliation
Bookings, invoices, payments, refunds and payouts that already agree with each other.
Support
When a payment question comes up, we can see the payment, the invoice and the booking together.
A low subscription
It keeps the monthly plan at $39.99 CAD instead of pricing every business for the heaviest user.
Integration upkeep
Processors change their APIs, devices and rules. Keeping every payment path working is ongoing work.
The rate goes down as you grow.
The platform fee is tiered on your card volume through BooknBuddy each calendar month. Each rate applies only to the part of the month that falls in its band, like tax brackets, and the count starts again on the 1st.
| Card volume this month | Platform fee on that part | Most it adds up to |
|---|---|---|
| First $4,000 | 1.5% | $60.00 |
| $4,000 to $10,000 | 0.75% | $45.00 more |
| Above $10,000 | 0.5% | The lowest rate, no cap |
How $20,000 works out: $4,000 × 1.5% = $60, plus $6,000 × 0.75% = $45, plus $10,000 × 0.5% = $50. Total $155, or 0.78% of the month. The busier the month, the closer the rate gets to 0.5%.
Against Gingr.
Advertised monthly software price plus BooknBuddy’s platform fee. Processor fees are excluded from every column, because they apply under either system and vary by provider, country, card type and merchant agreement.
| Monthly card volume through BooknBuddy | BooknBuddy Integrated | Gingr Play | Gingr Stay |
|---|---|---|---|
| $2,000 | $69.99 | about $231.53 | about $245.23 |
| $5,000 | $107.49 | about $231.53 | about $245.23 |
| $10,000 | $144.99 | about $231.53 | about $245.23 |
| $20,000 | $194.99 | about $231.53 | about $245.23 |
On this example, BooknBuddy Integrated is about $175 a month under Gingr Stay at $2,000 of card volume, $138 at $5,000, $100 at $10,000 and $50 at $20,000, all in Canadian dollars. The figures are advertised software pricing plus our platform fee only.
Transparent about processing costs.
Stripe and Square charge their own processing fees separately. Running a card straight through Square can cost less per transaction than the same card through BooknBuddy, because our platform fee is added to integrated transactions.
What the platform fee buys is everything around the payment: the deposit calculated, Pay Now delivered, the payment collected, the right booking identified, the invoice updated, the tip recorded, the till balanced, refunds synchronized where supported, and the reports reconciled. Taken together, the software and the payments usually cost less than a higher-priced competitor, and the repetitive admin goes with it.
Larger business? Ask about a negotiated flat rate.
If you run several locations or move a lot of card volume, we can agree a single flat platform rate based on your size instead of the tiers. Email info@booknbuddy.com with your typical monthly card volume and we will send a proposal in writing.
Your processor fee from Stripe or Square is separate and set by them, not by us. Processor fees are excluded from every comparison on this page because they apply under either plan and vary by provider, country, card type and merchant agreement. On some accounts, such as Square accounts outside Canada, the platform fee is billed monthly rather than taken at the time of payment.
Does collecting payments outside BooknBuddy save money?
Often it lowers the bill from us. Whether it lowers your total operating cost depends on how many payments your staff then have to record and reconcile by hand.
Your processor charges its fee either way, whether Square or Stripe is connected through BooknBuddy or used on its own, so the table below compares only what BooknBuddy charges: the subscription and the platform fee.
| Monthly revenue recorded | Integrated: $39.99 + platform fee | Flexible tier | Difference in subscription |
|---|---|---|---|
| $2,000 | $69.99 | Solo $39.99 | Flexible is $30.00 less |
| $4,000 | $99.99 | Solo $39.99 | Flexible is $60.00 less |
| $10,000 | $144.99 | Pack $79.99 | Flexible is $65.00 less |
| $20,000 | $194.99 | Pack Plus $119.99 | Flexible is $75.00 less |
| $40,000 | $294.99 | Pro $169.99 | Flexible is $125.00 less |
Collecting payments your own way often costs less on the invoice from us, and that is a real choice we are happy for you to make. What the Integrated price buys is the work nobody then has to do by hand, which is worth more than the difference as soon as the payments start adding up.
