Getting paid as a pet sitter: overnights, holidays and owners who travel
For sitters with their own clients: drop-in visits, house sitting and overnights.
Settle payment before the owner is out of reach. Send a deposit bill when she books, then one bill per visit or per night, sent as you go. She pays from her phone in Venmo, Cash App, PayPal or Zelle, wherever she is. SnapPaid takes 0% and costs $9.99 a month after 3 free invoices, but her payment app may charge you a fee. Put overnight and holiday rates and your cancellation terms in writing before you hold the dates. You work in an empty house, so keep keys and codes out of every photo and turn location off inside.
Paying before the trip
Should pet sitters get paid before or after the trip?
Before and during, not after. Once the owner is away, you have her pets and her keys, and she has no reason to hurry. One pet pro on Alignable put it simply: "I collect payment the day the first service starts." In SnapPaid that means a deposit bill when she books, then one bill per visit or per night as you go. PSI advises putting your payment terms in your contract: when it is due and which methods you accept.
Booking confirmed
When she books the dates
Hi Jen, you're booked: June 12 to 19, two visits a day for Luna, $25 a visit. A $100 deposit holds the dates and covers the last four visits. It's refunded if you cancel by June 5. I'll text you a bill after each of the other visits, with a photo of Luna. Kate
Send the first visit's bill that day, while she is still checking her phone for news of her pet. Then send one bill per visit or per night as you go. Next time, ask for a deposit when she books.
SnapPaid turns each visit's photo into its own bill. She pays from the text, from anywhere, and her client page shows which visits are still open.
It does not make one bill for the whole sit, keep a card on file or charge her automatically. A deposit is a separate bill you send yourself.
How do I invoice a client for a pet sitting job?
In SnapPaid, each visit or night is its own bill. Snap the pet, set the price for that visit, and add a few words in the note on the bill, such as "2 cats, meds." It goes to her as a text from your own number with one link to pay. A bill that covers the whole sit is not in SnapPaid yet.
Should I ask for a deposit to hold holiday dates?
A deposit is fair for holiday dates, when you turn down other work to hold them. State the amount, when it is due and when it is refundable. SnapPaid has no deposit feature. You can send a separate bill for the deposit when she books, then one bill per visit or per night as you go.
The dog is already here and I haven't confirmed payment. Should I have turned them away?
On Rover, confirm that the booking is booked and paid in Rover before the drop-off. Rover says the Rover Guarantee applies only to bookings booked and paid through Rover, and it has no record of payment made outside. For your own clients, ask for payment at drop-off or on the first visit, and say so when you book.
Pricing
What is a good price for pet sitting?
The best dated figures we found are from Pet Sitters International's 2024 survey. It reports $25.49 for a 31 minute visit and $96.99 for a 12.76 hour overnight. Those are US averages for PSI member businesses, mostly established pros, not all sitters. PSI's 2026 survey says 30-minute visits are the most popular service.
| What | Number | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Average US visit, PSI members, 2024 survey | $25.49 for 31 minutes | PSI |
| Average US overnight, PSI members, 2024 survey | $96.99 for 12.76 hours | PSI |
| Same figures, 2022 survey | Visit $22.51 (29.6 minutes); overnight $72.33 (about 13 hours) | PSI |
| Average US gross revenue, PSI member businesses, 2025 | $112,423 | PSI |
| Sample Christmas Day fee, Time To Pet guide, Dec 2021 | $12.21 per visit; $15.47 per day | Time To Pet |
| Rover fee to sitters, US | 20% per booking; owners pay an 11% booking fee on top | Rover |
| Rover pilot cities (Seattle, Tacoma, Bellevue, Chicago, Naperville, Elgin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington) | 30% up to $599 with that client; 15% from $600 to $1,199; 10% from $1,200 | Rover |
| Rover California | You set your take-home rate; owners pay a 25% marketplace fee plus 11% | Rover |
| Rover Guarantee, US (not insurance) | Up to $25,000 per incident for pet injuries; $100,000 for property damage or third-party injuries | Rover |
| Pet Care Insurance | From $194 a year; liability $1M per occurrence; pets in your care $2,500; vet reimbursement $1,000 | Pet Care Insurance |
| Insureon median, pet sitters who quoted through it | General liability $42 a month | Insureon |
| PSI membership, US | $155 a year, plus $5 the first year | PSI |
| Venmo business profile | 1.9% + $0.10 per payment | Venmo |
| SnapPaid | 0% of every payment; $9.99 a month after 3 free invoices | SnapPaid |
How much should I charge per hour, or for staying with a dog 5 or more hours a day?
