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What Rover takes
Rover's Help Center says it applies a 20% service fee per booking, so you take home 80%. The price on your profile is what the owner sees, and Rover adds its own booking fee for the owner at checkout.
- Your listed price$25.00
- Rover service fee, 20%$5.00
You take home$20.00
The owner pays about $27.75: your $25 plus Rover's 11% booking fee.
- Profile review fee: $49 to $79, depending on location
- Different fee rules in California
- Different fees outside the US
- Repeat-client pilot in some US cities: 30%, 15% or 10% by booking history with that client
Source: Rover Help Center, October 2026. Fees change, so check the current pages for where you work.
Price so the fee doesn't eat your rate
Work out your break-even price first: your minutes on site, travel and admin at your hourly pay, plus mileage and supplies. Our guide to how much to charge for pet sitting shows the method. Then gross it up for the fee:
- Break-even for a 30-minute visit$28.35
- Break-even ÷ 0.80, exact$35.44
Listed price, rounded up$36
You take home $36 × 0.80 = $28.80, just above break-even. The owner pays about $39.96 with the 11% booking fee.
If $36 is far above what sitters near you charge on Rover, that's useful to know early. It may mean your route, travel time or pay target needs adjusting, or that the app suits some services better than others.
What the fee buys, and what it doesn't
Included with Rover bookings
- Owners searching for sitters near them
- Payment charged before the booking, paid to you 48 hours after it ends
- 24/7 support, including free vet advice during bookings
- Reviews and ratings on your profile
- The Rover Guarantee for eligible losses on Rover bookings
Not covered
- Insurance: Rover's terms say the Guarantee is not insurance
- The first $250 of a US claim (minimum contribution)
- Injuries to you, the sitter
- Anything booked or paid outside Rover
- Your own client list: profile and reviews stay on Rover
The Guarantee is a reimbursement program with conditions, not a policy in your name. Read Rover's Guarantee terms once, then get pet sitter insurance with care, custody and control coverage, whether or not you use Rover.
The off-platform rule
An owner on X said this month that every good walker they found on Rover moved them off the app by the third booking. It happens, but it's against Rover's rules. Rover's explanation of its Terms of Service says that arranging a booking on Rover and then completing it off Rover is a violation, and it can cost you your account.
Reply in Rover messages
"Thanks, I really appreciate it! I keep all my Rover bookings on Rover, so we both keep the support and the Rover Guarantee. I'll send the next booking request there."
Build a client list that's yours
Clients who find you outside Rover, through neighbors, referrals, flyers, your vet or groomer or your own website, book with you directly. You keep your whole price, apart from your payment processor's fee. You also take on what Rover did:
- A service agreement with your cancellation policy, payment terms and holiday rates
- A meet and greet with the full intake, pet profile and key handover
- Written vet authorization with a spending limit
- Payment in advance or on a schedule you set, and a record of it
- Your own insurance, since no platform guarantee applies
Our meet and greet checklist covers the first visit. The Client Onboarding Pack has the intake form, pet profile, service agreement, key log and vet authorization on paper.
Where your own clients come from
Word of mouth around a tight route is the cheapest way to grow. Our pet sitting startup guide has the full list. These are the ones that cost little or nothing:
Neighbors on your route
Owners near the clients you already see, so the new visits fit your driving.
Referral cards
A card each happy client can pass on, with a thank-you for both.
Vets, groomers, pet shops
Ask if you can leave cards or a flyer on their board.
Your own listing
A free business profile and a simple page with your area, services and prices.
The Pet Sitter Marketing Kit has a service menu and price list, a tear-off flyer, door hangers, business cards and refer-a-friend cards, plus a log of which pieces bring clients.
Rover, independent, or both?
- Rover onlySimplest to start: clients, payments and support are handled. Price for the 20% fee.
- BothRover fills the calendar while your own list grows. Keep the two client lists completely separate.
- Independent onlyYou keep your whole price and set every rule, but you find the clients and carry the risk.
Whichever you choose, know your break-even price and your take-home per visit.
Free pet visit report cards
Drop-in, dog walk, overnight and cat visit report cards, so clients you book yourself get the same clear record after every visit.
Get it free on Gumroad Enter $0 at checkout.Frequently asked questions
How much does Rover take from pet sitters?
Rover's Help Center says it keeps a 20% service fee per booking, so you take home 80%. The pet owner also pays an 11% booking fee at checkout. Fees are set differently in California and outside the US, and Rover is piloting lower fees for repeat clients in a few US cities, so check the current page for where you work.
Can I give a Rover client my number and book them privately?
Not for a client you met through Rover. Rover's Terms of Service say that arranging a booking on Rover and then completing it off Rover is a violation, and it can lead to your account being deactivated.
Those bookings would also lose the Rover Guarantee and support. Clients you find yourself, outside Rover, are a separate matter.
Do I need my own insurance if I'm on Rover?
It's strongly recommended. Rover's Guarantee terms say plainly that the Rover Guarantee is not insurance.
It reimburses certain losses after other options, with a $250 minimum contribution in the US, and it doesn't cover injuries to you or work you book outside Rover. Pet sitter insurance with care, custody and control coverage protects you on every job.
Is it worth starting on Rover?
It can be. Rover can bring early bookings and reviews while you're unknown, and you set your own rates and schedule. Budget for the $49 to $79 profile review fee and the 20% service fee, set your listed price so your take-home still covers your break-even, and start building your own client list from day one.
Can I be on Rover and run my own pet sitting business too?
Many sitters do. Keep the two lists separate: Rover clients stay on Rover, and clients who found you through referrals, flyers or your own website book with you directly under your own service agreement and cancellation policy. Track both, so you can see what each one really pays you.
Going further
The Pet Sitting Startup Planner & Rate Calculator (Excel + Google Sheets) works out your break-even price for up to 3 travel zones and the visits your income goal needs, so you can see what a 20% fee does to each one. Once clients are booking, the Pet Sitter Business Tracker records bookings, payments, tips and mileage for every client, however they found you.
Disclosure: the templates linked here are made and sold by this site's shop. This site isn't affiliated with Rover. Fees and terms are quoted from Rover's own pages as of October 2026 and can change. This page is general information, not legal or insurance advice.