PawScheduler / Square alternative for dog groomers
A Square alternative for dog groomers
Where a general booking app falls short for grooming
- Pet records. A generic client card has a name and a phone number. A grooming client is a household with two dogs, different coats, different services and different temperaments.
- Behavior warnings. You want Bites or Anxious to show up when you open the appointment, not to live in a notes field.
- Vaccine tracking. Rabies and Bordetella expiry dates, with alerts to clients before they lapse. On Growth and Pro, PawScheduler texts clients 30 and 7 days before a vaccine expires.
- Waivers and intake forms. A new client fills in the intake form (Basic and up), which creates the client and pet profiles automatically. Signed waivers are stored with a timestamp, on every plan.
- Multi-pet appointments. One booking, several dogs, each with its own service, price and duration.
Where Square is the better choice
If you take a lot of in-person payments and want Square's card readers and point-of-sale tools, or if you sell products at a counter, Square is built for that. PawScheduler is not a point-of-sale system. Check Square's current pricing and features on its own site, since both change.
How payments differ
PawScheduler payments (Pro plan) use your own Stripe account. After the groom you send a payment link by text or email. The client pays by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, and the appointment marks itself paid. PawScheduler takes no cut; Stripe charges its standard 2.9% + 30¢ online rate.
Side by side
| Need | General booking app (Square Appointments) | PawScheduler |
|---|---|---|
| Pet profiles and behavior tags | Not built in. Use notes fields. | Yes, on every plan. |
| Vaccine expiration alerts to clients | Not built in. | Yes, Growth and Pro. |
| Multi-pet bookings | Not built in. | Yes, Growth and Pro. |
| Intake forms and waivers | Generic forms may be possible. Check current features. | Waivers on every plan. Intake forms from Basic. |
| AI booking by text | Check current features. | Yes, Pro. |
| Card readers and in-person POS | Yes. Its strength. | No. |
The Square column describes a general-purpose booking app as we understand it. Square changes its features and pricing, so verify on Square's own site.
Common questions
Is Square Appointments good for dog groomers?
It works for simple booking and in-person payments. Groomers who need pet profiles, multi-dog bookings, vaccine tracking and waivers tend to prefer a grooming-specific tool.
What is a Square alternative for dog groomers?
PawScheduler is a scheduling and business tool built for solo and mobile dog groomers, with a free plan and paid plans from $19.99 to $79.99 a month.
Does PawScheduler sell card readers or point-of-sale hardware?
No. Payments are sent as links by text or email through your own Stripe account, not taken with a card reader.
How much does PawScheduler take from card payments?
Nothing. Payments go from the client to your Stripe account and then to your bank. Stripe's standard online rate is 2.9% + 30¢.
Try it on your real schedule
The free plan covers up to 50 appointments a month. No credit card.
Start freeMore from PawScheduler
Comparisons
- MoeGo alternative for solo groomers
- Gingr alternative for solo groomers
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- GroomBoard vs PawScheduler
Guides
- Best software for solo dog groomers
- Mobile dog grooming software
- Dog grooming scheduling software
- Dog grooming software pricing
- How to reduce no-shows in dog grooming
- PawScheduler FAQ