How are my deposits and cancellations protected?

Once you've completed the sign up process, you can apply any of the following:

• Upfront Payments (or deposits)
• Card on File
• No Payment Protection

Selecting any of these is what will be applied on your online booking, however, when creating an appointment manually you can still select the other options. Any appointments that require either will not be confirmed until they have completed the payment or input their card details on the link.

For more info, see pata.pet/business/pata-pay

You can set up both Upfront Payments and Card on File, so that when you create an appointment yourself, you can select the relevant option for that client.

Upfront Payments

You can charge part or full payment of any services that are booked through the Marketplace, or when creating an appointment manually. This payment is non-refundable (at your discretion) to ensure financial protection, should the Client cancel or no-show. This reduces the risk of the cancellations and no-shows as the Client has committed financially to the appointment.

Pata encourages Upfront Payments over any other method as it imposes the least amount of financial risk on your Business.

To enable upfront payments:

1. Click on the Payments icon on the side menu
   
2. Select the Settings tab 
3. Under Payment Protection, select Upfront payments
4. Select the Upfront payment type from the dropdown and input the amount
   • This will apply to all services, so will take either a fixed amount or percentage of the service as a deposit/upfront payment
   • If you want the Client to pay for the full service upfront, choose percentage and input 100% in the amount
   • Any services that cost less than the fixed amount will only charge the service amount.
5. Click Next and add any Additional payment terms
   • This is optional, but we advise to be fully transparent as possible, so if there are any additional things you'd like the Client to know, put this here
6. Click Save
7. On the online payment option dropdown, select Upfront Payments

Card on File

You can capture card details of Clients who book through the Marketplace, or request them via text/email when creating an appointment. This allows you to charge them directly if they cancel or no-show outside of your policy. 

It will also allow you take payments directly when checking out an appointment, for those clients who are in a rush or just like to pick up their pets and go.

To enable Card capture:

1. Click on the Payments icon on the side menu
   
2. Select the Settings tab
3. Under Payment Protection, select Collect Card
4. Use the checkboxes to select:
   1. Collect cancellation fee
      1. Add your Cancellation Period using the dropdown
      2. The payment type (flat fee or percentage of the appointment) and the amount below it
   2. Collect no show fee
      1. The Payment type (flat fee or percentage of the appointment)
      2. The percentage or amount (e.g. £25)
5. Click Next and add any Additional payment terms
   • This is optional, but we advise to be fully transparent as possible, so if there are any additional things you'd like the Client to know, put this here
6. Click Save
7. On the online payment option dropdown, select Collect Card

No Payment Protection

There is the option to not charge Clients when they book through the Marketplace, however, this is not recommended as the Business will be at risk of financial loss due to cancellations and no-shows. If you're happy to accept these risks, you can enable No Payment Protection by:

1. Click on the Payments icon on the side menu
   
2. Select the Settings tab
3. On the online payment option dropdown, select No Payment Protection

This can be changed at any time, so if you change your mind, simply follow the steps for the relevant payment protection.