We found no reliable hourly figure for pet sitting. A simple method: price short visits by the visit. Price long stays by the hour, at a rate that covers what you give up that day. SnapPaid takes either a flat price or an hourly rate per job.
How much should I charge for an overnight?
PSI's 2024 survey put the US average at $96.99 for an overnight of about 12.76 hours, up from $72.33 in its 2022 survey. Decide what your overnight includes, such as evening and morning care and the hours you are in the house. Anything beyond that is an extra visit or an add-on.
How much should I charge to sit overnight for six dogs, a cat and a parrot, or for horses?
We found no reliable figure for large households or livestock. Start from your overnight rate and add a set amount for each extra animal, plus a separate price for heavy tasks like horses or medication. Walk through the full routine at the meet and greet before you quote.
How much should I charge for pet sitting on Christmas and other holidays?
A holiday fee is fair; PSI says "Holiday surcharges, late booking fees, and cancellation fees are common in our industry." Time To Pet's 2021 guide gave a sample Christmas Day fee of $12.21 per visit or $15.47 per day. It found flat fees more common than percentages. That sample is old and drawn from its own users. Quote the holiday fee when she books the dates.
Should I charge extra for medication, a special-needs cat or extra visits?
Yes, if it takes more time or skill, and list each extra in your price list so it is not a surprise. Put every extra on the bill by name, so the owner sees what she is paying for.
The owner adds a visit or a pet mid-trip.
Confirm the new price by text when she asks. An extra visit gets its own bill. An extra pet raises each visit's price from that day, with "2 pets" in the note on the bill. Either way she sees it as you go, not at the end.
Cancellations and early returns
Can I charge a cancellation fee if the client cancels her vacation?
Yes, if your written policy says so and she agreed to it when she booked. PSI lists cancellation fees as common in the industry. Time To Pet's 2024 guide calls advance payment "the easiest way to enforce your cancellation policy."
Apply your policy as written: keep the deposit, or bill the cancellation fee. If you had no policy, set one before the next holiday.
SnapPaid sends a bill for the cancellation fee, with "Cancel fee, Dec 22 booking" in the note on the bill.
It does not enforce your policy, hold a card or charge a fee on its own.
What is a fair pet sitting cancellation policy for holidays?
Ask for more notice on holidays than on ordinary dates. Rover's own sitter options are a useful model: Same Day, One Day, Three Day or Seven Day notice, with a partial refund for late cancels. Write yours down with your holiday fee and deposit, and send it before she books.
The client paid for 10 days but came home early. Do I have to refund?
That depends on the policy you both agreed to, so put early returns in writing. You can refund unused visits, or keep the booked days because the dates were held. If you bill each visit as you go, only the deposit is at stake. Any refund goes from your payment app to hers.
The owner comes home three days early and asks for money back.
Point to your written policy, and refund what it says in the app she paid with. SnapPaid never touches the money, so it cannot issue refunds.
What happens on Rover if I cancel a pet sitting booking?
If you cancel 5 or fewer days before a booking, Rover posts an automated public record on your profile. That does not apply to recurring services. Cancel early, or not at all, when you can.
Late and non-paying clients
A client hasn't paid me for pet sitting. What should I do?
Send one clear text with the visits still open and the amount, then a second a week later. If the booking was on Rover, payment runs through Rover, so contact Rover support rather than asking her to pay you outside it. For your own clients, keep every bill and text.
