Guide
How to choose a POS for a pet store that sells puppies and kittens
A pet store that sells live animals needs a POS that treats each animal as one of one, takes and applies deposits, produces the bill of sale and health guarantee for signature at checkout, records every kind of payment, handles commissions, and still rings up supplies. General retail POS systems do the last part only. Petlovin' does all of it for free.
Why a normal retail POS gets a puppy wrong
A retail register counts quantity. A puppy has a quantity of one, a name, a mother and father, a vaccine history, a microchip and a buyer whose name has to be on the paperwork. Put that into a SKU and everything the store needs at the moment of sale lives somewhere else: a binder, a spreadsheet, a photocopier.
The problems show up at the counter. Two salespeople sell the same puppy. A deposit taken last week is not on the ticket today. The bill of sale is filled in by hand and the health guarantee is a photocopy nobody signed. The insurance offer gets forgotten on a busy Saturday. Commission has to be worked out later from memory.
The checklist
| What to look for | Why it matters | In Petlovin' |
|---|---|---|
| One-of-one animal line items | Two registers cannot sell the same animal | A pet is held the moment it lands in a cart and re-checked before the sale closes |
| Hold deposits | Families reserve, then pay the balance later | Deposit taken with a signed hold agreement, applied to the final ticket or refunded |
| Paperwork at checkout | Bill of sale, health guarantee, records | Generated from the animal's record, signed on screen, sealed PDF with a verification page |
| Insurance at handoff | Coverage in the first weeks protects the family and the store | For stores enrolled in the Kanguro program, a quote at the counter before the ticket closes |
| Financing and every tender | Big tickets are paid several ways | Record cash, check, card, financing, deposit, gift card and store credit on one ticket |
| Returns tied to the sale | A returned pet or product must reverse correctly | Returns linked to the original ticket; stock goes back; refund to the original tender or store credit |
| Commissions and splits | Salespeople get paid per sale, sometimes shared | Commission plans, splits, an order-by-order ledger that reverses on refunds, payouts |
| Manager approvals | Voids, discounts and refunds are where shrink hides | Manager PIN required, configurable per action |
| Drawer and shift | Cash has to balance at night | Open and close drawers, counts, Z-reports |
Questions to ask on the demo
- Add the same puppy to two carts on two devices. What happens?
- Take a $500 deposit today, then sell the puppy next week. Does the deposit land on the ticket by itself?
- Close a sale. Where is the bill of sale, and who signed it, and can a third party verify the signature later?
- Refund a puppy that went home yesterday. Does the commission reverse?
- Split a sale between two salespeople 60/40. Show me the report.
What it costs
Petlovin' is $0 per month for the register, the animal records and the CRM.
Questions, answered
What paperwork should a pet store POS produce?
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At minimum a bill of sale naming the buyer and the animal, the store's health guarantee or warranty, and the vaccination and deworming record. Many states also require specific disclosures for pet dealers; check yours. Petlovin' generates these from the animal's record and takes signatures on screen.
Does a pet store POS need commissions?
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If salespeople are paid per animal, yes, and the commission has to reverse when a sale is refunded. Petlovin' includes commission plans, splits and an order-by-order ledger.