Switching without losing a weekend
The reason operators stay on software they dislike is not the price. It is the fear of the two weeks in the middle. Here is exactly what those two weeks look like.
The short answer
Migrating to Plug N Play takes about two weeks and costs nothing on any plan. We import your clients, animals, vaccine records, appointment history and open balances, then you run both systems in parallel for a week before picking your own switch date. Saved credit cards do not transfer unless you keep your existing payment processor.
- 1
Day 1
We look at what you actually run
A call where you show us the week — how you book, how you invoice, what the front desk types twice. We export a copy of your data from your current system, or you send us the export it produces.
- 2
Days 2–4
We build your workspace, not a demo
Services, packages, prices, staff, rooms and runs, forms, waivers, email templates. Your clients, animals, vaccine records, appointment history and open balances are imported. When you first log in it is your business on screen, not sample data.
- 3
Week 1
You use it in parallel — the old one stays on
You keep taking bookings where you take them today. We run the same days through Plug N Play alongside, and you check the two agree. Nothing is cancelled and nothing is at risk.
- 4
Week 2
You pick the switch date
Usually a Monday. New bookings start going into Plug N Play, we re-import anything that changed in the gap, and your client portal goes live. We are on the phone through the first busy weekend.
- 5
After
Your old system stays readable for as long as you want
We never ask you to cancel the old subscription before you are ready. Keep it read-only for a month if it helps you sleep.
What comes across
- Clients — names, emails, phones, addresses, notes
- Animals — breed, age, weight, feeding, meds, behaviour notes
- Vaccine records and expiry dates
- Appointment history, so a client’s record is not empty on day one
- Open invoices and outstanding balances
- Packages and remaining sessions
- Documents and signed waivers, attached to the right client
What does not
Saved credit cards
Card tokens belong to your old processor and are not transferable. Clients re-enter a card the first time they pay — or you keep your existing Authorize.net / Stripe account, in which case saved cards on THAT account keep working.
Photos and message history in bulk
Some platforms export these, most do not. We take what your export contains. Anything not in it stays in the old system, which is one reason we tell you not to cancel it immediately.
Your staff’s muscle memory
A new system is genuinely slower for about a week. We train your team before the switch, not after, and the first week is when you want us reachable — not the fourth.
Three things that can make it harder
If you have migrated before you already know these exist. A page that skips them is a page written by someone who has not done it.
- If your data is only in a proprietary system with no export, we may have to work from reports and rebuild rather than import. That takes longer and we will tell you the day we see it.
- Recurring billing has to be re-authorised. A subscription cannot be silently moved from one processor to another — clients confirm the new charge. That is a legal requirement, not our policy.
- Two weeks is typical, not guaranteed. A single-location grooming salon is quicker; a multi-location board-and-train with three years of history is not.
Coming from something specific?
Published prices, what each one does better, and what the move involves.
Switching questions
How long does switching take?
Two weeks is typical: a few days to build and import, a week running both systems in parallel, then a switch date you choose. A single-location salon can be quicker. A multi-location facility with years of history takes longer, and we say so up front.
Will I lose bookings during the move?
No, because nothing is cut over until you say so. You keep taking bookings exactly where you take them today until the date you pick, and we re-import anything that changed in between.
Do I have to cancel my current software first?
No, and we would rather you did not. Keep it running through the parallel period and read-only for a while after. The trial is free, so you are not paying twice for long.
What does the migration cost?
Nothing. It is part of getting set up, on every plan, including the free one. We do not charge for onboarding or data import.
Can I keep my payment processor?
Yes. Bring your own Authorize.net or Stripe account and your existing saved cards keep working. That is also the fastest path, because nobody has to re-enter a card.
Send us your export. We will show you your own business in it.
Free for 30 days, and you keep running on what you have until you decide.