How Much Do Rover and Wag Really Cost? Rover's 11% Booking Fee, California's 25% Marketplace Fee, and Wag's $2.99 Walk and $14.99 Boarding Fees

Rover's 11% booking fee

Rover's U.S. help article says the booking fee is 11%, finalized at checkout based on dates, number of pets, duration, add-ons and discounts. The fee is refundable if the booking is canceled by the sitter or by you under the sitter's cancellation policy. The article we read does not state a dollar cap, so do not assume one.

By my arithmetic, a sitter listing a walk at $30 costs you $33.30, and a $40 listing costs $44.40.

The sitter's fee is already in the list price

Rover also says the list price on a profile already includes the fee the sitter pays. Sitters keep 80% of each booking, so Rover applies a 20% fee on that side. On a $40 listing the sitter keeps $32 and Rover collects $8, plus your $4.40. That is $12.40 out of the $44.40 you pay, about 28%, by my arithmetic.

California's different structure

Rover says California works differently for legal reasons. Sitters enter a base rate, which is the money they take home. Owners then pay a 25% marketplace fee on that base rate, rounded to the nearest dollar, plus the 11% booking fee.

For a sitter who wants to take home $30, that is $38 after the marketplace fee and roughly $42 after the booking fee. Outside California the same $30 take-home would need a $37.50 listing, which costs the owner about $41.63. The two systems land close together; California just shows the pieces separately.

Wag's flat booking fees

Wag's cost page lists walks starting at $18 for 20 minutes, $24 for 30 minutes and $36 for 60 minutes. Caregivers set their own prices, so your quote can differ. A flat $2.99 booking fee applies to each walk and drop-in.

A flat fee hits short walks hardest. On those starting prices it adds about 17% to the 20-minute walk ($20.99 total), about 12% to the 30-minute walk ($26.99) and about 8% to the 60-minute walk ($38.99).

Boarding: a flat fee versus a percentage

Wag's overnight stays carry a flat $14.99 booking fee. Rover's fee scales with the bill. At an illustrative $50 a night for five nights, Rover's 11% adds $27.50 while Wag's flat fee adds $14.99. The rates are my example, not quotes, and sitters' nightly prices differ by city. For what the nightly rate itself looks like, see our guide to dog boarding costs per night, and for the extra holiday charges see holiday boarding surcharges.

When Wag Premium pays for itself

Wag's Premium page lists $5.99 a month, $59.99 a year (shown as $4.99 a month) or a $299 one-time lifetime plan, with a note to check the app for current pricing. Members get 5% off services and no booking fees.

On a $24 walk, that is $1.20 off plus the $2.99 fee, or $4.19 saved. Two such walks cover a $5.99 month, and about 15 walks cover the yearly plan, by my arithmetic. On a $200 overnight stay the saving is $10 plus $14.99, or $24.99. If you book a few times a year, skip it.

What to compare before you book

• Compare totals at checkout, not list prices, because the two apps add fees at different points.
• Ask whether recurring bookings carry one fee or a fee per visit.
• Count visits per month before paying for a membership.
• If you only need a mid-day break, compare with daycare day rates or, for a cat, a sitter visit instead of a cattery.

Fees come from Rover's U.S. help center articles on service fees and California fees and from Wag's cost and Premium pages, read on October 21, 2026. Fees and prices change, so confirm them at checkout.

This article is about costs only and is not veterinary advice. Your veterinarian can tell you what care your pet needs.