No - but it's for you and your pet's protection.

Every booking needs to be made and paid for through PetCloud. When you book this way, you get:

1. On-demand video vet consults. If your sitter has a concern about your pet during the stay, they can connect with a vet by video through PetCloud for prompt advice, rather than guessing or waiting.
2. A written agreement. Your booking records the services, dates and times your sitter agreed to. If there is ever a disagreement, you can both refer back to it.
3. Accountability that keeps standards high. After each booking you can leave a public review on your sitter's listing, and reviews affect a sitter's future earnings. Standards stay high when that accountability remains in place. Once a booking moves to cash, it disappears.
4. Payment protection. Your payment is held securely in escrow and only released after the booking ends and your 24 hour quality check window has passed.
5. Mediation support. If you and your sitter disagree about the service or its quality, our team steps in as a neutral third party. Funds are held until the issue is addressed and an agreement is reached. With a cash booking, you are on your own.
6. Support during the stay. Our Customer Service team is on hand to help you and your sitter if a tricky or unexpected situation comes up.
7. Care processes you can trust. Our processes were developed with veterinarians, animal trainers, foster carers and inspectors to reduce the risk of loss or harm to pets in care, and to the people caring for them.
8. Trained sitters. Sitters on PetCloud receive ongoing animal care education from us.

Why it matters to us

PetCloud is not owned by private equity or a large corporation. It is a privately owned Australian small business, founded and run by a woman who has spent more than 10 years building it. Our team works hard, just like you. Booking fees pay for the advertising that connects you with the right sitter, and for the website and app development that keeps improving how you care for your pet.

When a booking is taken off the platform and paid in cash, the people who built and run PetCloud lose the income and superannuation that work has earned - while the sitter still benefits from the introduction, training and support PetCloud paid for.

What happens if a booking is taken off-platform

PetCloud is not a once-off lead referral service. Owners and sitters who meet through PetCloud agree to keep booking through PetCloud every time, under section 23 of our Terms of Service: https://www.petcloud.com.au/terms-of-service

Accounts found arranging cash or off-platform bookings will be deactivated. Cash-in-hand income that is not declared is tax evasion, and we may report it to the ATO.