The short version: price your field at the regional going rate to launch (typically £8–14/hour outside the home counties, £12–18 in the South East), check your booking volume after 4–6 weeks, then adjust. Most owners under-price out of nervousness and leave £1,000–£3,000 a year on the table.
Pricing isn't about extracting maximum revenue per booking. It's about finding the level where you're consistently full and the customers you attract are happy. Here's how to land it.
The regional going rate
Use this as your anchor, start within ±10% of these numbers.
| Region | Solo 30 min | Solo 60 min | Multi-dog uplift |
|---|---|---|---|
| London / Home Counties | £7–10 | £12–18 | £2–4 per extra dog |
| South East | £6–9 | £10–15 | £1–3 per extra dog |
| South West | £5–8 | £8–12 | £1–3 per extra dog |
| Midlands | £5–7 | £8–12 | £1–2 per extra dog |
| Yorkshire / North East | £5–7 | £8–12 | £1–2 per extra dog |
| North West | £5–7 | £8–12 | £1–2 per extra dog |
| Wales | £5–7 | £7–10 | £1–2 per extra dog |
| Scotland (central belt) | £4–7 | £7–11 | £1–2 per extra dog |
| Scotland (rural / north) | £4–6 | £6–9 | £1–2 per extra dog |
These are 2026 numbers. The market has hardened over the last 2–3 years, fields charging £6–8/hour are increasingly rare in the south of England.
What pushes you above the regional baseline
Reasons to price 10–25% above the regional median:
- 6ft+ secure fencing with double-gated airlock (genuine sighthound suitability)
- 2+ acres of usable space
- Multiple paddocks (you can fit two bookings simultaneously, or rotate for ground rest)
- All-weather surface — astroturf area, hard-standing run, covered shelter
- Water and wash-down facilities
- Indoor option (a barn or covered shelter for genuinely awful weather)
- Lighting that extends usable hours into evening
- Strong review history with 50+ five-star ratings
- No directly visible distractions — no main road, no livestock visible, no other dogs
A combination of these justifies premium pricing. A 6ft secure 3-acre field with multiple paddocks, astroturf and 200 reviews can charge £18–22/hour even in the Midlands.
What pushes you below
Reasons to price 10–20% below the regional median:
- Newer listing with fewer than 10 reviews, start cheap to build review velocity
- 5ft fencing (not suitable for serious sighthounds)
- Under 1 acre of usable space
- Limited availability (weekends only, or evenings only)
- Visible distractions (footpath, busy road, livestock)
- Mud-prone winter conditions with no all-weather alternative
- Difficult access (long unmaintained track, awkward parking)
Don't be afraid to start low. A new field at £8/hour in Surrey will fill quickly, build reviews, and earn the right to price up.
Slot length pricing strategy
PawSpot supports multiple slot lengths. The pricing pattern that works:
| Slot length | Pricing relative to hourly |
|---|---|
| 30 minutes | 60–70% of hourly |
| 45 minutes | 75–85% of hourly |
| 60 minutes | 100% (your headline rate) |
| 90 minutes | 130–140% (light discount per minute) |
| 120 minutes | 160–180% (more discount per minute) |
Examples for a £14/hr headline:
- 30 min: £8.50–10
- 45 min: £10.50–12
- 60 min: £14
- 90 min: £18.50–20
- 120 min: £22.50–25
The pattern: smaller slots are slightly more expensive per minute (because they're more administratively dense, more handovers, more bookings to manage), and bigger slots get a small discount.
Multi-dog pricing
Most owners allow customers to bring extra dogs. Common approach:
- First dog: included in the booking
- Each extra dog: +£1–3 per booking (not per hour)
Some owners pricing low overall (£8/hr) charge no multi-dog fee. Some pricing premium (£18/hr) charge £3–5 per extra dog. Either is fine, be consistent.
Peak vs off-peak
You can offer different prices for different times of day. Common patterns:
- Weekday mornings (9–11am): 10–15% discount, fills slots most fields struggle with
- Weekend afternoons / evenings: standard or +5%
- Bank holidays: standard
- Summer evenings (May–August, 6–8pm): standard or +5%
Don't over-engineer this. A simple flat rate is fine for the first 6 months. Add peak/off-peak pricing if and when you have data.
