UrbanSitter is a site that claims you can earn extra cash working as a caregiver.
If you are looking for a side hustle, you might be interested in joining. However, before you hit the sign-up button, I recommend you read this UrbanSitter review.
It will show you everything the site has to offer so you will know exactly what to expect from it before you even join. Then you can properly evaluate if it is worth it or not.
So let’s go ahead and take a closer look at UrbanSitter, shall we?
What is UrbanSitter, and what does it offer?
UrbanSitter is a site that offers nanny, caregiver, and babysitter services. It is indeed a legit site since you can earn from the jobs it offers.
But the question is, is it worth it?
The best way to find out is to understand how it works. The only way to do that is to examine the earning opportunity it offers so you will have a clear idea of how much time and effort is needed to earn from it.
So here’s how to earn from UrbanSitter.
The earning opportunity – Jobs
Once you become a sitter for UrbanSitter, you can log in to the member dashboard and view all the available jobs you can apply for.
There are usually several jobs available at any given time, and all of them belong to either of the categories shown in the photo above (child care, pet care, senior care, and household services). If you are interested in a job offer, just click it to see the full details.
You will typically see the location, requirements, schedule, and type of service you have to provide. If you want to take advantage of this offer, just click the “Apply” button, and you will be taken to the application page.
To apply for the job, you need to pay the membership fee (more on this later), submit your background check, tell the family about you, and set your rates. After you submit your application, the family will reach out to you if they are interested in hiring you.
You will receive a notification on the dashboard if the family is interested in hiring you. You will also receive an email informing you that the family is interested in hiring you, so make sure to check your email inbox regularly if you applied for a job on UrbanSitters.
Normally, the family will set a time for you to be interviewed either via phone or in person. If the family requests this, you have no choice but to comply if you want to land the job. During the interview, you can discuss the payment method to be used. Normally, you can get paid in cash or via direct bank transfer (more on this later).
You can also iron out all the other details during the interview. This is why it is very important to show up during the interview. Once the interview is completed and the family decides to hire you, then all you have to do is show up at the agreed date and time to render the services required of you.
You will be paid for every date you work for the family. In the next section, I will elaborate on how UrbanSitter’s payment system works.
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How do you get paid?
For every booking you complete, you will be paid in cash or by direct deposit (depending on the terms agreed upon during the interview). The payment process will be very simple if the family chooses to pay you in cash.
But if the family opts to pay you via direct deposit, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. There are two options for direct deposit payment – instant payouts and standard payouts.
If you want to receive your earnings immediately, you can opt for instant payouts. Just remember that there will be a $2 fee involved per transaction for this option, and you need a debit card to avail of this option. Standard payouts take longer, but there is no fee involved. For this, you will only need a bank account.
You don’t need to earn a specific amount to withdraw your earnings. As long as you’ve completed a booking, you will get paid. Personally, I prefer the cash option because it is the simplest way to receive your earnings.
Overall, I would say the payment system of UrbanSitter is relatively simple. I like the fact that it offers both cash and direct deposit options since they are both convenient payment methods, in my opinion. If you are interested in more sites that offer a convenient payment method, I recommend you also check out the top sites that pay via direct bank transfer.
How much money can you make?
The amount you can earn from UrbanSitter will depend entirely on how many bookings you get. Since you can set your hourly rate, you can dictate how much you will earn per booking. But the number of bookings you can get involves several factors.
The first factor is your hourly rate. The problem with setting your hourly rate is that if you set your rate too high, you might not get any bookings. If you also set your rate too low, you are selling yourself short, so you have to determine the right balance if you want to maximize your earnings from UrbanSitter.
Another factor that can affect your number of bookings is the rating you will get from clients.
You see, families can rate the service you provided and leave a review as well. If you don’t do a good job, it will reflect on your rating as a caregiver.
In my opinion, this is the most important factor in determining how much you can earn from it. If your clients are happy, your reputation and rating as a sitter will improve, and you will land more jobs and, therefore, earn more.
Lastly, your location will also serve as a huge factor in determining how much you can earn from the site. If you live in a big city, there’s a higher possibility of booking more clients and therefore earning more. But if you live in a small city, you might be able to find any clients near your location.
But overall, I would say the earning potential of UrbanSitter is quite decent, especially if you live in a big city where there are a lot of potential clients.
Can you use it on mobile?
UrbanSitter has a mobile app you can download, so you don’t need to sit in front of the computer to check for available jobs. The app is available for download on both Android and iOS app stores.
The app is relatively user-friendly, so you won’t have a hard time getting used to it. If you are interested in joining UrbanSitter, I highly recommend you download the app so you don’t need a computer to view available bookings or check for any messages from families interested in hiring you.
Who can join UrbanSitter?
The site doesn’t tell you exactly which countries it is available in, but from what I can tell, it is only available in the US, so if you live somewhere else, then this opportunity is not for you.
To sign up as a caregiver, you just have to fill out the registration form. There are a few forms you need to fill out, and once you are done, you will be taken to the payment page (refer to the photo above).
You see, to work as a caregiver for UrbanSitter requires an annual fee. The good thing, though, is that the first year will be offered to you for free, but after that, it will cost $34.95 per year. Even though the first year is free, you still have to provide your credit/debit card details to sign up. After you provide the card details, your registration is completed. You can start applying for jobs.
Take note, though, that you will also have to undergo a background check, but the fee for this is already included in the annual membership fee. You just have to provide a few photos of some documents. You can check out the requirements for the background check here.
During the registration process, you can also set the days and times you are willing to work as an UrbanSitter caregiver. This is a very important step, so make sure to select the appropriate date and time because this will determine which job offers will be shown to you.
Can you get support?
If you have a question about your account or the site, you can check out UrbanSitter's Support page. It discusses most of the basic topics you need to know about the site. If you can’t find the answers you are looking for, you can just get in touch with the support department.
To do so, you have to sign up for the member services of UrbanSitter’s help desk. To do so, just click the “No” option under each question on the Support page where it says “Did you find this helpful?” By doing so, you will be taken to the Help Desk portal of UrbanSitter.
Overall, I would say the site does provide decent support to its members since it offers a convenient way for you to get in touch with the support team.
Final Verdict
UrbanSitter is a legit site where you can earn extra cash by working as a caregiver. It has a few good features, but it also has a few drawbacks you need to consider.
Let me end this review by summarizing its pros and cons to give you an overview of what it has to offer. Then you can decide if this is the right opportunity for you or not.
Pros:
- No payout threshold
- Offers convenient payment methods
- Has a mobile app you can download
Cons:
- Involves a lengthy process to land a job
- Limited earning opportunities
- You have to pay an annual membership fee
In my opinion, UrbanSitter is not for everyone. If you live in a big city in the US, then you can potentially earn a decent amount from it. But if you live in a small town, I suggest you don’t even bother because you will hardly find any opportunities to earn.
It does offer convenient payment methods, and it has a mobile app you can download, so you don’t have to sit in front of a computer to book jobs. I would only recommend you join if you live in a big city and you are confident with your caregiving skills.
Otherwise, you are better off finding other ways to earn extra cash. For this, I recommend you check out the top survey and GPT sites in your country instead. The sites on this list all have good earning potential, so you will be able to earn a decent amount in no time.
Plus, you will definitely find a site you can join regardless of where you live.
If you have any comments, questions, or experience with UrbanSitter, I would love to hear from you in a comment below.