Connected through BooknBuddy
- The deposit is generated from the booking.
- The customer receives Pay Now.
- The payment carries the booking and invoice reference.
- The invoice and balance update automatically.
- The tip and staff or till information stay connected.
- Refund and payment status can flow back into BooknBuddy where supported.
Collected outside BooknBuddy
- Staff take the payment on the outside terminal, app or in cash.
- That system records the amount without the BooknBuddy booking reference.
- Staff find the customer and invoice in BooknBuddy.
- Staff record the outside payment by hand.
- Staff separate and record the tip.
- Staff reconcile that system’s report against BooknBuddy.
- Refunds and disputes are updated in both systems.
Depending on the workflow, an outside payment can require several additional manual steps.
Example: $10,000 a month across 200 payments
A worked illustration, not a promise. Change any of it in the calculator below.
| Monthly cost component | Integrated | Collected outside, Flexible tier |
|---|---|---|
| BooknBuddy subscription | $39.99 | Pack $79.99 |
| Platform fee on $10,000 through BooknBuddy | $105.00 | None |
| Estimated manual payment labour | Minimal payment matching | $250.00 |
| Estimated combined cost | $144.99 | $329.99 |
Under these assumptions Integrated is roughly $185 a month less expensive overall. Flip it around: a kennel with the same $10,000 across only 20 large payments spends about $25 of staff time, and then collecting outside is the cheaper option. The number of payments decides this, not the revenue.
This is an illustration, not guaranteed savings. Actual results depend on transaction count, staff wages, workflow and the time required for manual recording and reconciliation. Processor fees are excluded because they apply separately and vary by account and transaction type.
The lowest visible fee is not always the lowest total cost
Using Square separately can reduce your BooknBuddy fees at higher card volumes. It also separates the payment from the booking system.
- Who sends and follows up on deposits?
- Who matches the payment to the correct booking?
- Who updates the outstanding balance?
- Who records the tip?
- Who checks Square against the till?
- Who corrects a missed or duplicated entry?
- Who updates BooknBuddy after a refund or dispute?
The question is not only “how much is the subscription?”. It is also who does the work either side of it.
If your team can manage those steps efficiently, Flexible Payments may suit your business perfectly, and the price is published and capped. If you would rather the payment updated the booking, invoice, tip and till by itself, Integrated Payments is likely to cost less once the payments add up. Both are legitimate choices.
Two ways to pay for BooknBuddy.
Effective 1 October 2026 for businesses signing up from that date. Prices are shown in your billing currency, Canadian or US dollars. Both include every booking, scheduling, customer-management and reporting feature.
BooknBuddy Integrated
- Pay Now and automatic deposit requests
- Payments through the customer app and portal
- Tap to Pay on compatible iPhone and Android devices
- Square Terminal card readers, and saved cards where supported
- Integrated tips, till records and reconciliation
- Cash, cheque and bank payments remain fee-free
Integrated pricing applies in any month where at least half of your sales are processed through BooknBuddy. In a month below that, you pay the Flexible tier for your size instead — and the platform fees you have already paid count towards it. How it is worked out.
Flexible Payments
- Every booking, scheduling, customer, pet, invoicing, staff and reporting feature
- Use any outside payment processor or terminal
- Accept cash, cheque or supported bank transfers
- Revenue-based tiers, capped, with no policing of payment methods
- Record outside payments against invoices; customers still see bookings and balances
- No Pay Now or automatic card deposits for externally collected payments
- No BooknBuddy Tap to Pay or saved-card charging
- External payments are recorded manually, not reconciled automatically
How your price is worked out each month
One test, run on the month that just closed, measured on money rather than on how many times a card was tapped. There is no qualifying period to sit through and no plan to be moved between: every month stands on its own.
