How much commission does Mad Paws take?

Mad Paws adds a service fee to the owner's booking at checkout — the percentage isn't fixed and varies, but it's disclosed before payment is finalised. The sitter receives their listed rate. Mad Paws' revenue comes primarily from the owner-side fee rather than a direct sitter commission, though the specific structure includes platform costs from both sides of the transaction.

How much commission does Pawshake take from sitters?

Approximately 19% per booking from the sitter's side. This means a sitter listing $80/night keeps approximately $65 after commission. To maintain their effective hourly rate, sitters on Pawshake typically list at higher prices than equivalent sitters on lower-commission platforms — which is why Pawshake's listed prices often appear higher than competitors for comparable services.

What commission does Rover take in Australia?

Rover charges service providers approximately 20% commission per booking — consistent with its US market commission structure applied to the Australian market. The owner also pays a service fee at checkout, making the combined platform take significant relative to the listed rate.

Does a higher commission platform mean lower quality walkers?

Not necessarily — but high commission platforms may attract more casual, part-time walkers (who treat the commission as an acceptable tax on supplementary income), while lower-commission platforms retain more professional full-time carers who rely on platform income and need to price competitively. This is a structural tendency, not an absolute rule — quality walkers exist on all platforms.

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Dog Walking App Commission Compared — What Platforms Take from Walkers and Sitters (2026)

How much do dog walking apps take from each booking? Here's a comparison of commission and fee structures across Australian platforms — relevant for owners understanding total cost, and walkers deciding where to list.

By atticus · 5 min read · Last updated 17 May 2026

Commission structures on dog care platforms affect two groups: walkers and sitters (who take home less per booking on high-commission platforms), and owners (who pay more when sitters compensate by listing higher prices). Understanding how each platform structures its take is useful whether you're booking care or providing it.

Key takeaways

Pawshake's commission to the platform is approximately 19% per booking from the sitter's side. This is among the highest publicly disclosed commission rates in the Australian market.
Rover (operating in Australia) charges service providers approximately 20% per booking — consistent with its US market commission structure.
Mad Paws adds a service fee to the owner's booking at checkout. The sitter receives their listed rate; Mad Paws takes its cut from the owner side rather than (or in addition to) the sitter side.
High sitter-side commissions mean sitters raise their listed prices to protect take-home income — so Pawshake prices often appear higher than TruePath or Mad Paws for equivalent service.
Commission affects quality: platforms with high sitter-side commission attract more casual earners; platforms with lower commission retain experienced professionals who can afford to rely on the platform full-time.

How commission structures work

There are two ways a platform can take its cut from a booking:

Sitter-side commission. The platform takes a percentage from what the sitter earns. A sitter listing $60/night on a platform with 20% commission takes home $48. To earn $60 take-home, they need to list at $75. This is the model Pawshake and Rover use — it means listed prices on those platforms are systematically higher than what the sitter actually keeps.

Owner-side service fee. The platform adds a fee on top of the sitter's listed rate at checkout. The sitter receives their full listed rate; the platform's revenue comes from the owner. Mad Paws uses this model in part — which is why a sitter's profile price on Mad Paws isn't the owner's final cost.

Mixed models. Some platforms take cuts from both sides — a commission from the sitter and a service fee from the owner. The total platform take can be significant.

Platform-by-platform breakdown

Feature	Platform	Owner fee	Sitter commission	Total platform take (approx)
TruePath	Transparent, shown pre-checkout	Platform retains portion	Competitive	Full cost visible before booking confirmation
Mad Paws	Service fee added at checkout	Platform retains portion of listing	Varies	Fee disclosed at checkout stage, not at search
Pawshake	Included in listed price	~19% per booking	~19% from sitter	Sitters raise prices to compensate — listed rates appear higher
Rover (AU)	Service fee at checkout	~20% per booking	20%+ combined	US-origin model, consistent with global Rover commission structure

Commission and fee structures — major Australian platforms (2026)

Why this matters for owners

The practical effect of sitter-side commission is that you pay more for equivalent care. A sitter on Pawshake charging $80/night is keeping approximately $65 after commission. To earn $80 take-home, they need to list at $99. The owner pays $99; a comparable sitter on a lower-commission platform might list at $80 and keep most of it.

This isn't the sitter being greedy — it's the logical response to a 19–20% platform tax. But the owner ends up paying the premium without seeing the commission line on their invoice.

The owner-side checkout fee model (Mad Paws style) is more transparent in one sense — the fee is disclosed before payment — but less transparent at the browsing and comparison stage, where owners think they're comparing like-for-like prices.

Why this matters for walkers and sitters

Walkers and sitters considering which platform to prioritise make a reasonable business calculation: higher commission means either lower take-home or higher listed prices, both of which reduce competitiveness. Experienced walkers who rely on the work full-time often prioritise platforms with lower commission — they can price competitively while maintaining a sustainable income.

The consequence for platform quality: high-commission platforms may attract more casual, part-time walkers (who care less about the commission rate because it's supplementary income), while lower-commission platforms attract more professional full-time carers. This is a generalisation with exceptions, but it's a pattern worth understanding.

What to actually do with this information

For owners: look at the total cost you'll pay, not just the listed rate. Request a booking confirmation showing the full amount before completing it. When comparing platforms, compare the out-of-pocket cost rather than the sitter's listed rate.

For owners considering TruePath: TruePath's pricing is shown fully before booking confirmation. The competitive rates reflect a sustainable commission structure for full-time professional walkers — which is part of why retention and review quality are high.

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