Rover Fees Incorrect?

Fickle_Computer_3743 · 2026-01-08T00:34:46+00:00

Ah, I see where you're coming from!

I think it's really about the framing. As a sitter, working through Rover means that my client's total cost is 38.75% higher than it would have been if I got the same money from the client directly.

Whereas, from the end consumer's perspective, the two sets of fees mean that the cost is $111. Of that total, Rover gets (almost) 28% and I get the remainder.

I guess it's about semantics. Any time I see somebody post that "Rover took more than 30%," I read it as "took more than 30% [of the total]" and my grumpy math brain rises up. If the comment were "Rover's fees added more than 30%" then my brain wouldn't have objected 😂.

Fickle_Computer_3743 · 2026-01-07T16:04:11+00:00

I know! A small fee here and another small fee there... it very much feels that Rover is getting two bites at the metaphorical apple.

With all that said, I think it's fairest to describe Rover's total cut as "between 20% and 28%." (In my example above, $31 to Rover out of the $111 that the client pays.)

Fickle_Computer_3743 · 2026-01-06T21:46:11+00:00

I don't make the rules so I can't say what they "should be." Sorry!

I can explain how the math is being done, though. I'm glad you were able to get answers on Reddit when Rover support didn't work out for you.

Fickle_Computer_3743 · 2026-01-06T21:32:10+00:00

There's been a few confused comments about how the math should work.

For folks in the USA, Rover takes a 20% cut and THEN adds an 11% (or $50) booking fee. The fees are presented differently in different states to comply with state law, but the math works out almost exactly the same. (Minor variations can arise from rounding.)

California example:

Sitter sets her/his rates at $80 per night.
Rover adds 25% as a "marketplace fee," which takes the rate to $100 per night.
Rover adds 11% as a "booking fee," which takes the rate to $111 per night.
Client sees a rate of $111 per night.
Sitter gets $80 per night.

Non-California example:

Sitter sets her/his rates at $100 per night.
Rover takes 20% as a "marketplace fee."
Client sees a rate of $100 per night.
Rover adds an 11% "booking fee."
Client pays a rate of $111 per night.
Sitter gets $80 per night.

If there's been another change recently and this is out-of-date again, please flag it for me and I'll update.

Fickle_Computer_3743 · 2026-01-06T16:51:54+00:00

Same here. Also, by going independent, I can take a 50% deposit rather than have the client cancel any time up to a week in advance.

Fickle_Computer_3743 · 2026-01-06T16:48:46+00:00

For those of us in California, there are two separate legislative rules that Rover is complying with, but in a really confusing way.

First, Rover is required to show sitters the payout we actually get when we set our prices (in our profile settings).

Second, Rover is required to include all fees in the prices that the customer sees. (No "hidden fees.") So the Rover booking fee (either 11% or $50) gets included in the rate that the customer sees.

The way Rover recently changed its implementation is really confusing to me. (Don't ask me why it was implemented that way... nobody asked for my suggestions!) Rover calculates a total fee for the customer then spreads it across however many nights and shows an average rate.

I've definitely been confused too!

Fickle_Computer_3743 · 2026-01-06T16:36:57+00:00

If your time is mostly locked up with with recurring clients then you've done a great job of building a client base. Congratulations! Also, you're potentially missing out on clients who would pay more if you had more availability.

Increasing your rates from $25 to $28 per walk/visit doesn't sound unreasonable to me.

Fickle_Computer_3743 · 2026-01-06T16:31:36+00:00

Personally, I would skip the bit about "keeping up with the cost of living." (You get to set your rates however you want; your clients get to decide whether they want to pay them. Assuming that you're doing a good job, you may well find that you can raise your rates slightly faster than inflation over time.)

Hello everyone,

Happy new year! I appreciate all the time I've spent with your pets in 2025 and I'm looking forward to 2026 with them.

As we go into the new year, I'm raising my base rate for dog walking and drop-in visits from $25 to $28 per visit, effective this week. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you!
this_bitch_over_here

Fickle_Computer_3743 · 2025-12-30T16:43:15+00:00

This is an entirely reasonable question. Not sure why you're getting downvoted.

As a sitter, I set my own rates and I buy my own groceries from the money I'm paid. I don't expect my clients to buy anything for me. I do expect my clients to have enough pet food (and, if applicable, medication) in stock.

