For providers: You set your price — that's what you receive. Cerca's platform fee and Stripe's processing fee are added on top of your price and paid by the customer at checkout. Your earnings are never deducted. Deposits are held securely by Cerca and released to you once the service is complete — when the customer pays the final balance.
For customers: When you book a service on Cerca, a booking fee is added to your total at checkout — on top of the provider's service price. This fee covers Cerca's 2% platform fee and Stripe's card processing fee (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction). Your exact total is shown before you confirm payment — no hidden charges. The provider receives 100% of their set price; the booking fee covers payment infrastructure costs only.
Safety disclosure: Cerca does not conduct criminal background checks, identity verification beyond email, or license verification on providers. All providers are verified by email address only. Customers are responsible for independently verifying provider credentials, licensing, insurance, and suitability before inviting them into their home or property. Cerca is a booking marketplace — it is not responsible for the conduct or qualifications of providers. See Terms of Service →
Booking fees
These fees apply to every booking made through Stripe in the app. They are charged to the customer — not the provider.
| Fee | Details |
|---|---|
Cerca platform fee Paid by customer | 2% Applied to each payment — both the deposit and the final balance. Added on top of your service price before the customer checks out.
|
Stripe processing fee Paid by customer | 2.9% + $0.30 Stripe's standard payment processing fee, applied per transaction. Covers credit/debit card processing and is included in the total booking fee shown to the customer.
|
Cash payments No fees | $0 Providers who prefer to collect payment in cash can do so directly. No Stripe fees, no platform fee — Cerca charges nothing for cash bookings. Customers and providers coordinate payment at the time of service. |
Example — $120 service, 20% deposit
Your service price (what you receive)$120.00
Deposit collected at booking (20%)$24.00
Cerca fee on deposit (2% of $24)+ $0.48 (customer pays)
Stripe fee on deposit (2.9% + $0.30)+ ~$1.00 (customer pays)
Final balance collected after service$96.00
Cerca fee on final (2% of $96)+ $1.92 (customer pays)
Stripe fee on final (2.9% + $0.30)+ ~$3.08 (customer pays)
Provider receives$120.00 ✓
Stripe fee amounts are approximate. The exact customer-facing total is calculated at checkout. The deposit is held by Cerca and released to you when the booking is marked complete — alongside the final payment. Total payout to your bank via Stripe typically arrives within 2–7 business days after the booking is completed.
Deposit
Cerca uses a deposit model to confirm bookings and protect providers from no-shows.
| Setting | Details |
|---|---|
Deposit percentage | Set by you You choose the deposit percentage for each service (default: 25%). The customer pays this upfront when they book. The remaining balance is collected after the service is completed.
|
Refunds | Per your policy Refunds are handled based on your cancellation policy. If a provider cancels a confirmed booking, the deposit is automatically refunded to the customer through Stripe. Stripe's processing fee is not returned on refunds (this is Stripe's policy, not Cerca's). |
Tips
Customers can optionally add a tip when paying the final balance after a completed service.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
Tip options | None · 15% · 18% · 20% Customers are shown a tip selector during the final payment step. Tipping is always optional — customers can select "No tip" or choose 15%, 18%, or 20% of the service price. |
Cerca fee on tips $0 | $0 — 100% goes to you Cerca's 2% platform fee does notapply to tips. The full tip amount is transferred to the provider. Stripe's standard processing fee (2.9% + $0.30) applies to the total charge, which includes the tip, but this is absorbed within the overall transaction cost. |
When tips are shown | The tip selector only appears during the final balance payment — not at the time of the deposit. It is only shown when there is a remaining balance greater than $0. |
Payouts
How and when your earnings arrive in your bank account.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
Payout timing | 2–7 business days Standard Stripe Connect payout schedule. After a payment is collected, funds typically arrive in your connected bank account within 2–7 business days. Timing may vary depending on your bank. |
Payout method | Stripe Connect Express Cerca uses a secure escrow modelpowered by Stripe. Deposits are held in Cerca's Stripe account when a booking is confirmed — not sent to you immediately. When the customer pays the final balance (confirming the service is complete), Cerca releases both the deposit and final payment to your connected Stripe Express account in a single transfer.
|
Payout fee | $0 Cerca does not charge a fee to receive your payout. Standard bank transfer fees may apply from Stripe depending on your country and bank. |
Cerca Pro subscription
Optional. Upgrading to Pro unlocks additional features — it does not reduce your fees or increase your earnings per booking.
| Plan | Details |
|---|---|
Free No cost | $0 / forever Full booking and payment flow, 1 service listing, 3 portfolio photos, 1 before & after transformation, built-in messaging, your public Cerca profile, reviews from booked customers, add individual bookings to Apple Calendar, and the provider referral program. |
Cerca Pro — Monthly Pro | $14.99 / month Billed monthly through the App Store. Cancel anytime — your Pro features remain active until the end of the billing period. |
Cerca Pro — Annual Pro · Best value | $109.99 / year Billed annually through the App Store. Equivalent to ~$9.17/month — saves 39% vs monthly. Cancel anytime. |
Pro features |
|
Free Pro months | All providers (free and Pro) can earn free months of Cerca Pro through the referral program. When a provider you refer completes their first booking, you receive 1 free month of Pro automatically. |
Taxes & IRS reporting
Cerca does not withhold taxes on provider earnings. Providers are independent contractors responsible for reporting their own income.
| Topic | What you need to know |
|---|---|
1099-K reporting IRS requirement | $600+ / year If you earn $600 or more through Cerca in a calendar year, Stripe is required by law to file a Form 1099-K with the IRS and send a copy to you. This reports your gross earnings — not your net after expenses. You are responsible for reporting this income on your tax return.
|
Tax withholding $0 withheld | Not withheld by Cerca Cerca does not withhold federal, state, or local taxes from your payouts. As an independent contractor, you are responsible for calculating and paying your own estimated taxes, including self-employment tax (currently 15.3% on net earnings in the US). Consider setting aside 25–30% of your earnings for taxes. Consult a tax professional if you are unsure. |
Business expenses | Your Stripe subscription fee, tools, supplies, mileage, and other business-related expenses may be deductible against your Cerca income. A tax professional can help you identify deductions. Cerca does not provide tax advice. |
What Cerca does not charge
To keep things simple and fair, Cerca has no fees for the following.
| Fee type | Cerca's policy |
|---|---|
Listing fee $0 | No charge to create or publish a service listing. |
Sign-up fee $0 | Free to create a provider account and profile. |
Profile fee $0 | Your public Cerca profile is free and always available. |
Messaging fee $0 | In-app messaging with customers is free. |
Cancellation fee (provider) $0 | Cerca does not charge providers a fee to cancel a booking. A refund is issued to the customer per your policy. |
Payout fee $0 | No fee to receive your earnings via Stripe. |
Legal notice: Fee amounts shown on this page are for informational purposes only and are subject to change. In the event of any conflict between this page and Cerca's Terms of Service, the Terms of Service govern. Cerca is a marketplace platform connecting independent service providers with customers. Providers are independent contractors, not employees or agents of Cerca. Cerca is not responsible for service quality, outcomes, property damage, or personal injury arising from services booked through the platform. Stripe's processing fees are set by Stripe and may vary; see stripe.com/pricing for current rates. This page does not constitute tax or legal advice.
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