After the trip
A few days after she gets home
Hi Jen, welcome home. Luna did great. Six of her visit bills, June 14 to 16, are still open, $150 in all. Each one has its own link in my texts. You can pay in Venmo, Cash App, PayPal or Zelle. Thanks, Kate
Second nudge
About a week later
Hi Jen, six of Luna's visit bills from June 14 to 16 are still open. Each has its own link in my texts. Could you take care of them this week? I'd like to keep your next dates on my calendar. Kate
The client said she'd pay when she got back, and it has been weeks. What now?
Nudge her once about the open bills, and change your terms for next time. Future sits start with a deposit, and each visit's bill is paid as you go.
Send one friendly nudge now. When she books again, ask for a deposit and tell her each visit's bill is due when it arrives.
On day 3, 7 and 14 SnapPaid asks you "Did Jen pay?" It counts days late from day 3, and one tap sends a nudge, once per 24 hours.
It does not remind her on its own or collect for you.
Can I keep the pet until the owner pays?
Don't count on it. We could not verify that holding a pet for payment is legal, and the rules differ by state. Take a deposit and bill each visit as the sit goes instead. This is not legal advice.
Should I write off a small unpaid pet sitting bill or take her to small claims?
Weigh your time against the amount. Small claims rules and limits differ by state, so check your state court's website. Your bills, dates and texts are the record you would bring. This is not legal advice.
Keys, the empty house and proof
How do I prove I visited the cat every day?
Take a photo or short video at every visit. Each one is stamped with the time, plus the place when location is on, and sealed at capture. That shows you were there at that moment, not how long you stayed. SnapPaid has no GPS check-in or check-out.
Send her the photos from each visit, with their times, in order.
SnapPaid stamps each photo or video at capture, and each visit's bill carries its photo.
It is not GPS tracking, and a photo does not show visit length. A visit you didn't photograph has no record.
Should I send photo updates every visit?
It is your call, and a photo on the bill shows the owner her pet is fine. Photos from an empty house need care, so keep them about the pet.
Turn location off for shots inside. Keep keys, lockboxes, alarm panels, door codes, mail with the address, valuables and family photos out of frame.
SnapPaid stamps the place only when location is on. With it off, the photo carries the time only.
It cannot stop the owner forwarding the pay link, and the photo travels with it.
The client says something was broken or the house was left messy. What do I do?
Listen, ask what she found, and share your photos from the last visit with their times. A photo records how the room looked at that moment; it is not insurance. For your own clients, ask your insurer whether your policy covers it; for Rover bookings, contact Rover.
Who pays if the dog I'm sitting breaks something in my home?
On a Rover booking, the Rover Guarantee lists damage to your property, up to $100,000, for bookings booked and paid through Rover. Rover says plainly that the Guarantee is not insurance. For your own clients, agree on it in your contract and carry your own insurance.
A pet got sick while the owner was away. Who pays the vet bill?
Agree on it in writing before the trip: which vet, and how much you may approve without calling. Pet Care Insurance, for example, lists vet reimbursement of $1,000 per occurrence for pets in your care. On Rover, the Guarantee excludes pre-existing conditions and fleas, ticks and parasites.
You paid the vet bill yourself and need to be repaid.
Send a separate bill for the exact amount, with "Vet visit, June 15" in the note on the bill. Keep the vet's receipt with it.
Rover and payment apps
How much does Rover take from pet sitters?
20% of each US booking, so you keep 80%; owners pay an 11% booking fee on top. In Rover's pilot cities the fee depends on your history with that client: 30% up to $599, then 15%, then 10% from $1,200. In California, you set your take-home rate and owners pay a 25% marketplace fee plus 11%.
As a pet sitter, how do I get paid on Rover?
Rover pays you 2 days after you complete the service, through Stripe to your bank. Your bank may take up to 5 more business days. Tips owners give through Rover go to you in full.
Can a Rover client pay me cash or book me directly next time?
No. Rover says arranging a booking on Rover and completing it off Rover violates its Terms of Service, and can lead to deactivation. Paying outside Rover also loses the Rover Guarantee and 24/7 support, and can get both of you suspended.
Say thank you and keep her bookings on Rover. Rover asks sitters to decline and use its Report option.
SnapPaid is for clients you find yourself: neighbors, referrals, people who found you off the platforms.
