Terminology cheatsheet
New apps can feel like they’re speaking a different language. Here’s your Barkway-to-English dictionary so the buttons and labels make sense from day one. 🐾
Booking
An appointment for a pet. The backbone of Barkway — it ties together the client, pet, services, price, and time.
Status
The stage a booking is in: Scheduled, In progress, Completed, or Cancelled.
(We keep cancelled ones around for reporting — no hiding the evidence!)
Client
The human. They pay the bill, usually hold the lead, and sometimes forget the appointment (hence reminders).
Pet
The star of the show. Has details like breed, temperament, allergies, vet info, notes, and a photo (because who doesn’t want to see those faces?).
Service
What you offer: Full groom, Nail trim, Bath & tidy. Each has its own price and duration so Barkway can do the maths for you.
Discount
Money taken off the total. Could be £10 off or 10% off — Barkway calculates it either way.
Deposit
Money collected up front to lock in a booking or held on a client’s account.
- Client deposit: saved on their profile and automatically applied to new bookings.
- Booking deposit: tied to one appointment.
Both can be fixed or % and show in the breakdown.
Invoice
A professional bill generated automatically when a booking is marked Completed.
- Share a public link or download PDF.
- Accept payments (cash, bank, or card if Stripe Express is connected).
- Once Paid, the invoice (and booking) are locked.
Payment Method
How the invoice was settled: Card (Stripe), Cash, or Bank transfer.
Stripe updates automatically, others you mark manually.
Stripe Express
The secure way to accept card payments directly on invoices. Connect once in Settings → Payments and Barkway adds a Pay by Card button to invoices.
Recall list
A list of pets overdue for grooming, showing how many days past due. Each row has a Send reminder button to nudge owners back.
Calendar
Your command centre.
- Weekly view on desktop/iPad (or your preferred view).
- Day view on mobile (to keep things readable).
- Shows booking statuses in colour: Orange (upcoming), Light green (in progress), Dark green (completed).
Reminder
An email or SMS sent to clients before appointments.
Also sent automatically after payment as a thank you — includes the paid invoice link.
Photos
Upload before/after shots to a booking. Creates a mini portfolio for each groom, all tied to that appointment.
Smart Scheduler™
Barkway’s slot suggester. Balances your availability, opening hours, and gaps to recommend the best time.
Keep this cheatsheet handy at first — after a week you’ll be talking fluent Barkway.