$imple pricing. Happy pets.
Caregivers keep 100% of their service rate and pay a flat subscription — never a per-booking commission.
🪴 Growing together: start with a free trial, then choose Pro or Growth — after that, your plan moves up only when your earnings do. How it works →
Pet owners pay just a 10% service fee
No plan, no subscription, no membership fee — the plans below are for caregivers. Owners pay the caregiver's listed rate plus a transparent 10% service fee, listed on its own line at checkout. Example: a $60 dog walk costs the owner $66 including the service fee; the caregiver receives $60 in full. In California, Colorado and Massachusetts — and wherever we can't tell where you're looking — the prices you see already include the fee ($66); elsewhere you see the caregiver's rate ($60) with a note that the fee is added.
Caregiver plans
What caregivers pay to list their services and run their business on PetHour. Pet owners never need a plan.
Prices per month, plus sales tax where it applies. Plans renew monthly until you cancel. Prices may change with at least 14 days' notice — your price is locked for 12 months from when it began. The lock is on your price, not your plan: moving to another plan, including an automatic upgrade, starts a new 12-month lock at that plan's price (how price changes work).
Explorer
List your services and take your first jobs — no card needed.
- Up to 3 jobs worth up to $150List for free with no card — nothing is charged. Accept up to 3 jobs worth up to $150 at your own prices, within 30 days of going live — whichever comes first. A job the owner or PetHour cancels before it starts doesn't count. One free trial per person; then start Pro or Growth to keep accepting work.
- Keep what you earnTrial earnings are paid like any others: they reach your wallet once the owner confirms the visit, or automatically 72 hours after you mark it done, and you withdraw them the usual way.
- 7 Core ServicesDog walking (30 & 60 min), drop-in visits, overnight boarding, doggy daycare, cat drop-in visits, and small animal care. In-home overnight (house) sitting needs a paid plan, so it's always done by a background-checked caregiver.
- AI visit reports & photo galleriesAuto-generated visit summaries with GPS route maps and curated photo galleries sent to pet owners after each visit — on every plan, the trial included.
- In-app messaging with ownersVerified owners can message you before they book, and you can reply on every plan. Phone numbers stay private until a booking.
- Meet & greet before the first jobArrange it with the owner in messages — it's free and doesn't use a trial job. PetHour doesn't schedule or attend it; keep payment on PetHour.
- Optional background checkYour profile shows a Trial badge; until you have a check, owners also see “Not background-checked yet” and confirm it before booking you. Order the Checkr check ($32) any time to take that label off — every paid plan needs one anyway, and it stays valid for 2 years.
- Public caregiver profileA searchable profile page visible to all pet owners on PetHour, showing your bio, photos, services, rates, availability, and reviews.
- Reliability scoreA trust metric calculated from your cancellation rate, response time, repeat clients, and verified reviews — displayed prominently on your profile.
- Lowest search ranking + Trial badgeFree-trial caregivers appear below Pro, Growth, and Elite caregivers in the default search order, with a Trial badge. Start a plan to improve your visibility to pet owners.
- E-Gift CertificatesSend a prepaid PetHour gift ($5–$500) to any email — available at all tiers after identity and phone verification. Recipients redeem a code and the credit is added to their wallet for any booking or Care Bundle.
- Referral & credit programEvery member gets a personal invite link from day one — no plan or booking needed. Earn $5 in credit when someone you invite completes their first booking, and $10 when they complete their first caregiver job — a booking between the two of you doesn't count. Credits are worth $1 each and never expire. Use them on bookings any time, and on subscription months except while a launch offer is open.
When the trial ends your profile goes offline for new work — jobs you've accepted go ahead and are paid. House sitting and backup standbys need a paid plan. How the free trial works
Pro
Core tools to run your pet care business.
- Everything in ExplorerAll Explorer features are included — 7 core services, AI visit reports, in-app messaging, meet & greets, public profile, reliability score — with no trial limits.
- 14 services (+ Extended)Unlock 7 additional Extended service types beyond Core: in-home overnight (house) sitting, puppy care, senior dog care, medication administration, pet taxi, farm animal care, and obedience reinforcement walks.
- Background check requiredEvery caregiver on a paid plan passes a Checkr background check before the plan starts. You pay the $32 when you order it, it's valid for 2 years, and the renewal is $32 too. Your first month is charged the day it clears.
- Unlimited active bookingsAccept and manage as many concurrent bookings as your schedule allows, with no cap on simultaneous confirmed appointments.
- Standard search placement + Pro badgePro caregivers appear above free-trial caregivers in the default search order, with a Pro badge. Growth and Elite caregivers rank above Pro. Placement and the badge come with the plan — they aren't a rating or a recommendation by PetHour (Terms, Section 4.10).
