How HUFT Became India’s Go-To Online Marketplace for Everything Petcare, Powered by Cashfree’s Checkout Experience

Every year, millions of companion animals in India, including nearly 80 million homeless dogs and cats, are abandoned, neglected or left to survive harsh conditions on the streets and in crowded shelters. In a landscape where compassionate, dependable petcare often feels out of reach, Delhi-based Heads Up For Tails (HUFT) is reshaping that story by reimagining what love, dignity and everyday care can look like for pets.

The beginnings were humble. HUFT wasn’t born out of scale-driven ambition; it grew from a deeply personal belief. As Rashi Narang, Founder of HUFT, recalls, “Pets are family. When I started the brand, I wasn’t thinking about retail or scaling; I simply wanted to create products that honoured the unconditional love we receive from our pets.”

What started as thoughtful essentials soon grew into a complete ecosystem of care — nourishing food and treats, toys for joy and stimulation, cosy bedding, sturdy walking gear, seasonal wear, festive outfits and everyday accessories to make a pet’s life richer and more comfortable.

Word began spreading quietly among pet parents in Delhi, then NCR, then cities HUFT had never stepped into. Emails poured in from families seeking safe food for a rescued Indie pup, winter wear for a senior dog, toys for an anxious cat or scratchers for their newly adopted kitten. One message after another made it clear that physical stores alone couldn’t meet the need. That’s when HUFT realised something important: while love for pets existed everywhere, access to trustworthy petcare did not. Going online wasn’t a business decision. It was an emotional responsibility.

But stepping into digital India carried its own layer of vulnerability. For many pet parents, online shopping is loaded with emotion, because a failed order isn’t just an inconvenience, but it also comes with the guilt of letting their pets down. HUFT saw this firsthand, with late-night messages from worried families held back by payment failures and trust issues. “A failed order isn’t just a transaction gone wrong,” Rashi says. One midnight note came from a customer whose elderly dog would eat only one specific meal. Her payment had failed. HUFT placed the order manually, rushed the delivery and kept her updated until it arrived. It made the team realise that online payments had quietly become a pillar of trust. HUFT needed a partner who understood that every successful checkout carried emotion. That’s when HUFT turned to Cashfree Payments, India’s leading payments company.

A partnership shaped by intent

“What stood out to us about HUFT was the intentionality behind the brand,” says Akash Sinha, CEO and Co-founder, Cashfree Payments. “This partnership has been more than powering transactions. It’s about championing a brand that adds real value to people’s lives.” This shared understanding of trust and urgency became the foundation for strengthening HUFT’s payment experience.

Solving payment failures and enabling scale

Before the integration, HUFT faced issues familiar to fast-growing digital brands such as inconsistent routing, failures during peak moments and friction for first-time online buyers. In petcare, these weren’t just technical issues; they derailed customer confidence. With Cashfree, HUFT has been able to flip the script.

Cashfree’s intelligent and dynamic routing ensured each transaction took the fastest, most reliable path. Payment failures dropped sharply, dramatically boosting HUFT’s success rates by over 80% even during high-volume periods like Diwali restocks, winter launches, monsoon grooming spikes and summer cooling essentials. With the capacity to handle over 12,000 transactions per second, Cashfree ensured pet parents could complete their orders smoothly, with fewer drop-offs and no panic refreshes.

“With fewer failed transactions, we were able to increase conversions, reduce abandonment and serve customers who previously hesitated to shop online for their pets,” Rashi shares.

Fast checkout modes, including PayFast, reduced friction further, while Cashfree’s trust badge reassured first-time shoppers easing into online petcare.

Reaching a new global customer base

One of the most meaningful shifts came from outside India. As checkout got fixed for HUFT, NRIs abroad and expats in India began ordering for their pets. Previously, this segment was constrained by payment friction.

Cashfree’s international payment gateway, which supports international cards and Apple Pay, removed these barriers and unlocked a new customer base. “It opened up an entirely new segment for us — expats using international cards and NRIs who may live far away but stay deeply connected to their pets back home,” Rashi notes.

What reliability creates

For HUFT, dependable checkout performance now means fewer anxious emails, fewer manual interventions and a smoother relationship with customers who often place time-sensitive orders.

Looking ahead, Cashfree aims to support HUFT across its next chapters. “Our vision is simple, to empower HUFT with a robust payments infrastructure that allows them to scale and innovate without constraints,” Sinha says.

Building an ecosystem of care

From nutritious meals and wellness products to grooming studios, accessories and initiatives like the ‘Adopt Joy’ directory for pets in need, HUFT has grown into a movement powered by empathy, not algorithms.

Its next phase focuses on strengthening its digital network and deepening innovation in wellness and nutrition so responsible pet parenting becomes a cultural norm across India.

Making the world pawsome, one smooth checkout at a time

As HUFT expands across India and onto the global stage, Cashfree stands behind the scenes ensuring every wag, purr and tiny moment of joy is supported by technology that pet parents can trust. Because when the mission is to make the world better for four-legged family members, there should be no glitches, only love, comfort and pawsome new beginnings.