How do I pay caregivers?

Paying caregivers is simple and convenient on UrbanSitter, especially via credit card! There are two official forms of payment for bookings: cash and credit. The payment method of the job or interview is determined by the family at the time of booking the caregiver, and the family is expected to facilitate and complete the payment. To get started using credit card payments, add your credit card to your account.

• If the booking is set to cash, the parent is expected to pay the sitter in cash/check/payment transfer app at the end of the booking. Sitters do not need to confirm their hours worked. 
• If the booking is set to credit, the parent pays via credit/debit card and the sitter is paid via direct deposit. Sitters are deposited the funds to their bank account via their preferred payout method: Instant Payout (under 2 minutes) or Standard Payout (3-5 business days).  

When posting jobs to the sitter community you'll also set the payment method to cash or credit. Sitters with valid direct deposit information on file will be able to express interest in job posts paid via credit. 

Credit payments

The majority of caregivers on UrbanSitter are set up to accept credit payments from families. To confirm that this is the case for an individual sitter, look for the following badge on the right side of the sitter’s profile.

Families select Credit or Cash as the payment type when submitting a booking request to a sitter. You can always switch the payment type before the booking's start time. To do so, find the accepted booking via your Bookings page and click "Change to...". For more information about switching payment methods, click here. 

At the scheduled end time of the booking (or no more than 15 minutes past the scheduled end time), the sitter will be prompted to confirm the hours worked. Once confirmed, you will be prompted to confirm the payment to the sitter and have the option to add a tip for the sitter. Any applicable credits will automatically apply towards the service total, as seen below next to "Discount applied". For more information about paying caregivers with credit, see our FAQ: How do I use my credit to pay caregivers?

Then you'll have the opportunity to review the payment details and send a message along with your payment. To ensure that sitters are paid in a timely manner, payments will be automatically charged 24 hours after the sitter confirms in the event the family hasn't confirmed the payment yet except a few factors, including if the confirmed hours exceed the original booked hours by 3 hours or more. If your sitter confirms more hours than were originally booked, it will be noted on the previous screen.

Once you confirm this payment, we'll charge your card on file, initiate the deposit to the sitter, and email you a receipt. At first, it may feel strange to say goodbye without handing over cash, but trust us.... you'll get used to it!

If you have any questions about a payment prior to completing the payment or disagree with the hours your sitter confirmed, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Member Services at support@urbansitter.com.