- Client CRM & pet profilesStore detailed client contact info and pet profiles — breed, vet details, medications, allergies, and temperament notes — accessible during every visit.
- Calendar syncTwo-way sync with Google Calendar or Outlook: your bookings appear in your calendar, and busy times in it block your PetHour availability to prevent double-bookings. Apple Calendar can subscribe to your bookings (one-way export).
- Income tracking & tax exportMonthly earnings breakdown by service type and client. One-click CSV export formatted for Schedule C tax filing — no spreadsheet setup needed.
- Insights (basic)Basic analytics dashboard: monthly earnings, booking volume, review trends, and client retention rate — so you can track your business growth at a glance.
- Care Bundles (up to 3)Create up to 3 active Care Bundles — multi-service packages sold at a discount. Owners pay upfront and schedule via an unlocked chat room; you receive funds as each service is confirmed complete.
When your 3-month average earnings from completed bookings reach $650/mo, you'll automatically move up to Growth at your next billing date — we unlock more tools as your business earns them.
Growth
Priority placement, backup network, and business tools.
- Everything in ProAll features from the Pro plan are included: 14 services, unlimited bookings, CRM, calendar sync, AI visit reports, income tracking, and Insights.
- 23 services (+ Specialist)Unlock 9 Specialist service types beyond Pro's 14: full dog grooming, cat grooming, nail trims, de-shedding, teeth brushing, private obedience training, exotic pet care, insulin injections, and subcutaneous fluid therapy.
- Background check requiredEvery caregiver on a paid plan passes a Checkr background check before the plan starts. You pay the $32 when you order it, it's valid for 2 years, and the renewal is $32 too. Your first month is charged the day it clears.
- Featured search placement + Growth badgeAppear above Pro and free-trial caregivers in the default search order, with a Growth badge — only Elite ranks higher. Placement and the badge come with the plan — they aren't a rating or a recommendation by PetHour (Terms, Section 4.10).
- Backup network priorityBackups are background-checked caregivers on a paid plan — Growth and Elite caregivers rank higher in owners' suggested-backup lists, so you're offered standby slots more often. Earn $2.50 per standby; receive the full booking fee if a cancellation triggers your slot and you accept within 15 minutes.
- Email marketing & automated follow-upsEmail your past clients from your own templates — one at a time, to a whole list, or scheduled — and switch on automatic thank-yous after each visit, review requests, new-client welcomes, rebooking reminders and win-backs. Unsubscribe links and sending limits are built in.
- AI message assistantAI-suggested replies for client messages — draft professional responses to common questions, handle scheduling inquiries, and write visit follow-ups faster. You review and send every message.
- Multi-location service areasDefine up to 3 separate geographic service zones (5 on Elite) — work across different neighborhoods, suburbs, or cities and appear in search results for each area independently.
- Full Insights suiteAdvanced analytics: client lifetime value, booking forecasts, peak demand periods, revenue breakdown by service type, and competitive positioning in your local market.
- Earlier Last Minute alertsUrgent Last Minute requests go out to caregivers in quick batches ordered by plan — Elite first, then Growth, Pro and Explorer — so you see them before Pro and Explorer caregivers. In areas with only a few caregivers, everyone is alerted at once.
- Care Bundles (up to 10)Create up to 10 active Care Bundles. Ideal for seasonal promotions and high-volume caregivers — mix services across your full 23-service catalogue into custom bundles for different client needs.
Growth is the top plan until Elite launches. After that, a $1,300/mo average moves you up to Elite.
Elite
Top placement, team accounts, and custom services.
- Everything in GrowthAll features from the Growth plan are included: 23 services, featured placement, backup network, email marketing, AI assistant, multi-location, and full Insights.
- 29–34 services (+ Professional)Unlock 6 Professional-tier service types beyond Growth: certified dog training, AKC CGC prep, vet tech escort, canine hydrotherapy, certified professional grooming, and post-operative home care — plus up to 5 custom services you define.
- Background check requiredEvery caregiver on a paid plan passes a Checkr background check before the plan starts. You pay the $32 when you order it, it's valid for 2 years, and the renewal is $32 too. Your first month is charged the day it clears.
- Top search placement + Elite badgeThe highest search tier in the default order, and an "Elite" badge that tells owners you're on the Elite plan. Placement and the badge come with the plan — they aren't a rating or a recommendation by PetHour (Terms, Section 4.10).
- Custom services (up to 5)Request up to 5 services of your own — your name, description and price range. Once PetHour approves one, you set its price and it is listed alongside the standard services on your profile.