When to raise prices
Indicators you can raise prices:
- Filling more than 80% of your bookable slots most weeks — you're under-priced
- Customers regularly booking back-to-back sessions — they're getting more value than they're paying for
- Strong review velocity (50+ reviews, all positive), your fence is sturdy enough to charge more
- A new feature added (lighting, astroturf, wash-down), explicit price-rise justification
How to raise prices:
- Increment of £1/hour at a time (£12 → £13 → £14)
- Post a small notice on the listing explaining what's new
- Existing block-booking customers — honour their pre-paid rate; raise next time
- Watch booking volume for 4 weeks afterwards. If it drops materially, hold; if not, the rise stuck.
Most owners raise prices once a year, gradually.
When to lower prices
Indicators you should drop:
- Bookings consistently below 30% of slots for more than 6–8 weeks
- Newer competitors at lower prices appearing in your area
- A major issue (e.g. surface deterioration) reducing your offering
How to drop prices:
- A clear £1–2/hour cut — small drops don't shift behaviour
- Communicate it as "winter rates" or "settling into our second season", gives a face-saving narrative
- Use 30-minute slots at very competitive rates as a way to fill quiet hours without dropping your headline 60-minute rate
What customers actually care about (and what they don't)
Owners often think customers are price-obsessed. They mostly aren't. In rough order of what drives bookings:
- Photos (do you look like a real, well-cared-for field?)
- Reviews (especially recent ones)
- Fencing claims (height + condition)
- Distance from home (closer wins, by a lot)
- Booking system convenience (instant booking beats messaging)
- Price (matters for choosing between two equally good options)
- Features (mostly cosmetic; bench / agility / etc. don't drive bookings much)
Translation: photos and reviews are 5x more important than price for most fields. Don't over-optimise the price if the photos are blurry.
A note on race-to-the-bottom
It's tempting to price 30% below your nearest competitor and "win". Don't.
Cheap fields attract:
- Customers who treat the field carelessly
- Customers who complain when something doesn't match their (inflated) expectations
- Less-engaged repeat customers
Premium-but-fair pricing attracts:
- Customers who value the experience
- Customers who leave good reviews
- Repeat customers who book regularly and refer friends
The cheap-field hamster wheel is exhausting. Better fields, fairly priced.
Discounts and offers, when to use them
Block bookings (5 sessions for 10% off, etc.), yes, sensible. Good for retention.
First-time discounts (£5 off first booking), yes, useful while building review volume in months 1–3.
Loyalty schemes — minimal effect. PawSpot's built-in loyalty system handles this if you want it.
Random flash sales — confuses customers and trains them to wait for deals.
A simple decision framework
If you're unsure what to charge:
- Check 3 nearest competitors with similar fencing/acreage on PawSpot
- Take the median
- Adjust ±5% based on whether you're newer (price under) or you have features/standout reviews (price over)
- Commit for 6 weeks, then review
That's the whole framework. It works.
FAQs
Should I match my cheapest local competitor? Only if your field is also their equivalent. If they have 6ft fencing and you have 5ft, price below them. If you have astroturf and they don't, price above.
Is £20/hour too much in 2026? Outside the London commuter belt with strong infrastructure (multi-paddock, astroturf, indoor barn, 100+ reviews), yes, usually too much. Inside the home counties with that kit, fair.
Can I have peak / off-peak prices on PawSpot? Yes, the system supports per-time-window pricing. Most owners use this to discount weekday mornings.
How often should I review my prices? Twice a year is enough, March (going into summer) and September (going into autumn). More frequent feels chaotic.
Should I match seasonal demand (cheaper in winter)? Optional, and only if your field is meaningfully worse in winter (lots of mud, no all-weather option). Otherwise hold the rate; demand recovers.
Do block-booking discounts cannibalise revenue? Slightly, but the retention more than makes up for it. A regular customer booking weekly at 10% off generates more revenue than a one-off at full rate.