How to switch grooming software without losing clients
Who moves your data for free, what never moves by itself, and a plan that keeps your bookings safe during the week you switch.
Mriganka Bhuyan
Founder, June · November 7, 2026
The short answer
If you switch grooming software, most companies will move your clients and pets for free. The catch is in the conditions. Gingr charges $350 if its team does the import. Pawfinity’s free import is for new accounts only. Many tools do not say whether upcoming appointments move. And saved cards rarely move: plan for clients to save their card again.
I built June, and I move shops into it, so I have a side here. I wrote this the way I wish someone had explained it to me: who moves what, what stays behind, and how to keep your bookings safe during the week you switch. Every fact about another company comes from that company’s own pages.
Facts checked: November 7, 2026
Full disclosure
I built June, one of the products discussed here. The pricing and product information below was checked against each company’s current public documentation, and I’ll point out where another product is the better fit.
Which grooming software will move your clients for free
Almost every company says it offers free data migration. What they mean by it differs a lot. The column that matters most is the third one: what stays behind.
| Software | What moves | What stays behind | Cost and who does it | How long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June | Clients, pets, future appointments, past visits, notes, and vaccine records. What comes over depends on the data in your export, so it differs from shop to shop. | Saved cards, payment history, message history, and photos. | Free. I do it myself. | Usually about a day |
| MoeGo | Clients, pets, services, staff, tags, and appointments, including future ones | Message history. Its help pages disagree on vaccine files and billing history. | Free. MoeGo support does it. | A few days to a week |
| DaySmart Pet | Clients, pets, vets, services, products, staff, gift certificates, client notes | Appointments not mentioned | Free. The DaySmart data team does it. | 3 to 5 business days after they get your file |
| Gingr | Owners, pets, future reservations, retail, package credits | Not stated | Free if you fill in their template yourself. $350 if their team does it. | 4 business days for the paid import |
| Groomsoft | Customer and pet data | Not stated | Free. Groomsoft does it. | Not stated |
| Pawfinity | Client and pet list | Not stated | Free for new accounts only. The Pawfinity team does it. | Not stated |
| Groomer.io | Client names, notes, and contact details, one time | Not stated | Ask in writing within 30 days of signing up. Groomer.io does it. | Not stated |
| WagTab | Clients, pets, past and upcoming visits, price list, vaccine dates | Photos, saved cards, payment history, balances, package credits, memberships, repeat-visit rules | Free. You do it, or WagTab does it by email. | Not stated |
| Packyard | Clients, pets, services | MoeGo Pay history | Free. You do it, or the Packyard team does. | 1 to 3 days |
| GroomTower | Clients, pets, grooming history, contact details | Not stated | Free. The GroomTower team does it. | 1 to 2 days for most salons |
| Groomi | Clients and pets | Past appointments and sales history. You add upcoming appointments yourself. | Free. You do it, or the Groomi team does. | Not stated |
“Not stated” means the company does not say on its own pages. Ask before you sign up.
Why your clients will need to save their card again
Most switching guides skip this. Saved cards are held by the payment company, not by the grooming software. MoeGo’s own help center says it plainly: card information “cannot be transferred”, and if you switch payment processors, clients will need to enter their card again.
There is one route, and it is narrow. Square and Stripe will send saved cards to another payment company, but only to one that passes the strictest card-security audit (PCI DSS Level 1). Square says only the account owner can ask, and that it can take up to two weeks. And MoeGo says cards saved in MoeGo Pay cannot be moved to another processor.
For most small shops, my advice is the simple route. Ask clients to save a card at their next booking or visit.
How to get your client list out of your current software
Before you cancel anything, download your own copy. You need it for the move, and some companies delete data after you leave. Groomer.io gives you 30 days. Gingr’s export steps are not on its public pages, so ask its support.
| Software | Where to find it | What you get | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| MoeGo | On a computer: Client & Pets, then Options, then Export Clients. Not in the phone app. | Clients and pets (CSV). Appointments come from a report in the Report Library. | Full export can depend on your staff role. |
| DaySmart Pet | More, then Settings, then Support, then Download Backup. Or the data request form. | A full backup of your account (XML file) | Only the account owner can ask. Up to 2 business days. |
| Groomsoft | Reports tab, Customer List report, then the CSV icon at the top right | Customer list (CSV) | Not stated |
| Groomer.io | Its built-in reports | Common reports (Excel or CSV) | A full copy costs extra. After you cancel, 30 days to download, card data left out. |
| Square | Customers, then Customer directory, then Import / Export, then Export customers | Customer list (CSV). No pets. | Saved cards need a separate owner request. |
A switching plan that keeps your bookings safe
In my experience, the risky part of a switch is the gap between the last export and the first day on the new software. This plan is built to close that gap.
1 to 2 weeks before
Get ready
- Check your contract and notice period. Groomer.io asks for 30 days in writing.
- Check who can export. Some tools allow only the owner.
- Pick a quiet week, not the week before a holiday.