- Team member accountsAdd up to 10 caregivers under one Elite subscription — they pay no plan of their own and keep their own prices, services, areas and hours. Every member needs their own background check that counts, paid by them, before joining. Bookings are shared automatically by fair rotation (you're in it too, on the same terms), and you earn a flat dispatch fee on each job a member completes. Team accounts aren't available in California.
- Custom booking website + domainGet a dedicated booking site at yourbusiness.pethour.com — or connect your own custom domain. Clients can book directly without browsing the main marketplace.
- White-label brandingYour business name, logo and colours on the emails you send clients (delivered “via PetHour” with the legally required unsubscribe footer), plus your own branding on visit reports and your booking website.
- API accessConnect PetHour to your own tools via our REST API. Pull booking data, push availability, sync client records, and build custom integrations with your business software.
- Priority supportYour support requests are marked priority and answered first.
- Predictive InsightsAI-powered demand forecasting, optimal pricing suggestions based on local market data, and positioning recommendations to help you stay ahead of seasonal trends and competitors.
- Churn prediction & intervention alertsEarly-warning alerts when a client shows signs of not rebooking — with AI-suggested outreach messages so you can re-engage them before they book with a competitor.
- Care Bundles (unlimited)Create unlimited Care Bundles with no cap. Combine any of your 29+ services into custom bundles tailored to different pet types, seasons, or client segments — with per-service milestone payouts and held-payment protection.
Earn credits by growing the community
Invite a friend — you earn credit when they book or offer a service. Credits are platform currency worth $1 each, never expire, and can be applied toward bookings or subscription months.
Every member gets a link — no booking needed. Up to 5 invite emails per day once your phone is verified.
Bookings between you and someone you referred don't earn credit — the reward is for bringing a new person to PetHour, so it releases on a booking with someone outside your referral pair. Credits also don't stack with other offers: while a launch offer is open they can't be applied to a subscription month, but they keep their full value on bookings and never expire.
Why caregivers choose PetHour over Other platforms
| Other platforms | PetHour | |
|---|---|---|
| Owner pays | Rate + hidden 20% via caregiver commission | Rate + 10% — fully itemised at checkout |
| Caregiver earns on $1,000/mo | ~$800 | ~$961 on Pro |
| Break-even vs Other platforms | — | Just $195/mo in bookings (6–7 dog walks) |
| GPS tracking | Basic check-in | Full route, live, AI report |
| Backup on cancellation | None | Structured 15-min backup network |
| Score trustworthiness | No verification | Payment-gated, mutual, fee-backed |
Run the numbers yourself
Drag the sliders to match your situation — the table updates instantly.
| Other platform | Pro
$39/mo flat |
Growth ⭐
$69/mo flat |
Elite
$99/mo flat | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your total billing | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| Platform fee | 20% = −$200 | −$39 flat | −$69 flat | −$99 flat |
| You keep | $800 | $961 | $931 | $901 |
| vs other platform | baseline | ▲ +$161/mo | ▲ +$131/mo | ▲ +$101/mo |
⚡ At your current rate, PetHour Pro pays for itself after just 4 bookings per month — compared to a 20% cut on other platforms.
Optional Add-Ons
Purchased separately, never required.
Caregiver Trust Badges (caregiver)
Per-Booking (owner)
Common questions
When does billing start?
Explorer is a free trial — no card, nothing charged. When you start Pro or Growth you add a card and order your background check ($32, charged then, unless yours is still valid). The plan's first month is charged on the day the check clears — never above the price you confirmed — and it renews monthly from that day. While Checkr works, any free trial you have left keeps running. Terms §8.3
How does the free trial work?
Go live on Explorer with no card. You can accept up to 3 jobs worth up to $150 at your own prices, within 30 days — whichever comes first. A job counts when you accept it; if the owner or PetHour cancels it before it starts, you get it back. A Last Minute reply holds a slot only while the owner is choosing. You get visit reports, messaging and meet & greets like everyone else. The trial covers the 7 core services; house sitting and backup standbys need a paid plan. Your profile shows a Trial badge, and until you complete a background check owners also see “Not background-checked yet” and confirm it before booking you. When the trial ends, your profile goes offline for new work — jobs you've accepted go ahead and are paid.
Do I need a background check, and what does it cost?
Yes for Pro, Growth and Elite, and to join a team; optional on the free trial, where it takes the “not background-checked yet” label off. It's a Checkr criminal background check, $32.00, which you pay when you order it — PetHour never deducts it from your earnings. It's valid for 2 years; we remind you 60, 30 and 7 days before, and you can renew (another $32.00) from 90 days ahead — your profile stays listed while the renewal runs. If the report lists records, a person at PetHour reviews them individually and you hear from us before any decision. If Checkr cancels the check or your invitation expires, it's refunded. If a plan charge fails the day your check clears, nothing is charged and you can retry from Start a plan. Terms §11
Can I withdraw what I earn on the trial?
