Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about Chester, in one place.
For Providers
Under 5 minutes. Create your account, add your services and pricing, and you're ready to accept bookings. No demo call required.
Clients create a free account to book services, message you, and pay invoices. There's no cost or subscription for them — ever.
Chester uses Stripe Connect. You complete a quick onboarding (takes about 2 minutes), then clients can pay invoices with one tap. Funds are deposited directly to your bank account.
You keep 100% of what you bill. Card payments cost money to process, so Chester adds a flat 5% service fee on top of your total at checkout — never carved out of your rate. You decide who covers it: your client (the default), you, or a split up to a cap you set. Bill by cash, e-transfer, or cheque and there's no Chester fee at all. No hidden fees, no surprise charges, no cut of your work.
Yes. The Team plan adds staff and contractor management for $12/month per additional member. Assign roles with granular permissions, distribute bookings, and manage your team from one dashboard.
Report cards are detailed summaries you send to clients after each visit. They include per-pet observations (mood, energy, appetite), photos, and notes. Clients love them — they build trust and keep people coming back.
Chester automatically analyzes report card data over time to detect trends in each pet's mood, energy, and appetite. If a dog's energy has been declining over the past few visits, you'll see it highlighted — helping you provide better care and communicate proactively with owners.
Yes. Chester supports dog walking, pet sitting, training, grooming, and boarding. Each service type gets its own booking settings, report card templates, cancellation policies, and pay rates.
When you start a walk, Chester tracks your route in real-time using your phone's GPS. Distance is computed automatically, and the route is attached to the report card when you finish. Weather context is captured at the start. Pet parents can see exactly where you went.
You configure cancellation policies per service type. Set a free cancellation window (e.g., 24 hours before), a late cancellation fee (fixed or percentage), and a no-show fee. When a client cancels late or no-shows, Chester automatically generates a fee invoice. You can also waive fees with a reason on a case-by-case basis.
Report cards include per-pet observations for mood, energy, appetite, and potty, plus a personal provider note, a highlight moment (used in push notifications), photos and videos, and optional internal notes only you can see. Grooming visits can include coat condition and products used. Training visits can include session progress and homework. Templates are configurable per service type.
Yes. On the Pro and Team plans, you can generate pay reports for any date range. Reports show per-booking itemization with date, service type, client, duration, rate, and pay amount. Export to CSV for your accounting or payroll software.
Create agreement templates per service type. When a client signs up, they review and e-sign the agreement from their phone. Chester tracks the signature timestamp and version. Agreements can expire and be re-signed as needed.
Yes. If a staff member can't make a booking, you can reassign it to another team member with handoff notes so they have full context. The booking history tracks the reassignment.
For Pet Owners
There's no subscription or app charge for pet owners — booking, messaging, and report cards are all free. When you pay an invoice online, a service fee may be added at checkout; your provider chooses whether to pass it on, absorb it, or split it. Your total is always shown before you pay.
Your provider sends report cards after each visit with photos, mood/energy/appetite observations, and notes. You can also see trend data over time in the pet insights section.
Yes. Chester includes real-time messaging so you can communicate with your provider anytime. You'll also get push notifications for new messages and report cards.
When your provider sends an invoice, you'll see it in the Payments section. Tap 'Pay Now' and complete the checkout securely through Stripe. It takes about 10 seconds.
Yes. Add as many pets as you need. Each pet gets its own profile with medical notes, behavior information, vaccination tracking, vet info, and visit history.
Yes. Upload proof of vaccination documents directly from your phone. Your provider can review and approve them. Chester tracks due dates so you never miss a renewal.
Yes. If your provider uses GPS tracking during walks, you'll see the route, distance, and weather conditions attached to the report card. You can see exactly where they went.
Chester analyzes your pet's report card data over time to detect trends in mood, energy, appetite, and more. You'll see a summary of how your pet is doing across visits — improving, stable, or something to watch. It takes at least 5 visits before insights are generated.
General
Chester uses Supabase with enterprise-grade encryption, Row Level Security (RLS) on every table, and regular backups. Your data is protected with the same standards used by major tech companies.
Yes. Chester is a cross-platform mobile app available on both iOS and Android. It's built with modern technology to feel native on both platforms.
Every plan includes email support — reach us anytime at support@chester.pet.
Yes. There are no contracts or cancellation fees. You can downgrade to the Free plan or cancel your subscription at any time. Your data is yours.
Still Have Questions?
We'd love to hear from you. Reach out and we'll get back to you within 24 hours.