- Export clients, pets, and future appointments.
- Save vaccine certificates and photos you need. Imports often drop attachments.
- List what your new software will not move. Often that means saved cards, prepaid packages, and gift card or client balances.
Switch week
Move and check
- Set a final export time. Anything booked after it gets added by hand.
- Test one hard client first: several dogs, a repeat booking, a balance.
- Check the next two weeks of appointments against your old calendar.
- Set up services, prices, and staff before the first booking.
- Turn reminders on after the check, and before the next reminder is due.
First two weeks after
Close the loop
- Update your booking link everywhere: website, Google, Facebook, Instagram, printed cards.
- Tell clients the new booking link.
- Check bookings and payments at opening and closing for the first week.
- Download one last full copy from the old software.
- Cancel in writing and keep the confirmation.
Should you run both systems side by side for a while? Guides disagree. My advice: keep the old system open to look things up for a short while, but take new bookings in one place only from day one. Booking in two places at once is how double bookings happen.
Six questions to ask before you sign up
Ask the new company, in writing:
- What moves: clients, pets, future appointments, past visits, notes, vaccines, photos?
- Who does the work: my team or yours?
- How long does it take, from my file to a working calendar?
- Will any text or email go to my clients when you import them?
- What stays behind?
- Is it really free, and are there conditions?
A company that has done this many times answers all six in one email. If the answers are vague, the move will be too.
How a move to June works
June’s data migration is free, and I do it myself, so you are not handed a template and a help article. Your clients, pets, and future appointments come across, and so do past visits, notes, and vaccine records. What comes over depends on the data in your export, so it differs from shop to shop. Saved cards, payment history, message history, and photos stay behind.
A move usually takes about a day. I switch off client notifications while the import runs, so your clients get no texts or emails from it.
If you want to keep your current texting number, ask me before you switch. Whether it can move depends on who holds the number today.
New shops pay $69 USD a month, and your price stays the same for as long as you stay subscribed. Staff, clients, and bookings are unlimited.
When another software is the better pick
You run boarding or daycare too: Gingr is built for that, and its import moves future reservations and package credits.
Keep comparing
Frequently asked questions
Which grooming software moves my client list for free?
Most do, with conditions. June, MoeGo, DaySmart Pet, Groomsoft, WagTab, Packyard, GroomTower and Groomi move clients and pets for free. Gingr is free only if you fill in its template yourself, or $350 if its team does it. Pawfinity's free import is for new accounts only.
Will I lose bookings if I switch grooming software?
You can, in two places. Some tools do not move upcoming appointments, so ask before you sign up. And anything booked between your last export and your first day on the new software has to be added by hand. Set a final export time, and check the next two weeks of appointments against your old calendar before you turn reminders on.
Do saved cards move when I switch grooming software?
Rarely. Saved cards are held by the payment company. MoeGo's help center says card information cannot be transferred when you switch processors. Square and Stripe can send saved cards only to a payment company that passes the strictest card-security audit (PCI DSS Level 1), and Square says only the account owner can ask. The simple route is to ask clients to save a card again at their next visit.
How do I export my clients from MoeGo?
On a computer, open Client & Pets, then Options, then Export Clients. It downloads a CSV file of clients and pets. It is not available in the phone app, and your staff role can limit it. Appointments come out through a report in the Report Library.
How long does it take to switch grooming software?
It depends on the company. Packyard says 1 to 3 days, GroomTower says 1 to 2 days for most salons, DaySmart Pet says 3 to 5 business days after it gets your file, Gingr's paid import takes 4 business days, and MoeGo says a few days to a week.
When is the best time to switch grooming software?
A quiet week. Avoid the weeks before holidays, when the calendar is full and a missed reminder costs the most.
Official sources
Product pages change. These were the primary sources checked for this article, and the verification date appears above. They are listed for transparency without sending you away from June.
- MoeGo Help Center: What data can be imported into MoeGo (June 2, 2026)
- MoeGo Help Center: Importing your data into MoeGo (June 2, 2026)
- MoeGo Help Center: Client & Pet list overview (June 2, 2026)
- MoeGo Help Center: MoeGo Pay card on file (August 24, 2026)
- MoeGo blog: Switching pet business software (April 13, 2026)
- DaySmart Pet Help: Importing and migrating data (July 10, 2026)
- DaySmart Pet Help: Data retrieval request form (August 26, 2026)
- Gingr FAQs page
- MoeGo FAQ page
- MoeGo Help Center: Export clients to report outside of MoeGo
- MoeGo Help Center: How to use the Report Library
- DaySmart Pet: Pet Cloud subscription plans and features
- Groomsoft homepage and Reports FAQ
- Pawfinity: Free data import for client and pet information
- Groomer.io Terms of Service (last modified September 12, 2025)
- WagTab: Switch page
- Packyard: Switch page
- GroomTower: Switching guide
- Groomi: Switch from MoeGo
- Square Help: Export card on file to third-party payment processors
- Stripe Docs: Card data exports (PAN export)
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