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  1. Learn
  2. Paystack for African Developers
  3. Build a Veterinary Clinic Booking and Payment System
Bonaventure OgetoBy Bonaventure Ogeto|Updated July 22, 2026

Build a Veterinary Clinic Booking and Payment System

Build a vet clinic booking system by managing appointment slots per vet, requiring a deposit (NGN 500-2,000) at booking time via Paystack, confirming the slot only after the charge.success webhook fires, and maintaining a pet health record per patient with vaccination history and upcoming due dates for automated reminders.

In this article

  1. 1. Appointment Booking and Deposit Collection
  2. 2. Pet Health Records and Vaccination Reminders
  3. 3. Learn More

Appointment Booking and Deposit Collection

Tables: vets (name, specialty, avatar_url), services (name, duration_mins, base_price), slots (vet_id, date, start_time, status, booking_id), bookings (owner_id, pet_id, vet_id, service_id, slot_id, deposit_amount, total_estimate, status, paystack_ref), pets (owner_id, name, species, breed, dob, weight_kg, vaccination_records[]).

async function bookAppointment(ownerEmail, ownerId, petId, vetId, serviceId, slotId) {
  var slot = await db.slots.findById(slotId);
  if (slot.status !== 'available') throw new Error('Slot not available');

  var service = await db.services.findById(serviceId);
  var deposit = 100000; // NGN 1,000 deposit
  var reference = 'VET-' + Date.now();

  // Hold the slot
  await db.slots.update(slotId, { status: 'held', held_until: new Date(Date.now() + 15 * 60000) });

  var booking = await db.bookings.create({
    owner_id: ownerId, pet_id: petId, vet_id: vetId, service_id: serviceId, slot_id: slotId,
    deposit_amount: deposit, total_estimate: service.base_price,
    status: 'pending_payment', paystack_ref: reference,
  });

  var res = await fetch('https://api.paystack.co/transaction/initialize', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: { Authorization: 'Bearer ' + process.env.PAYSTACK_SECRET_KEY, 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      email: ownerEmail, amount: deposit, currency: 'NGN', reference,
      metadata: { booking_id: booking.id, slot_id: slotId, pet_id: petId },
    }),
  });
  return (await res.json()).data.authorization_url;
}

// Webhook: confirm booking on deposit payment
if (event.event === 'charge.success') {
  var meta = event.data.metadata;
  if (!meta.booking_id) return res.sendStatus(200);
  await db.slots.update(meta.slot_id, { status: 'booked', held_until: null });
  await db.bookings.update(meta.booking_id, { status: 'confirmed' });

  var booking = await db.bookings.findById(meta.booking_id);
  var pet = await db.pets.findById(meta.pet_id);
  var slot = await db.slots.findById(meta.slot_id);
  await sendConfirmationSMS(booking.owner_id, pet.name, slot.date, slot.start_time);
}

// Cron: release expired holds
async function releaseExpiredHolds() {
  var expired = await db.slots.findAll({ status: 'held', held_until_lt: new Date() });
  for (var slot of expired) {
    await db.slots.update(slot.id, { status: 'available', held_until: null });
    await db.bookings.update({ slot_id: slot.id, status: 'pending_payment' }, { status: 'expired' });
  }
}

Pet Health Records and Vaccination Reminders

// Record vaccination at clinic visit
async function recordVaccination(petId, vaccineName, doseNumber, nextDueDate) {
  await db.pets.addVaccinationRecord(petId, {
    vaccine: vaccineName,
    dose: doseNumber,
    administered_at: new Date(),
    next_due_date: nextDueDate,
  });
}

// Cron: check upcoming vaccinations and send reminders
async function sendVaccinationReminders() {
  var oneWeekAhead = new Date();
  oneWeekAhead.setDate(oneWeekAhead.getDate() + 7);

  var petsDue = await db.pets.findVaccinationsDueBefore(oneWeekAhead);
  for (var record of petsDue) {
    var pet = await db.pets.findById(record.pet_id);
    var owner = await db.owners.findById(pet.owner_id);
    await sendSMS(owner.phone,
      pet.name + ''s ' + record.vaccine + ' (dose ' + record.dose + ') is due on ' +
      record.next_due_date.toDateString() + '. Book: yourvet.com/book'
    );
    await db.pets.markReminderSent(record.id);
  }
}

// Balance payment after clinic visit (via link or card swipe)
async function requestBalancePayment(bookingId, ownerEmail, actualAmount) {
  var booking = await db.bookings.findById(bookingId);
  var balanceDue = actualAmount - booking.deposit_amount;
  if (balanceDue <= 0) {
    await db.bookings.update(bookingId, { status: 'paid_in_full' });
    return null; // deposit covered everything
  }

  var reference = 'VETBAL-' + bookingId + '-' + Date.now();
  var res = await fetch('https://api.paystack.co/transaction/initialize', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: { Authorization: 'Bearer ' + process.env.PAYSTACK_SECRET_KEY, 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      email: ownerEmail, amount: balanceDue, reference,
      metadata: { booking_id: bookingId, payment_type: 'balance' },
    }),
  });
  return (await res.json()).data.authorization_url;
}

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See build a barbershop appointment and payment app for the same slot-holding deposit pattern applied to personal care bookings.

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Key Takeaways

  • ✓Require a deposit at booking to eliminate no-shows — pet emergencies excepted.
  • ✓Maintain a pet health record per animal with vaccination history and next-due dates.
  • ✓Send automated SMS reminders for upcoming vaccinations 7 days before due.
  • ✓Apply the deposit toward the final bill — balance collected at the clinic or via a second Paystack link.
  • ✓Support multi-vet scheduling: each vet has their own calendar and specialty tags.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I handle emergency appointments that skip the booking and payment flow?
Add an "Emergency Walk-in" button for clinic staff to manually create a booking in "emergency" status, bypassing the deposit requirement. Collect payment at the end of the visit instead. Emergency bookings are always confirmed immediately without Paystack — the payment link is generated and sent after the consultation is complete.
Can I support mobile vet services (home visits)?
Yes. Add a service_type field (clinic_visit vs home_visit). Home visits have a higher base price to cover travel. At booking, collect the customer's address and add a travel_fee calculated by zone or distance. Include the home visit flag in the webhook metadata so the vet receives the correct route information.
How do I manage multiple clinics under one platform?
Add a clinics table and link vets to clinics. For multi-clinic platforms where each clinic is independently managed, create a Paystack Subaccount per clinic — deposits route to the correct clinic automatically. The platform keeps a small platform fee from each subaccount split.

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Bonaventure Ogeto

Bonaventure Ogeto

Founder, McTaba Labs

Bonaventure is the founder of McTaba Labs, a coding bootcamp in Nairobi, Kenya. He has spent years building products for the African market and mentoring the next generation of developers across the continent.