It is not a way to bill Rover clients, and you should not use it for them.
Is it better to pet sit on Rover or on my own?
Rover brings clients, takes payment at booking, enforces cancellation refunds and offers the Rover Guarantee, for 20% of each booking. On your own you keep your full rate, but you collect payment, enforce your policy and carry your own insurance. You can do both: Rover clients stay on Rover, and clients you find yourself are billed separately. SnapPaid is our app, so weigh this with that in mind.
Can clients pay me with Venmo or Zelle for pet sitting?
Yes. Use a Venmo business profile, since Venmo says personal accounts cannot accept payment for services unless authorized. A business profile charges 1.9% + $0.10 per payment. Zelle typically charges no fee, but it has no purchase protection and tells users to send only to people they know and trust.
Insurance, licensing and starting out
Do I need insurance to be a pet sitter? Is the Rover Guarantee insurance?
The Rover Guarantee is not insurance; Rover says so in capital letters, and it covers only Rover bookings. For your own clients, insurance is your protection. Pet Care Insurance starts at $194 a year, with $1,000,000 liability per occurrence and $2,500 for pets in your care. Insureon reports a median of $42 a month for general liability among pet sitters who quoted through it.
What is bonding for pet sitters, and do I need it if I work alone?
Pet Care Insurance sells Employee Dishonesty coverage as an "alternative to traditional bonding," which points at its purpose: theft by someone working for you. If you work alone, ask the insurer whether it covers you as the owner. SnapPaid is not insurance or bonding.
Do I need a business license to pet sit?
We found no US-wide pet sitting license. Time To Pet notes that some states and cities require a business license for pet sitting. Check your city and county before you start. This is not legal advice.
Is PSI or NAPPS membership worth it?
PSI costs $155 a year in the US, plus $5 the first year, and offers optional group insurance and bonding at extra cost. NAPPS offers certification and resources; we could not verify its price. Compare the insurance offer with buying a policy directly before you join.
Tips, taxes and records
How much should an owner tip a pet sitter for a two-week vacation?
We found no credible standard for pet sitter tips. Emily Post covers dog walkers, not sitters, and Rover says a tip is never expected. SnapPaid's pay page has a tip option, so an owner who wants to tip can add it when she pays.
Do I have to report pet sitting income from Venmo or cash?
Yes: the IRS says gig income must be reported even without a Form 1099-K or 1099-NEC. Payment apps now send a 1099-K only above $20,000 and 200 transactions, so you may never get one. If your net self-employment earnings are $400 or more, you file Schedule SE and pay 15.3%. This is not tax advice.
Are pet sitter tips tax free now?
No, but they may qualify for a deduction: the IRS list of tipped occupations names "pet sitter" under code 506. The IRS caps it at $25,000, and for the self-employed at net income from the business. It phases out above $150,000 of income ($300,000 joint) and covers voluntary tips only. This is not tax advice; ask a tax pro.
The client wants an itemized receipt. What should it show?
Each receipt should show the date, the visit or night, the pets, any extra and the amount. The IRS lists invoices and receipt books among the records that back up business income. SnapPaid makes a receipt with a PDF download and your review link for each paid bill. A sit means one receipt per visit or night. It does not make one itemized receipt for the whole sit, year-end reports or exports.
How do I keep track of which sits have been paid?
Keep one list per client with every visit and whether it is paid, whichever app the money came through.
Three sits overlap over a holiday week, and you can't tell who has paid.
SnapPaid gives each client a page with every job and what is still open. Mark a bill as paid for any method, cash included, and "I've paid" taps send you an alert.
Where SnapPaid fits
Payment apps move money but do not send a bill or keep each job with its record. SnapPaid covers the four steps a solo service professional needs.
- 1Finish the jobAdd a photo or video when it suits the work, or use a short description.
- 2Text one linkFrom your own number. Nothing for the client to download.
- 3Get paid directlyVenmo, Cash App, PayPal or Zelle, straight to you.
- 4Keep the recordPaid or open, organized by client and job.
SnapPaid takes 0% of what the client pays you. The payment app may charge its own fees.