Rover pays pet sitters and dog walkers through automatic bank deposits processed by Stripe. The platform takes a 20% service fee from each booking, so you keep 80% of what the client pays. Funds are released two days after a service is complete and then automatically transferred to your bank account.
How Payments Are Processed
When a pet owner books you through Rover, the platform collects payment from the client upfront but holds those funds until the service is finished. Two days after the booking ends, Rover releases the money to your account. From there, Stripe automatically deposits it into the bank account you have on file.
You don’t need to manually withdraw anything. Automatic deposit is the default, and there’s no option to toggle it off or request payouts on a different schedule. Once funds are released to your Rover account, they move to your bank without any action on your part. Depending on your bank, the deposit may take an additional one to three business days to appear in your checking account after Stripe initiates the transfer.
What Rover Takes in Fees
Rover applies a 20% service fee to every booking. If you charge a client $50 for an overnight stay, Rover keeps $10 and you receive $40. This fee covers the platform’s cost of connecting you with clients, processing payments, and providing its Rover Guarantee protections.
The 20% rate applies to the full booking amount, including any add-on charges like extra dogs or extended walks. There’s no tiered discount for higher-volume sitters or longer bookings. The fee is deducted before the payout reaches your bank account, so the deposit you see is already your net earnings.
Setting Up Your Bank Account
To receive payouts, you need to connect a U.S. bank account through Stripe. During setup, Rover will ask for your routing number, account number, and basic identity verification details. This is a one-time process unless you switch banks later. You can update your payout information in your account settings at any time, though there may be a brief delay on your next deposit while Stripe verifies the new account.
Payment Timing by Service Type
The two-day release window starts after the service ends, but what “ends” means depends on the type of booking. For a single dog walk, the clock starts as soon as the walk is marked complete. For multi-day boarding or house sitting, the two days begin after the last day of the stay. That means a week-long boarding booking won’t release any funds until two days after the owner picks up their pet.
Recurring bookings, like a weekly dog-walking schedule, are handled as individual services. Each walk triggers its own payout cycle. You won’t wait until the end of the month to get paid for walks you completed weeks earlier.
Tips From Pet Owners
Pet owners can tip you through the Rover app after a service is complete. Tips are a separate transaction from the booking fee. Rover does not apply its 20% service fee to tips, so you keep the full amount. Tips follow the same automatic deposit process and land in your bank account alongside or shortly after your booking payout.
Tax Reporting and 1099-K Forms
Rover treats sitters as independent contractors, not employees. That means no taxes are withheld from your payouts. You’re responsible for reporting your Rover income and paying self-employment taxes on your own.
Each year, Rover files a 1099-K with the IRS if your earnings cross certain thresholds. At the federal level, the reporting requirement kicks in when you exceed both 200 transactions and $20,000 in gross earnings in a calendar year. Several states have lower thresholds, some as low as $600 in total gross earnings, so you may receive a 1099-K even if your federal earnings don’t trigger one.
If you do qualify, a digital copy of your 1099-K will be available by January 31 of the following year, and a mailed copy typically arrives by the third week of February. Even if you don’t receive a 1099-K, you’re still required to report the income on your tax return. Keeping your own records of bookings, earnings, and any deductible expenses (mileage, pet supplies, cleaning costs) throughout the year makes tax season much simpler.
What Your Net Earnings Actually Look Like
To get a realistic picture of your take-home pay, start with your listed rate and subtract 20%. If you price overnight boarding at $75 per night and book a five-night stay, the client pays $375. After Rover’s fee, you receive $300. That deposit will hit your bank roughly three to five days after the owner picks up their pet, accounting for the two-day release window plus Stripe’s transfer time.
Because you’re an independent contractor, remember to set aside a portion for taxes. A common rule of thumb is reserving 25% to 30% of your net Rover earnings for federal and state income taxes plus self-employment tax. On that $300 payout, putting $75 to $90 in a separate savings account keeps you covered when quarterly estimated taxes or your annual return come due.