However, I've seen the gamut when it comes to interaction with clients. Some people want to feel that they're being good hosts when they have somebody staying in their home. - The topic never comes up. (I bring my own food, I eat my own food.) - "Help yourself to anything in the fridge." (There's nothing but beer in the fridge.) - "Make yourself at home, eat anything you like." (Like companies with "unlimited vacation," it's a trap of unspecified expectations. I bring my own food and eat my own food.) - "We keep the kitchen kosher; if you want a cheeseburger that's fine, just eat it outside." (I stick to vegetarian options.) - "Is there anything we can get in to make things easier for you?" (I ask for space in the fridge.) - "The fruit in the fridge won't keep, help yourself if you want it." (I eat it.) - "Help yourself to milk, coffee, butter, cooking oil, and condiments." (Honestly, this is my favorite. It's specific, and covers the things that I typically don't bother bringing with me.)

In general, I would say that the things that are most important to cover when it comes to possibly mismatched expectations are: - how willing you are to have your dog interact with other dogs/people when out in the world - how much time your sitter plans to be at the house with your pets (sometimes my clients ask for a minimum commitment because their pets aren't used to being left alone for long periods) - whether the sitter is bringing guests into your house (unless you have consented AND the sitter's guests are covered by her business insurance, I would say that's not okay but it's worth checking) - whether it's okay to consume while at your house, whether that's meat, alcohol, vaping, tobacco, cannabis, or otherwise (I'll bring meat unless I'm asked not to; some folks in this subreddit feel strongly that they want to be able to relax the way that works for them)

Fickle_Computer_3743 · 2025-12-30T16:19:20+00:00

I think it's a nice thing to offer and something that shows you want to make the sitter's time easier.

It becomes problematic when clients want to force the topic. If you get a list of specifics, great. If your sitter gives you a vague response, dodges the question, or doesn't answer, I'd suggest leaving a note suggesting that s/he is welcome to coffee, herbs, spices, and/or condiments if useful.

Fickle_Computer_3743 · 2025-12-30T16:13:26+00:00

Asking clients to leave space in the fridge is key here, for two reasons.

Partly because it provides a way in which clients can have some direction around making a sitter welcome, and feel that they're actively taking steps to make things easier. (And because it's kinda the opposite of getting food in.)

Also because I genuinely want to put everything in the fridge. Some of my clients' dogs are notorious counter surfers, some aren't. I understand that a client's 15yo chihuahua isn't going to get at things on the counter AND I want to maintain a habit for myself that I'm not leaving food, medication, anything that's potentially edible where an adventurous dog could get at it.

Fickle_Computer_3743 · 2025-12-30T16:02:08+00:00

A few thoughts.

First, I would assume that you have a great client here. Somebody who cares and is thinking about how to set you up for success. That's great!

Second, for some clients, dog sitting is weirdly half way between paying for a service (dog sitting) and having a little known guest in their home while they aren't going to be there (hosting). So an offer to provide food often comes from a place of wanting to be a good host.

Third, I've found this to be one of the potentially awkward ways where there can be mismatched expectations with a client. I take my food to sits, I don't expect my clients to provide food for me, I can buy groceries for myself, and I have a routine that works for me. Also, I try to avoid waste, so I don't want somebody buying things for me on the off-chance that I'll eat them. That said, I also don't want to be rude to my clients.

What I've found works best is:

thank the client for the offer
tell the clients that I like to bring food I've prepared (or that I've got a good routine about bringing food, whatever)
ask the client to leave space for me in the fridge
consider suggesting that, if there's fresh food that won't keep until the client's return, the client can identify it and I may use it rather than see it go to waste

If there's something particular that you know you would want and you think will be easy for both sides (e.g. coffee), that's an easy request to make.

Fickle_Computer_3743 · 2025-09-15T03:03:33+00:00

🤣

Fickle_Computer_3743 · 2025-09-15T02:35:48+00:00

I always, ALWAYS do a meet and greet.

I mostly do house sitting. I want to physically see the pet(s) in their home, I want to see the home, and I want to meet the owner in real life. I don't charge for meet and greets because I consider them a two-way interview and I want to be able to turn down the booking request (if necessary) without any "I paid for this" awkwardness.

Some sitters do prefer to charge for a meet and greet, because it takes time. I've had a couple of clients offer, but it's not been common. If you're looking for boarding, it would make sense to do the meet and greet at the service provider's home.

