Wag

Is Wag worth it for dog walkers and pet sitters?

NerdWallet reports Wag keeps 40% of the service price, a figure Wag's own Terms don't state.

How much Wag takes from your pay

The 40% figure is NerdWallet's measure, not a rate Wag publishes. Wag's Terms of Service list owner-side charges such as service, booking and trust and safety fees, but state no percentage kept from caregivers. Wag's FAQ says walks start at $18 and caregivers set their own prices. That is the price owners pay, not what the walker keeps, and a flat booking fee applies to owners on top.

The Terms also say Wag may charge both owner and caregiver a referral fee if they transact outside the platform after meeting on Wag.

Tipping is separate from fees. Wag's owner-facing page says tipping is optional, and Wag's caregiver app listing says walkers get 100% of tips. The Terms say customer fees owed to caregivers don't include tips, and they don't say whether Wag keeps any part of a tip.

How and when Wag pays you

NerdWallet reports Wag pays weekly, every Friday, through Stripe. Wag's blog post on becoming a walker, last edited in 2022, says the same: payments for the previous week's services are distributed on Fridays, and caregivers need a Stripe account. That post is older than Wag's current Terms, so the schedule may have changed.

Wag requirements and how long approval takes

You must be 18 or older, pass a background check and pass a pet care quiz. Wag's sign-up steps come from its 2022 blog post, so they may have changed. Wag says approval averages 14 days and varies with application volume. A one-time application fee applies, and Wag doesn't state the amount. NerdWallet reports the application processing fee varies by region.

Wag's walker page says it operates in all 50 states and 5,300+ cities and lists no state exclusions. It also says every caregiver must pass an extensive background check.

How much you can make on Wag

Wag publishes no average or typical walker earnings. The one per-walk figure is a claim by Wag's then-CEO that a walker averages about $17.50 per walk, reported by BuzzFeed News. The article's date isn't shown. BuzzFeed's yearly estimate only works under an assumed walks-per-day schedule.

Wag says its caregivers have done over 12 million services, but it publishes no per-city demand or per-walker booking numbers. No independent study measures what walkers earn per walk, per month or per hour. The owner prices below are gross, before Wag's cut, and they're per walk, so time spent getting between walks isn't in them. See how to calculate your actual hourly earnings.

Can Wag deactivate your account?

Yes. Wag's deactivation policy says caregivers with an average rating below 4.75 stars are subject to deactivation. After an at-risk email you get 30 days to improve, with a progress email after 14 days, and no extension if you're unavailable. Low-rating deactivations can't be appealed, and deactivated caregivers can't reapply. Completed services are still paid out.

Wag may also suspend an account during an investigation of a possible violation, and guideline violations can lead to deactivation. The Terms let Wag suspend or limit access if it believes in good faith that safety requires it.

The Wag Guarantee is for pet parents' pets and homes, not for you. It covers only bookings made and paid on the platform, and the claimant pays the first $200 of claim costs. It does not cover claims by caregivers or caregiver injuries.

Is Wag legit?

Wag Labs, Inc. is the legal entity that provides the Wag services under its Terms. Wag's FY2023 annual report says the company was founded in 2014. Wag filed for Chapter 11 on July 21, 2025, and the court confirmed its plan on Aug 29, 2025. It emerged on Sept 2, 2025, privately held and wholly owned by its secured lender, Retriever LLC. Wag said operations and customer service continued during the case, and its release mentions no change to caregiver fees, pay or terms.

The record also includes a 2018 class action alleging walkers were misclassified as independent contractors. A settlement of about $1 million covering roughly 38,000 walkers was proposed in 2018, and the court entered judgment in March 2020.

Scams that use Wag's name

Wag says it will never contact caregivers directly to ask for a password or banking information. A July 2023 report described someone posing as a pet parent who tried to get a caregiver's information. Wag said its systems weren't breached. The FTC describes a fake-check pattern aimed at caregivers, which is a general warning and not a Wag-specific finding.

More patterns are in how to spot side-hustle scams.

Taxes on Wag income

Wag says caregivers are independent contractors, not employees, and NerdWallet reports they get no benefits or withholding. A Wag support page says you need to have earned at least $600 on Wag to be eligible for a 1099. That page refers to the 2021 calendar year, so it may be out of date.

Wag vs other pet care apps

See how Wag compares with Rover, Care.com and Taskrabbit. For working without a platform, see dog walking and pet sitting.