How to create a membership program for your pet care business
Memberships aren’t just a nice-to-have anymore—they’re a smart, scalable way to increase retention, build predictable revenue, and deliver more value to your best customers. Whether you're running a dog daycare, grooming salon, or full-service boarding facility, a well-designed membership program can help you retain frequent customers, reduce last-minute scheduling chaos, and generate reliable income month after month.
Why offer memberships?
Here’s what the numbers and industry trends suggest:
Predictable revenue
A facility offering 30 memberships at $300/month can bank on $9,000 in recurring revenue—without needing to sell individual visits.
Higher retention
One pet resort saw a 20% increase in repeat bookings after launching a monthly daycare pass. Why? People tend to use what they’ve already paid for.
Streamlined operations
You can batch recurring billing, reduce invoice complexity, and forecast staffing more accurately when customer usage is predictable.
Customer loyalty
Pet parents who feel like insiders—whether through early booking access or exclusive perks—are less likely to switch providers.
Memberships enhance customer loyalty and reward your best clients.
Core building blocks
Every membership program has four moving parts. Here’s what they mean and how to use them:
Element
What It Controls
Practical Advice
Plan name
The name customers see (e.g., "Unlimited Daycare Pass")
Use clear names that communicate frequency and value. “8-Pack Pass” or “VIP Monthly” is better than “Gold Tier.”
Billing cycle
How often members are charged
Most pet care businesses use 28-day or monthly cycles. Avoid quarterly or annual billing unless customers are explicitly asking for it.
Recurring fee
The price paid each cycle
Start by pricing based on what a loyal customer already spends, then offer a modest savings (5–15%) to encourage conversion.
Benefits
What the customer receives
Structure these around your core services (like daycare days or grooming credits) and track usage accordingly.
EXAMPLE
A customer who normally comes in 3 days/week and pays $35/day might pay $378/month for 12 visits ($31.50/day).
Choosing the right benefit type
There are two common models:
How It Works
Best For
Example
Unlimited
Limited
Automatically applies the discount to every qualifying purchase. No usage tracking.
Tracks a specific number of uses per billing cycle.
Customers who come 5+ days per week or want price certainty.
Customers with predictable, moderate usage (2–3x/week).
“Unlimited daycare at 50% off standard rate”
“8 full-day visits every 28 days”
Use limited benefits if you want tighter control over margins and predictability. Use unlimited when your operational costs scale with volume but you want to offer perceived high value.
Step-by-step setup
This isn’t theoretical—here’s how to go from idea to live offering:
1Pick a name and set the price
Choose something like “Weekday Wag Pass” or “Frequent Fluffers Club.”
Look at your average loyal customer spend. If they pay $300/month already, offer your membership at $270–$285.
2Choose a billing cycle
A 28-day rolling cycle helps normalize revenue and avoids calendar month variations.
Be clear on when the cycle starts and ends—it should be based on sign-up date.
3Define benefits
Start with one core service (e.g., daycare visits).
Decide if it’s unlimited (no tracking, flat discount) or limited (set number of uses).
Optional: Add perks like 10% off grooming, free nature walks, or birthday treats.
4Use the right tools
Your system must support recurring billing, usage tracking (especially for limited plans), and staff visibility at checkout.
5Train your team
Use cheat sheets at the front desk showing what’s included in each membership.
Make sure staff know how to explain plans, upsell, and handle common edge cases (e.g., running out of credits).
6Market the program
Add signage in your lobby.
Promote via email and text to your most loyal customers.
Offer early bird perks for first 10–20 sign-ups (e.g., free treat, waived enrollment fee).
Important guardrails
These are the common pitfalls to watch for:
Avoid fixed-date billing
Trying to bill all members on the 1st of the month is a nightmare to manage. Use rolling billing based on sign-up.
Manual perks are a hassle
If a perk isn’t automated (like skipping the late fee), it probably won’t be applied consistently.
No rollovers (unless you plan for it)
Don’t allow credits to carry over unless your software tracks them and your margins can handle it.
Card on file is non-negotiable
Don’t allow cash/check memberships—it creates friction and kills automation.
Account clarity
Decide if benefits are per pet or per household. If one pet uses all the credits, will that frustrate the other owner?
Automating perks and payments reduces hassle.
Real-world example: Happy Tails Doggy Daycare
Let’s break down a simple 3-tier model:
Membership Name
Ideal Guest
Included Visits
Member Price
Renews
Effective Rate
Extra Perks
Casual Pup
1–2 days/week
8
$228
Every 28 days
$28.50/visit (5% off)
10% off enrichment add-ons
Weekday Wag
3–4 days/week
16
$432
Every 28 days
$27/visit (10% off)
15% off enrichment, priority holiday bookings
Everyday VIP
5+ days/week
Unlimited
$510
Every 28 days
~$25.50/visit avg.
20% off enrichment, free birthday treat, skip-the-line check-in
They used these tiers to:
Simplify conversations with clients
Standardize pricing and reduce churn
Create built-in upsell paths (most "Casual Pup" members eventually moved up)
Final tips
Limit to 2–3 options: Too many choices create decision fatigue.
Use real math: Price based on actual customer behavior. Run a report to see what your 20 most loyal customers spend, then price from there.
Test, don’t guess: Launch with a beta group before making it public.
Track engagement: Monitor not just sign-ups, but usage rates and upgrade/downgrade trends.
Other Goose guides
Resources to help you boost revenue and enhance customer satisfaction for your pet care business
Buying Pet Care Software
Practical advice for selecting the best software to transform your pet care business.
Predictable revenue
Higher retention
Streamlined operations
Customer loyalty
