Does Sittercity Charge?

I’m often asked, does Sittercity charge? I get it. Despite the interest in Sittercity, some folks just want to make sure if they will have to pay to use it.

It’s not just parents who are asking if Sittercity charges. Babysitters are also asking the same question.

I don’t blame them because, at the end of the day, it’s a business. And to stay in business, it needs to be funded by its users. After all, it’s a win-win for everyone.

Whether you’re a babysitter or a parent, this post will answer the question, does Sittercity charge? Read on to learn more.

Does Sittercity Charge?

So, does Sittercity charge? Yes, it charges if you’re a parent who is going to sign up with any of the three paid plans. These paid plan rates are the one-month, three-month, and yearly plans.

So, if you’re a parent who chooses to sign up for the one-month plan, Sittercity will charge you $35. In case, you opt for the three-month plan, Sittercity will charge you $70.

Now, if you want to be worry-free for one whole year, you can opt to sign up for the annual plan. For that, Sittercity will charge you $140.

Even if it’s a one-time payment, you can’t deny that it’s still the best deal. If you look closely, you’ll be using Sittercity for just $11.67 a month.

Related Read: Sittercity Promo Code For Savings

It’s also worth noting that Sittercity charges separately for the background checks. Even as a paid member, you would have to pay for each background check you run on the sitters.

For example, Sittercity will charge you $60 for the Enhanced Background Check on the sitter. If you want to run the Basic Background Check, Sittercity will charge you $15.

A Motor Vehicle Records Check is also available on Sittercity. This comes in very handy if you want to hire a babysitter who needs to drive for your kids.

I recommend running a Motor Vehicle Records Check all the time. Even if the babysitter I hire is not tasked to drive for my kids, I still run one. Since most of the babysitters I hire drive their own cars, it really wouldn’t hurt to run one, right?

Sittertcity charges $30 per Motor Vehicle Records Check.  However, you can opt for the Enhanced Plus, which includes both Enhanced Background Check and Motor Vehicle Records Check. For that bundle, Sittercity charges $80.

You can also opt for the Basic Plus, which includes both Basic Background and Motor Vehicle Records Check. For this, Sittercity charges $35.

Now, you might find the prices of the background checks a bit too steep. I understand that but knowing that you can gather seven years of background information on the babysitter just makes it worth it for me.

Now, if you don’t want Sittercity to charge you, you can choose to sign up with their Basic plan. This is a free plan but it does come with limited access to the website.

Now, if you don’t want Sittercity to charge you, you can choose to sign up with their Basic plan. This is a free plan but it does come with limited access to the website.

Although it’s a good way to see if Sittercity suits, you won’t be able to use the premium services such as running background checks for your family’s safety. For me, if you can’t run a background check on the sitter, then what’s the use of hiring her?

It’s Free For Babysitters

Does Sittercity charge babysitters? The good news is Sittercity doesn’t charge babysitters to sign up. However, this doesn’t mean that anybody can just sign up on Sittercity as a babysitter. Let me explain.

Babysitters, together with nannies, are welcome to sign up on Sittercity. They can create their profiles and Sittercity won’t them charged for it.

Even if Sittercity doesn’t charge the babysitters for signing up, it will verify their profiles and identities. What does that mean? It means that the profiles of the babysitters are not published until they are verified by Sittercity.

Parents, who are paranoid about fake and dubious identifies on childcare service provider websites, can have some peace of mind.

Here’s how Sittercity verifies the babysitters who sign up. Sittercity uses the Family Watchdog Database to verify the information provided by the babysitters. At the same time, a third-party service (Experian) authenticates their identities.

With the help of the Family Watchdog and Experian, Sitterciy can determine if the identity of the babysitter is real. Once it’s verified and authenticated, the profile is published for parents to view.

So even if Sittercity does not charge the babysitters to sign up, they would still have to undergo a tedious process to be visible online.

How Do Parents And Babysitters Connect?

After seeing how Sittercity charges, you’d want to know how parents and babysitters connect to each other. It’s actually pretty easy.

I know some parents just post a job and wait for babysitters to reply. In my case, I take advantage of the messaging tab that’s located on the babysitter’s profile.

It’s worth noting that the messaging tab can only be accessed if you sign up for a paid account. Although you’ll see this tab even if you’re signed up with the Basic account, you won’t be able to click on it.

That’s why I recommend that you sign up for a paid plan. That’s the only way you can take full advantage of Sittercity.

That’s why I recommend that you sign up for a paid plan. That’s the only way you can take full advantage of Sittercity.

Take it from me. I find it very convenient to use the messaging tab. I can just click on it to send a message to the babysitter.

Now, I don’t just send messages to random babysitters. Since I’ve been using Sittercity for some time now, I already have a list of ‘favorite” sitters.

The messaging tab makes it easy for me to stay in touch with them. So, when I need a last-minute babysitter, they’re usually the ones I call on.

Of course, that’s my way of connecting to babysitters on Sittercity. I know some parents really take their time to go over all the profiles on Sittercity. That works as well.

So, Is It Worth The Charges?

Here’s the thing. You can never get quality childcare for free. If you risk it, you’re going to be paying a price for it.

As a parent, I don’t mind that Sittercity charges me. What makes the charges worth it is the peace of mind I can get from running background checks and getting to connect with other parents for feedback on sitters.

Running background checks has always been a critical element in the hiring process. Whether you’re hiring in a home or corporate setting, running background checks is important.

I also appreciate the fact that Sittercity makes it very easy for me to run background checks. All I have to do is to click on the Run tab. It’s that easy.

I also appreciate the fact that Sittercity makes it very easy for me to run background checks. All I have to do is to click on the Run tab. It’s that easy.

Despite the fact that the service is provided by a third party, I can run it right on the profile of the sitter. There’s no need for me to go anywhere to get it done. I just stay on the website to get all the information I need.

There you have it. The answer to the question does Sittercity charge, is yes. Sittercity charges parents to sign up for a paid plan and for running the background checks as well.

However, the other premium services, such as instant messaging, are all incorporated in the paid plans.

For babysitters, Sittercity does not charge at all.

Do you think the charges of Sittercity are worth it? Feel free to share your thoughts with us. We would love to hear from you.

Disclosure: Compensated Affiliate. Click here for details.

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Gigi Hernandez

It used to be the case that I would babysit for families. These days, I’m the one hiring sitters to watch over my little girl. LOL! How time flies. My mission now is to share some of my insights so that other moms get to benefit from my experience with babysitting. Read More