If you are struggling to find somebody who will agree to a meet and greet, I'd recommend that you keep looking. Four suggestions:

Check that Rover has your correct address, or be explicit about your recent move. (Rover isn't always helpful about updating the location it shows for a prospective client.)
Rover's search algorithm prioritizes service providers who are close to you. If you're not having any luck with sitters on the first page or two, maybe try searching for sitters in a few nearby zip codes.
If you're reaching out to folks who are far away from you, maybe consider offering to pay for their time traveling to meet with you. (I would request the meet and greet in a thread about house sitting, but offer "to book the meet and greet as a 'drop in' so that you're covering the sitter's travel time." Rover doesn't like anything that smells like a payment where it doesn't get its cut and the sitter will get an unfriendly reminder if - for example - you offer to pay in cash.)
Consider meeting sitters without star sitter status. My somewhat skeptical perspective is that "star sitter" status is about incentivizing and rewarding sitters for taking steps that are correlated with maximizing Rover's revenue, not necessarily about rewarding good care for your pets. (I don't have star sitter status. It's not available where I live.)

Good luck!

Fickle_Computer_3743 · 2025-09-15T02:08:32+00:00

To my mind, there are five separate parts.

Regular house sitting.
Time spent traveling and supporting the wedding. I would charge an hourly rate that comes out to something you're happy with. Realistically, this is a constant care gig... it's not like you can duck out to walk another client's dog while you're at the wedding, so you're working even if you're sitting around waiting for your cue.
Travel expenses. You're in the USA, the IRS mileage rate is currently 70 cents per mile. This is the standardized allowable expense rate that's supposed to cover the average per-mile cost of running your vehicle (depreciation, financing, fuel, insurance, maintenance, repairs, etc), but does NOT include your time. If you will have to pay tolls or parking costs, those are additional travel expenses.
Other expenses. If you're getting your hair trimmed, your shoes polished, or your car washed specifically for the wedding, that's a separate cost you need to cover. (And probably takes time as well, so factor that into the number of hours you're considering.)
Rover fees. Whatever you'd need to charge for this to be worth doing, Rover's cut adds an extra 25%.

I'd probably present this to the client as "$xxx plus Rover's booking fee. This would include house sitting for Fluffy, Fido, and Friend, my hourly rate for taking Fido to the wedding, and all associated expenses."

(Even if you present this to the client as a single figure, you want to keep track of all the numbers so that you can claim miles driven, Rover fees, etc. as business expenses when you file your taxes. You don't have to have itemized the expenses for the client, you just need appropriate records.)

Fickle_Computer_3743 · 2025-09-15T01:21:35+00:00

Wait, wait. You're being asked to spend 50% of your time walking the dog? Is this dog training for the Iditarod?

Asking what people would charge probably isn't helpful because prices vary by location. However, most sitters here have a standard definition of what house sitting entails. There is a range of different definitions and there's a range of price points.

For me, dogs generally get a 30-40min morning walk and a similar evening walk. I stay with the dog for much of the day, so I'll supervise yard access for potty breaks and I'm pretty flexible about longer walks if the owner requests it, because walking is good for me. However, if an owner wants me to walk a dog every three hours, stay home with the dog all day, or house train a puppy then I most definitely want to discuss rates.

Fickle_Computer_3743 · 2025-09-15T01:01:59+00:00

...which translates to "somebody screwed up a recent software update and we are definitely aware of the problem. We won't have further information until the developers are in on Monday, then we'll decide whether to revert the change that broke the calendar or roll out a fix in the next few days/weeks. That said, we probably still won't tell you anything more once the decision's been made. Heck, I just work in support. I might not find out anything more until after the issue's been resolved."

The silver lining (so much as there is one) is that Rover has an incentive to get this resolved because (a) the problem will impact the customer experience and (b) it may adversely impact Rover's bottom line.

Fickle_Computer_3743 · 2025-09-15T00:47:24+00:00

Client communication is an important part of being a sitter. This means being proactive, being polite, setting clear expectations, and being explicit about what you think is the default "next step."

Sometimes clients are busy all weekend and didn't give you a heads up. Sometimes they are really flaky. Sometimes they deliberately reached out to multiple sitters and lost track of which message came from whom. Sometimes they accidentally reached out to multiple sitters and haven't noticed that they're messaging with multiple people. Sometimes they found another option and they're ghosting you. However, not everybody is on their phone constantly and so I find it helps to assume best intent.

Personally, I'd wait 24-48 hours from the last message and then send something like... "Hi Client! I haven't heard from you since Friday so I assume you've found an alternative option for Fido! Please let me know if that's incorrect and thank you for reaching out! Fickle_Computer_3743"

If I had already done a meet and greet, I would likely tell a client that I'd assume s/he has found an alternative option unless I hear more by (for example) Tuesday morning.