Half your sales, month by month
When a month closes we compare what you processed through BooknBuddy with everything you recorded in it. At least 50% and that month is $39.99 CAD or $29.99 USD plus the platform fee, with no cap. Below 50% and that month is priced by your size instead.
your share = sales processed through BooknBuddy ÷ all sales recorded in BooknBuddy, in the same month
You always know where you stand
Your share for the month in progress is on your billing screen as it builds, so you can see it at any point rather than finding out afterwards. Your first month works exactly like your twelfth — there is no waiting period in either direction.
It moves both ways on its own. A month above half is Integrated pricing; the next month below half is the tier; the month after that, back above half, is Integrated again. Nothing carries over.
You are never charged twice
In a month below half, you pay the Flexible tier for the revenue you recorded that month. The platform fees you have already paid count towards that tier, so we add only the difference — and if those fees already come to the tier, nothing is added at all.
Nothing is ever billed backwards. A month that has closed stays billed as it was, and any change starts on your next invoice. Refunded, failed, voided and test transactions never count towards your share.
A worked example: one shop, three months
Meadow Kennels records $20,000 a month in BooknBuddy — every booking and invoice, however it was paid. What changes is how much of it runs through BooknBuddy.
March — $12,000 through BooknBuddy, a share of 60%. Over half, so March is Integrated pricing.
$39.99 subscription + $115.00 platform fee on the $12,000 = $154.99 for March.
The fee is banded: 1.5% on the first $4,000, 0.75% on the next $6,000, 0.5% on the last $2,000.
April — a big e-transfer month, only $5,000 through BooknBuddy, a share of 25%. Under half, so April is priced by size: Pack Plus, the tier for $20,000 recorded.
$67.50 platform fee already taken + $52.49 subscription = $119.99 for April, not the $187.49 it would be if the tier were charged on top of the fee.
May — back to $12,000 through BooknBuddy, 60% again. May is Integrated pricing: $154.99. April does not follow it, and there is nothing to appeal or reverse.
Flexible Payments tiers
Based on the revenue you recorded in BooknBuddy that month, whatever way it was collected. The tier follows the month: a quieter month is a cheaper one, and the entry tier is the same $39.99 as Integrated pricing. Your billing currency decides which table applies; the thresholds are not converted month to month.
| Tier | Average monthly revenue recorded | Monthly subscription |
|---|---|---|
| Solo | $0 – $4,000 | $39.99 |
| Pack | $4,001 – $10,000 | $79.99 |
| Pack Plus | $10,001 – $20,000 | $119.99 |
| Pro | $20,001 – $40,000 | $169.99 |
| Enterprise | More than $40,000 | $199.99 |
| Tier | Average monthly revenue recorded | Monthly subscription |
|---|---|---|
| Solo | $0 – $3,000 | $29.99 |
| Pack | $3,001 – $7,000 | $59.99 |
| Pack Plus | $7,001 – $15,000 | $89.99 |
| Pro | $15,001 – $30,000 | $124.99 |
| Enterprise | More than $30,000 | $149.99 |
A shop taking mostly cash stays at the lowest price while it is small, and a larger business contributes in proportion to the money it runs through the software. Either way the price is published, predictable and capped.
Side by side
| Feature | Integrated Payments | Flexible Payments |
|---|---|---|
| Starting subscription | $39.99 CAD / $29.99 USD | $39.99 CAD / $29.99 USD |
| Maximum subscription | Preferred base price while qualified | $199.99 CAD / $149.99 USD |
| Integrated platform fee | Yes, on integrated transactions | Only on transactions actually processed through BooknBuddy |
| Online Pay Now | Yes | Not for externally collected payments |
| Automatic deposits | Yes | Not for externally collected payments |
| Tap to Pay | Where supported | Not through BooknBuddy |
| Automatic reconciliation | Yes | External payments recorded manually |
| Cash and cheques supported | Yes | Yes |
| Outside processors supported | Can be recorded manually | Recorded manually |
| Booking, scheduling, customers, reporting | All included | All included |
| Pricing basis | At least half of sales processed through BooknBuddy | Average monthly recorded revenue, less any platform fees paid |
Built to save small and growing pet-care businesses money
BooknBuddy Integrated starts at only $39.99 CAD a month. Your platform fee is based on the card payments you actually process, and the percentage decreases as your business grows.
