Payment & Fees

How much will I be paid?

Sitters earn an hourly rate offered by a family or group for each job, less applicable fees. You should view all job details and are responsible for ensuring all job terms and hourly rates offered are acceptable prior to applying. 

 

What will I be charged?

Sitters are charged a small Sitter Fee to cover the cost of running our platform and providing SitterTree Support.  Sitter fees are based on a percentage of the sitter wage, excluding any tip.

 

Is there a cost to join SitterTree?

There is no cost to join the SitterTree app. However, Sitters are required to purchase and complete a Background Check before applying to any job.

 

Will I be charged for canceling a job?

Cancellations impact the reliability of the SitterTree app. Once a sitter is booked for any job, the following cancellation fees will apply:

• $10 – Cancellation made anytime after you are booked
• $20 – Cancellation made within 12 hours of job start
• $25 – Cancellations made within 3 hours of job start
• $35 – Cancellations made within 1 hour of job start
• $45 – Cancellation made after a job has started

 

What if I am late to a job?

On-time arrival impacts the reliability of the SitterTree app. If you arrive late to a job that was scheduled for three hours or less, you will receive payment for the time present at the job. If the family or group chooses to cancel a job because you are late, the family or group will not be charged, and you will not receive any late cancellation fee.

 

How will I be paid?

After completing a job, sitters have 24 hours to submit the start and end times for the job in the SitterTree app. The actual start and end times for each job should be submitted to ensure correct payment.  Sitters will be paid the full amount of time booked, even if the job ends early.  In addition, sitters will be compensated for additional time worked if a family or group returns late or if a sitter and family or group agree to extend the hours of a job.

After a sitter submits hours, families and groups have 24 hours to confirm (or dispute) payment.  Once the hours are confirmed, SitterTree will charge the family or group and deposit the payment to the sitter account, less applicable fees for each job completed. 

 

Will SitterTree withhold taxes for me?

No.  SitterTree does not collect or withhold taxes. By January 31st of each year, SitterTree will provide a Form 1099-NEC to any sitter who received $600 or more during the previous calendar year from jobs booked through the SitterTree app.

 

Can SitterTree provide an employment verification or act as a reference for me?

No.  SitterTree does not employ any sitter and cannot verify employment or serve as a reference.  

 

What if a family or group tries to pay me directly - not on the SitterTree platform?

Paying and communicating through SitterTree contributes to a safe and secure experience, which is why we made it a requirement in our Terms of Service.

Additionally, when a payment takes place outside of SitterTree, we won't have a record of it. That means your earnings from the booking won't accurately be reported and our support team won't be able to assist you. Accepting payments outside of SitterTree may also lead to account restrictions for both the sitter and the family or group.

If you meet a family and group and mutually agree to continue working with them directly outside of the SitterTree app, they can pay a Finders Fee to do so.  Otherwise, we recommend you confirm your availability and request the family or group post a job to book you through the app.

So, if someone asks to pay you directly—whether that’s via check, cash, or a payment website other than SitterTree—say no and remind them that paying through SitterTree keeps everyone’s information secure.

If a client insists on paying you outside of SitterTree, you can privately share this experience with our support team when reviewing the job.

 

Instant Payouts

 

How fast is “instant”?

Nearly 6,000 banks in the US support Instant Payouts and in practice, ~99% of payouts are available within minutes. Due to differences across banks, the other 1% are usually available within a few hours or the next 1-2 business days.

Are there any fees to request an Instant Payout?

Yes, you will be charged 3% per Instant Payout.  In addition, you must transfer at least $.50.

Are Instant Payouts available outside of the U.S.?

No, Instant Payouts are currently only available to service providers with debit cards issued by U.S. banks.

 

Finally, please note that the Stripe Connect Platform Agreement includes special terms for Instant Payouts, and your continued use of this new feature means that you accept and agree to this updated version of the Agreement.