For pet care businesses, getting paid should be the easy part.
But when a client is picking up their dog, employees are helping another customer, phones are ringing, and the lobby is busy, taking payments can quickly become another task competing for your team’s attention.
That’s one reason the right kennel software can make such a difference. When payment processing is connected to the rest of your business management system, your team can spend less time manually handling transactions and more time focusing on the pets and clients in front of them.
Kennel Connection’s Payment Links give pet care businesses another way to collect payments. Instead of requiring clients to pay at the front desk, your team can send a secure payment link by text or email, allowing clients to pay from their own device.
Once the payment is completed, the invoice is automatically updated in Kennel Connection, reducing the need for manual payment entry.
What Are Payment Links?
A payment link gives your client a simple way of paying without requiring an employee to process the transaction at the front desk.
With Kennel Connection, businesses can send payment links through SMS text or email. The client opens the link, reviews the invoice, chooses their payment method, and completes the transaction.
Payment links can be used for:
- Paying open invoices
- Paying multiple invoices at once
- Collecting deposits for appointments
- Accepting tips
- Using a card already stored on file or entering a new card
Once the payment is successful, the invoice is marked as paid in Kennel Connection.
Why Payment Links Matter for Pet Care Businesses
Make Checkout Faster
The end of a pet’s stay can be one of the busiest parts of the day.
Clients are arriving to pick up their pets, employees are answering questions, and your team may still be caring for animals throughout the facility. Having every client stop at the front desk to complete payment can create unnecessary bottlenecks.
With payment links, you can send the invoice before the client arrives.
They can complete payment ahead of pickup, giving your team one less task to handle during a busy checkout period.
This is a good example of how modern kennel software can help streamline everyday operations without adding more work for your staff.
Give Clients More Convenience
Today’s customers are used to handling payments from their phones. They don’t necessarily want to wait in line or coordinate their schedule around your business’s checkout process.
A payment link gives them another option.
They can open the link from a text or email, review what they owe, and complete the payment when it is convenient for them.
For businesses offering boarding, daycare, grooming, or other services, flexibility can create a smoother overall customer experience.
Reduce Manual Payment Entry
One of the biggest advantages of connecting payments with your kennel software is what happens after the client pays.
Your employee doesn’t need to manually mark the invoice as paid or create another receipt after the client completes the transaction. Kennel Connection handles that process automatically.
That can save your team time while also reducing the chance of an employee forgetting to update an invoice.
Collect Deposits Before an Appointment
Payment links aren’t limited to final invoices.
Kennel Connection can also send payment links for deposits. For example, if a client needs to put down a deposit for an upcoming boarding reservation, your team can enter the deposit amount and send the client a payment link.
The client can then complete the payment through the link, and the deposit is recorded as a credit on their account.
This can be especially useful when clients are booking appointments over the phone or when you want to collect a deposit before the pet arrives.
Make Outstanding Balances Easier to Collect
Not every client will pay immediately when an invoice is created.
Instead of repeatedly calling or emailing a client to coordinate payment, your team can send a payment link directly to the outstanding invoice.
Kennel Connection also allows businesses to select multiple open invoices when sending a payment link. This can be helpful for clients with more than one outstanding balance.
What Does the Client Experience Look Like?
From the client’s perspective, the process is straightforward.
They receive a text or email with a Pay Now option. After opening the link, they can review the invoice details and proceed with payment.
If they already have a credit card saved, they can choose to use it. They can also enter a new card and save it to their account for future use.
Before completing payment, clients can also leave a tip.
Once payment goes through, the invoice is automatically marked as paid in Kennel Connection.
That means the client gets a convenient payment experience without adding another administrative step for your staff.
Don’t Forget About Deposits
Payment links can be especially useful when a client has already paid a deposit.
Before sending a payment link for the final invoice, the deposit should be applied to the invoice, so the client receives a link for the remaining balance, rather than being asked to pay the full amount again.
For example, imagine a client’s final invoice is $200 and they previously paid a $75 deposit.
Once that deposit is applied to the invoice, the payment link can be sent for the remaining $125 balance.
It’s a small step that can help make the payment process clearer for both your team and your client.
Keep Track of Your Payment Links
Sending a payment link doesn’t mean you have to lose track of it afterward.
Kennel Connection includes a Payment Links History area where your team can review links that have been sent, see whether payments have been completed, and resend or cancel links when necessary.
Payment links also expire after 30 days, helping prevent an old payment link from remaining active indefinitely.
Having this information within your kennel software gives your team greater visibility into the payment process without having to track transactions separately.
A Simple Way to Improve Checkout Experience
Payment processing doesn’t need to be complicated.
For pet care businesses, the goal is to make it as easy as possible for clients to pay while keeping the process manageable for employees.
Payment links help accomplish both.
Instead of making every payment a front-desk transaction, your team can give clients the flexibility to pay from their phone or computer. Deposits can be collected before appointments, invoices can be paid before pickup, and completed payments are automatically reflected in Kennel Connection.
It’s a simple example of how the right kennel software can help eliminate unnecessary administrative work and create a better experience for everyone.