Yes — trial earnings are yours, like any other. They reach your wallet once the owner confirms the visit, or automatically 72 hours after you mark it done, and you withdraw them from Finances the usual way; a person at PetHour reviews each withdrawal. Nothing is held back because you're on the trial, and that doesn't change when the trial ends.
Can I have another free trial?
No — one free trial per person, and each person may hold only one PetHour account. Starting a plan, letting the trial run out, or deleting your account and opening a new one doesn't reset it. To keep to that, PetHour keeps a one-way fingerprint of each of your email, verified phone, the first name, last name and date of birth on your ID, and payout account — never the values — for 3 years, also after an account is deleted. A new trial is refused when another account matches your email, your phone, or your full ID name and date of birth. To keep accepting work after your trial, start Pro or Growth. Terms §3.2 & §8.3
Who gets the Founding price and badge?
Caregivers who start Pro or Growth while the launch offer is open. They pay the Founding price, locked for 12 months like any price, and their profile shows the Founding Caregiver badge until their paid plan ends. Explorer is a free trial, so it carries no offer badge — start Pro or Growth while the offer runs to get it.
Can my plan price change?
Prices are reviewed from time to time — for example because of inflation or rising costs. We email you at least 14 days before any change to what you pay, and your price is locked for 12 months from when it began: an increase applies from your first renewal after both the change date and that 12 months. Starting or changing a plan uses the price in force that day — the lock is on your price, not your plan (see below). You can change or cancel your plan before a new price is charged. Founding prices follow the same rules. Terms §8.8
Can I get auto-upgraded?
Yes, one plan at a time. When your 3-month average earnings — completed bookings over the last 90 days, divided by three — reach $650/mo on Pro, you move up to Growth at your next billing date. We tell you by email and in the app the day it's scheduled, with the new price and date, which can be soon if your billing date is near. Don't want it? Cancel on your plan page before that date and nothing is charged at the new plan. Growth moves up to Elite at $1,300/mo only once Elite launches. Terms §8.4 & §8.6
My price is locked — can my plan still change?
Yes. The 12-month lock protects the price of the plan you're on from price increases; it doesn't freeze which plan you're on. Your plan moves up automatically when your 3-month average earnings reach $650/mo (Growth) — or, once Elite launches, $1,300/mo (Elite) — and you can change it yourself. However it changes, the new plan is charged at its current price — the Founding price if you're a Founding Caregiver — and that price is locked for 12 months from the day of the change. Your old locked price doesn't carry over, even if you later move back to your earlier plan. Terms §8.4 & §8.8
What happens if I cancel?
Cancel any time, even in your first month — it takes effect at the end of your billing cycle and nothing is charged after that, and months already paid aren't refunded. You're back on Explorer, but the free trial is one per person, so your profile is offline for new work until you start a plan again (or your free trial, if you never used it). You can't cancel while you still have confirmed bookings, unanswered requests or Care Bundle sessions owed after that date.
Can I downgrade my plan?
Yes, at your request — the system never force-downgrades — but only to a plan your 3-month average still qualifies for: while it's at or above $650/mo you stay on Growth or higher, and at or above $1,300/mo on Elite. You also can't downgrade during your first mandatory month. Cancelling isn't a downgrade and isn't limited by your average.
Do I keep 100% of my service rate?
Yes. The 10% service fee is charged to the owner on top of your listed rate and funds payments, payment holds, GPS, visit reports and support. You receive exactly what you set — PetHour never takes a cut of your earnings, and you keep 100% of every tip owners send. In California, Colorado and Massachusetts owners see your price with the fee included (a $60 rate shows as $66), and your service editor shows that number next to yours.
What is the backup booking network?
Owners can add up to 3 backup caregivers to any booking. Backups are background-checked caregivers on a paid plan (not the free trial) — Growth and Elite caregivers rank higher in owners' suggested lists. You earn $2.50 per standby you accept. If the main caregiver drops out and you take over, you receive the full booking fee.
What are Care Bundles?
Care Bundles let Pro, Growth, and Elite caregivers sell multiple services together at a discounted combined price. Owners pay upfront — no date needed at checkout. A private chat room unlocks immediately so you can coordinate scheduling directly. Payment is held by PetHour and released to you as each service in the bundle is completed and confirmed.
How do E-Gift Certificates work?
Any verified PetHour member (identity + phone confirmed) can send a prepaid gift of $5–$500 to any email address. The recipient redeems a code and the credit lands in their wallet — usable on any booking or Care Bundle. Gift purchases are final sale — non-refundable once paid — and credits are platform-only: they can't be cashed out, except a small leftover balance of a purchased gift where the law requires it (for example under $15 in California).