A business processing $1,000 through BooknBuddy pays $15 in platform fees. A business processing $3,000 pays $45. You get the same booking, scheduling and customer-management platform without a large monthly software bill before the business has grown.
Cash, cheques and supported bank transfers stay available under either model with no BooknBuddy platform fee. Those payments are recorded manually rather than synchronized automatically.
Why pricing works this way
The $39.99 CAD / $29.99 USD starting price is partly supported by the platform fees earned when payments flow through the system. That is what lets a small business onto the whole platform for the price of a couple of grooms.
When payments are collected outside BooknBuddy we earn nothing from them and cannot connect them to deposits, bookings, invoices, tips and refunds automatically. Pricing then follows the revenue recorded in the software instead, on a published tier.
A small cash-and-cheque shop still starts at the lowest price. A larger business contributes in proportion to what it runs through BooknBuddy, and the tiers are capped at $199.99 CAD / $149.99 USD.
Already with us? You stay exactly as you are.
This pricing applies to businesses signing up from 1 October 2026. Existing BooknBuddy customers remain under their current arrangement, and nobody is moved onto a Flexible Payments tier because this page is published. If we ever propose a migration, we will set out the details and an effective date first, in accordance with your agreement. If you would like to move across sooner, ask us and we will walk through it with you.
New businesses get room to settle
New signups start on Integrated and have until 14 days after the free trial ends to connect Stripe or Square, with a countdown in the app. If Stripe or Square is slow to approve a new account, tell us and we will work with you.
What the Integrated price asks
That at least half of your sales are processed through BooknBuddy in the month. Every other way of getting paid is supported and carries no BooknBuddy fee — it simply counts towards your sales.
If the mix changes
A month below half is priced by your size instead, with the platform fees you paid credited against it, and a month back above half is Integrated pricing again. You keep every feature either way, and your share is on your billing screen as the month runs.
Busier businesses pay less
The platform fee drops to 0.75% and then 0.5% as your month grows, automatically. If a single negotiated flat rate suits a larger or multi-location business better, ask us.
Clover support is being evaluated.
Clover support is currently under evaluation. We are exploring eligible cash-discount and dual-pricing options that could help participating businesses offset card-processing costs while offering customers a clearly disclosed lower cash or supported bank-payment price. Availability, rates and payment methods will depend on the merchant’s country, processor approval and applicable rules.
United States, if it goes ahead
- A cash-discount or dual-pricing program for eligible merchants, with the card price and the lower cash price both shown.
- Zelle only for businesses whose own bank offers Zelle on their business account.
- Cash discounts, dual pricing and card surcharges follow different rules. Any program would follow the one that applies.
Canada
- No Canadian pricing is announced. Rules for card pricing differ by province, and Quebec may need separate treatment.
- Lower-price alternatives would refer to cash or Interac e-Transfer.
- A US setup would not be assumed to apply in Canada.
There is no Clover signup today. When it is available, this section will say so with the rates for each country.
Prices at a glance
Everything on one screen, in both currencies.
| What you pay | Canada | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Payments through BooknBuddy | $39.99 a month | $29.99 a month |
| our fee on the first $4,000 a month | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| on $4,000 to $10,000 | 0.75% | 0.75% |
| above $10,000 | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Payments your own way — Solo | $39.99 · up to $4,000 a month | $29.99 · up to $3,000 |
| Pack | $79.99 · to $10,000 | $59.99 · to $7,000 |
| Pack Plus | $119.99 · to $20,000 | $89.99 · to $15,000 |
| Pro | $169.99 · to $40,000 | $124.99 · to $30,000 |
| Enterprise | $199.99 · above $40,000 | $149.99 · above $30,000 |
| Cash, cheques and bank transfers | No fee, either way | No fee, either way |
Payment questions
Still unsure? Email info@booknbuddy.com.
Can I keep my existing Stripe or Square account?
Yes. You connect the account you already have from Settings, Payments. Your processor agreement, your rates with them and your bank details stay yours. BooknBuddy never becomes the merchant; your business is the merchant on every payment.