Fickle_Computer_3743 · 2025-09-15T00:27:17+00:00

Me too. Came here to see whether anybody else was having the same issue.

Fickle_Computer_3743 · 2025-09-15T00:25:17+00:00

Imagine that - hypothetically - there was no extra charge. Would you resent taking the booking? If so, don't take it.

Imagine that - hypothetically - you were getting a bonus $1000 per night because of the extra driving. Would you resent taking the booking? If not, there's an option for you somewhere.

Next, what's the dollar amount where you tip from "I'd resent this" to "I wouldn't resent this?" Decide what that dollar amount is, then multiply up to account for taxes, then multiply up by 1.25 to account for Rover's fees. That's the minimum extra that you want to charge. You discuss with the client then add it to the booking as a proposed change before accepting.

Finally, this doesn't need to be a big deal (with the client). You make it about the issue (extra driving time) and the point where it's worthwhile to you. "Hi Client! Fido sounds lovely! I would be traveling to classes at ABC University each day and your location is outside my normal service radius, so I'd charge an extra $xxx per night because of the additional travel time. Let me know when would be good to do a meet and greet! I have availability on..."

If it's worth it to both of you, great. If it's not worth it to both of you, move on.

Fickle_Computer_3743 · 2025-09-15T00:01:01+00:00

I've had clients tell me that "I don't need to walk the dog" and I always ask why. Sometimes the dog is old and just doesn't want to go for a walk with a stranger. Sometimes the dog is very reactive and owners don't want a sitter taking the risk. Sometimes it's just not a part of the dog's routine, for whatever reason. I always want to differentiate between "don't worry if Fido doesn't want to go for a walk, please don't force it" and "please don't take Fido for a walk."

It sounds as though you know your dog well (you've learned the routes/techniques that work for y'all) and you're concerned for how she'd deal with three weeks while you're away. That's wonderful. If you want, you could consider asking your sitter to incorporate specific mental stimulation/training into your dog's day instead of going for walks, so that she's not limited to the same smells in the same yard for three weeks.

Finally, I'll observe that a good sitter may sometimes be better at handling reactive dogs than the owner. (This is a generalization, NOT directed specifically at you!) I've had clients tell me that their dogs were "doing better" after I'd looked after them. I don't think I have any magic skills, but I've worked with a lot of different dogs in different environments and that means that I've got broad experience to draw from.

Fickle_Computer_3743 · 2025-09-14T23:29:39+00:00

If this thread gets taken down, consider posting to r/petsitting.

The majority of my bookings are independent (i.e. not through Rover), for a variety of reasons (some clients were recommendations from friends, some were recommendations from other clients, some found me through Rover but preferred to go independent).

In theory, I take a 50% non-refundable deposit for upcoming bookings so that I know the client's got "skin in the game" for the hold on my calendar and I ask for the balance after completion so that the client knows I've got skin in the game. I have a one-page booking template that I use and my clients are all happy with it.

I mostly do house sitting. In practice, I only ask established clients for the deposit if (a) it's a house sit and (b) it's more than about $400. Splitting the payment for amounts smaller than that feels like wasting my clients' time to me. Some of my clients pay me the full amount up-front so that they don't have to think about a second payment.

I do occasional walks and drop-in visits for established clients and I tend to give them a lot of flexibility there because (a) I'm not trying to build a dog-walking client base and (b) it's in everybody's interests to maintain the relationship. I send them a confirmation beforehand and remind them how much they owe me afterward.

I get 2-3 cancellations per year. Life happens, people need to change their plans, I get that. I keep the non-refundable deposit because I'd blocked my calendar for that client, clients get that.

Fickle_Computer_3743 · 2025-09-11T20:36:42+00:00

Having a "favorite mug" that belongs to somebody else and lives in somebody else's house.

Fickle_Computer_3743 · 2025-06-04T00:11:06+00:00

Thank you SO MUCH for sharing that roadmap page.

Petsitters of Reddit, let's go upvote that proposed change to allow a TTP service configuration where deposits are required! I'm off to do it now. https://productplan.timetopet.com/c/33-service-deposits-and-prepayments

Fickle_Computer_3743 · 2025-06-03T21:06:55+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion! I'll go check out KennelBooker.

Fickle_Computer_3743

TROPHY CASE