Area Types

Area Types represent the eight core categories within Pet Manager that structure how your services and facilities are organized. These serve as the foundation for managing bookings, staff assignments, and customer interactions. By default, the system provides eight predefined Area Types, but they are flexible and can be tailored to reflect the way your business operates. - Please note this article does not include the Retail feature. 

To manage your Area Types go to Settings > Area & Pens

Then navigate to Area Types in the left side menu.

Area Types Overview Table

The Overview page displays all Area Types configured within the system, giving you a clear snapshot of their key details. From here, you can quickly review information at a glance and make edits directly.

Name - This is the label assigned to an Area Type. It acts as the identifier used throughout the system and is also displayed to customers in the Customer Portal. You can edit the name to match your business terminology or preferences, while ensuring it still reflects the intended functionality of the Area Type.

System Type - This is the built‑in label that identifies the purpose of each Area Type. It determines how the system processes bookings, availability, and related functions. Unlike the customizable Name field, the System Type is fixed and cannot be changed, as it ensures consistency in how the system operates.

Min Booking Length - This setting defines the shortest duration that a booking must meet. It ensures that each service is allocated sufficient time, particularly when custom check‑in and check‑out times are being used.

Areas - This indicates the count of specific spaces or sub‑categories that fall under a given Area Type. Each Area represents a distinct physical or functional location where bookings can be assigned.

For example:

• Under the Boarding Area Type, you might create separate Areas such as Kennel and Cattery.
• Under the Daycare Area Type, you could set up Areas like Small Dog Room and Large Dog Room.
• Under the Grooming Area Type, you might include Bathing Station and Styling Room.

This structure allows you to organize services more precisely, ensuring bookings are allocated to the correct space.

Show Portal - When selected, makes this Area bookable through the Customer Portal

Show Packages - When selected, the packages configured for a specific Area are displayed on the customer portal and made available for purchase.

Packages Tab

On the Invoice

Ignore Opening Hours - Enables you to ignore any opening hours.

Portal Auto-Confirm - When enabled, portal bookings will be automatically confirmed as long as all pets on the booking have already been approved.

Repeat Booking Emails - This setting is enabled by default, but you can turn it off to stop automated emails for new bookings and new booking groups created through repeat bookings. The first (original) repeat booking will still send emails. This setting only affects the automatically generated repeat bookings.

Scheduler Full Width - When enabled, booking details in the scheduler’s week or month view expand across the full day. This allows more information to be visible at a glance, rather than being limited to the time slot.

Scheduler Full Width Disabled

Scheduler Full Width Enabled

Actions - Clicking the button opens the Area Type form, allowing you to make further edits.

Portal Payment Level - Will determine what the customer sees immediately after creating a booking. Your selection here will trigger different follow-up options, overriding what has been set up in your Customer Portal payments settings. 

Rebook Reminder Period - This setting controls how many days after the most recent checkout a rebook reminder is sent. If a customer makes another booking before the reminder is due, the system automatically updates the schedule and recalculates the reminder based on the latest booking. This setting can be used for either SMS or email, but not both.

Place Handler -    This setting lets you control the order in which Area Types appear in the Customer Portal when customers check availability and make a booking. You can simply use the up and down arrows to drag the items into the position you prefer, ensuring the display order matches how you’d like customers to see them.

Adding a booking via the Customer Portal

Check Availability via the Customer Portal

For More Information

On creating Areas view - Areas

On payment setting for the Customer Portal view - Portal Payments

On creating Packages view - Packages - Settings