Can I accept cash, cheque or e-transfer?
Yes, on either plan. Record it at the till or against the invoice and the balance updates. There is no BooknBuddy platform fee on cash, cheque or e-Transfer.
Can customers pay deposits immediately?
Yes, with Integrated Payments. You set the deposit as a percentage or a flat amount per service. The customer can pay it in the booking flow, or from the Pay Now link in the email we send them, and the booking shows the deposit as paid.
Can customers pay through the BooknBuddy app?
Yes. Outstanding balances show in the customer app and the desktop portal with a Pay button. Customers can save a card where your processor and settings allow it: saved cards are available on Square today, and on Stripe for shops we have switched the option on for.
Is Clover available?
Not currently. Clover integration, and the cash-discount options that might come with it, are still being evaluated. We will say so here when that changes.
What if I enter the payment directly in Square?
You can record that payment in BooknBuddy manually, and we charge no platform fee on it. Square only receives the amount, though: it does not know which BooknBuddy deposit, booking or invoice was paid. A staff member has to find the right invoice, record the payment, separate any tip and reconcile it. Occasional outside payments are completely normal on Integrated — your share is measured across three months of sales, not on every transaction.
Is Square cheaper if I use it outside BooknBuddy?
Often yes, on the bill from us: no platform fee is added, and a Flexible tier can be less than the subscription plus fee. What it costs elsewhere is staff time, because that Square transaction does not update the matching booking, deposit or invoice on its own. With a lot of small payments — a daycare or kennel doing hundreds a month — the recording time usually outweighs the difference. With a few large payments it may not. The calculator on this page works it out with your numbers, and it will tell you if Flexible comes out cheaper.
What happens if I process a payment outside BooknBuddy?
Nothing breaks. Staff find the invoice or booking and record the payment by hand with its method and amount. Until that happens, BooknBuddy shows the balance as still owing, and any tip on that payment has to be entered separately.
Does BooknBuddy automatically know about an external Square payment?
No. A sale rung up in the Square app or on a Square device outside BooknBuddy carries no booking or invoice reference, so BooknBuddy cannot tell which pet or stay it was for. It has to be recorded by hand. Payments started from BooknBuddy carry that reference and record themselves.
Does Tap to Pay require separate hardware?
Not for eligible transactions. A compatible iPhone or Android phone running the BooknBuddy business app accepts contactless cards and supported digital wallets. Device model, operating system version, country and your processor account all have to qualify. Some payments, such as a chip-and-PIN card that cannot be tapped, still need a card reader or another method.
What happens to existing BooknBuddy customers?
Existing customers remain under their current arrangement. This pricing applies to businesses signing up from 1 October 2026, and nobody is moved onto a tier because the page is published. If a migration is ever proposed, we will publish the details and an effective date first, under your existing agreement.
How long do I have to connect Stripe or Square?
On the Integrated plan, until 14 days after your 30-day free trial ends. Connecting takes a few minutes in Settings, Payments; Stripe or Square may take a day or two to approve a new account. The app shows how many days are left, and nothing is switched off if you need longer: we will get in touch and help.
Does accepting cash, e-Transfer, Zelle or Venmo disqualify me?
It does not disqualify you from anything: every payment method is supported and none of them carries a BooknBuddy fee. They do count towards your sales, and preferred Integrated pricing asks that at least half of your sales are processed through BooknBuddy. A shop that takes most of its money another way simply sits on the Flexible tier for its size, which for a smaller business is the same price it pays today.
Why is Flexible Payments based on revenue?
Because we cannot reliably tell whether a payment you recorded by hand was cash, a cheque, a bank transfer or a card run on another machine, and we would rather not police your payment methods. Revenue-based tiers give a clear, predictable price for the amount of business running through the software, with a published cap.
What happens during a slow or unusual month?
Each month is priced on its own, so a quiet month is simply a cheaper one: the tier follows the revenue you actually recorded, and the entry tier is the same $39.99 as Integrated. A month with an unusually large cash or e-transfer job can put you under half, and that month is then priced by your size instead, with the platform fees you already paid credited against it. Nothing carries into the following month.
