Are you tired of losing a percentage of your earnings to Rover’s service fees? While you can’t completely avoid Rover’s fees if you continue using the platform, there are strategies to minimize the impact and keep more of your earnings. Here’s how to avoid Rover fees (or at least reduce them) while growing your pet-sitting business.

1. Move Your Clients Off Rover

If you have repeat clients who love your service, consider inviting them to book with you directly instead of through Rover. This allows you to keep 100% of your earnings rather than losing 20-25% to Rover’s fees. Many sitters offer cash payments or alternative booking methods to make the transition easy for clients. And your clients will love the lower fees too.

While this is completely legal, it violates Rover’s Terms of Service, so you’ll need to be discreet. Avoid discussing this in the Rover app, as messages are monitored, and your account could be flagged or banned. Instead, build trust with clients first, then suggest booking outside Rover as a way to offer them better pricing or more flexible services.

2. Increase Your Rates to Offset Rover’s Fee

Since Rover takes a 20-25% cut, consider raising your prices slightly to account for the fees. Here’s how:

• If you want to earn $50 per booking, increase your price to around $62 to make up for Rover’s cut.

• Be sure to stay competitive—clients will still need to feel that they’re getting good value for your services.

3. Offer Additional Services for More Revenue

Maximize your earnings by offering additional services like extra walks, pet grooming, or overnight care. By doing so, you’ll increase your overall revenue per booking and reduce the sting of the fees.

4. Use Rover’s Paid Features (like RoverGO) Smartly

RoverGO charges a 25% fee, but it also provides guaranteed bookings and extra visibility. If you’re using RoverGO, ensure the increased exposure leads to more clients and higher-paying jobs to balance the extra fees.