Will my price change without warning?
Your share is shown in the app as the month runs, so you can see where you stand at any point rather than finding out afterwards. Your bill is also bounded: whatever happens in a month, it cannot come to more than the tier for the revenue you recorded, and the platform fees you have already paid count towards that. There is no retrospective change either, since a month that has closed is never re-priced.
How is the half worked out?
Once a calendar month closes, we add up the value of every payment recorded in BooknBuddy that month and the part of it processed through BooknBuddy. At least 50% and that month is priced as Integrated; below it, that month is priced by your size. Refunded, failed, voided and test transactions never count towards it. There is no qualifying period and no waiting: your first month is worked out exactly like your twelfth.
If I move to a tier, do I pay the platform fee as well?
Not on top of it. The platform fees you have already paid count towards the tier, so we add only the difference to reach it, and if those fees already come to the tier we add nothing. The adjustment is only ever an addition to your next invoice for a month that has closed, so your price never changes backwards and there is nothing to unwind.
Can I take e-Transfer or Zelle?
Yes, and neither carries a BooknBuddy platform fee. In Canada that is Interac e-Transfer; in the United States, Zelle is available to businesses whose own bank offers it for business accounts. Both are recorded in BooknBuddy by hand rather than synchronized automatically, on either plan.
Why is the Integrated price lower?
The starting price is partly supported by the platform fees earned when payments flow through the system, which is what lets a small business onto the whole platform for $39.99 CAD or $29.99 USD. When payments are collected outside BooknBuddy we earn nothing from them and cannot connect them to deposits, bookings, invoices, tips and refunds automatically, so pricing moves to a published tier based on the revenue recorded in the software. Both are legitimate choices, and the tiers are capped.
Can I use my own payment system?
Yes. Flexible Payments is for businesses collecting through cash, cheques, bank transfers, an outside terminal or another processor. You record those payments in BooknBuddy by hand, and Pay Now, automatic deposits and automatic reconciliation do not apply to them. Pricing is a published tier based on your average monthly recorded revenue, capped at $199.99 CAD or $149.99 USD.
When will Clover be available?
Clover support is under evaluation and there is no date yet. It is not available today. We will announce it when it is, along with the rates and payment methods that apply in each country.
Who handles chargebacks and processor disputes?
Your processor. Because your business is the merchant, disputes go through Stripe or Square under your agreement with them, and any dispute fee is theirs. The booking, invoice, signed waiver and payment history in BooknBuddy are useful evidence when you respond.
When are funds deposited?
Stripe accounts are paid out weekly, every Friday, from day one, and move to daily payouts automatically after two consecutive months at $1,000 or more in card payments. Square accounts are paid out on Square’s own schedule, usually the next business day.
Are processor fees separate from BooknBuddy’s platform fee?
Yes, they are two different charges. Stripe or Square charges its own processor fee under your agreement with them, which we neither set nor control. The BooknBuddy platform fee is separate and tiered by your monthly card volume: 1.5% on the first $4,000, 0.75% from $4,000 to $10,000, and 0.5% above $10,000. Larger businesses are welcome to ask about a flat rate.
| Charge | Who sets it | How much |
|---|---|---|
| Processor fee | Stripe or Square, under your agreement with them | Their published rate. It varies by card type, country and how the card is taken. |
| BooknBuddy platform fee | Us, published on this page | 1.5% on the first $4,000 a month 0.75% from $4,000 to $10,000 0.5% above $10,000 |
Is the platform fee negotiable?
For larger or multi-location businesses, yes. The tiers already lower your rate as volume grows, and if a single negotiated flat rate suits your business better, email info@booknbuddy.com with your typical monthly card volume and we will put a proposal in writing.
Let the booking take the payment.
Connect Stripe or Square during your free trial and run a real deposit, a real pickup and a real Tap to Pay sale before you decide.
Start Free TrialQuestions? info@booknbuddy.com