Frequently asked questions

Enter your postcode on the search page to browse trusted walkers in your area. Each profile shows verification badges, reviews, and availability so you can pick someone you trust.

Most owners start with a meet & greet — you message the walker from their profile, meet them, and then send a booking request from that same conversation. Choose a date, time, and service; the walker accepts or declines; once they accept, you confirm and pay securely through WalknStay — no cash, no awkward handovers.

You pay when the walker accepts your request and you confirm the booking. Funds are held by Stripe and released to the walker after the walk is completed. If a walker declines, you aren't charged.

Yes — and that's the normal way to start. Tap Arrange a Meet & Greet on a walker's profile to open a conversation before you commit to anything. Use it to share details about your dog, the route, key collection, and anything else they need to know.

Cancel more than 12 hours before the walk starts and you get a full refund; inside 12 hours it's 50%. If your walker cancels, you always get 100% back. See Cancellations & refunds for the full policy and how to cancel.

A free, no-obligation introduction before any booking. You and your dog meet the walker — usually a short walk or a chat at your door — so everyone's comfortable before keys or money change hands. Pets are family, so we'd rather you met first.

Open a walker's profile from the search page and tap Arrange a Meet & Greet. That opens a conversation with them and drops a short opening message into the box — edit it however you like, then send. If you're not signed in yet, you'll be asked to sign in first and we'll bring you straight back to the profile.

No. Meet & greets are free and there's no obligation to book afterwards. You're only charged once you send a booking request, the walker accepts, and you confirm.

• How your dog is on the lead, with other dogs, and off-lead recall
• Routine, feeding, medication, and anything that spooks them
• Key collection or access, and where the walk will go
• Emergency contact and vet details
• Ask to see their insurance certificate and DBS check

Keep the conversation and any payments on WalknStay rather than swapping personal contact details — it's how we can help if something goes wrong.

From the same conversation. When you're happy, tap I'm happy to book in the message thread to send a booking request with your dates, service, and dog's details. The walker accepts, then you confirm and pay. If a walker hasn't finished their payout setup you'll see “Not taking bookings yet” instead — you can still chat to them.

This is v1 of our policy and covers dog walking bookings. The 12-hour cut-off is measured against the start time of the walk.

Message your walker in the conversation as soon as you know — it's the fairest thing to do and they may be able to rearrange. Then start a support conversation from your dashboard with the booking details, and we'll cancel it and process any refund you're due under the policy above. That's the quickest way to reach us, but you can email support@walknstay.org instead if you'd rather.

Refunds go back to the card you paid with, through Stripe. Once we've processed it, most banks show the money within 5–10 working days. You'll see the refund against the original booking in your payment history.

You get a 100% refund, no matter how close to the walk it happens. Let us know if you're stuck and we'll help you find someone else in your area — you can also search for another walker and arrange a meet & greet straight away.

If your walker arrives for the booking and can't collect your dog — nobody home, keys or a lockbox that don't work, or the dog isn't there — and they can't reach you, that's a no-show. The walker is paid in full and there's no refund, since they held the slot and travelled. If anything changes, message them in the app before the start time.

Head to Become a walker and we'll walk you through profile setup, verification, and payout onboarding with Stripe. Most walkers go live within a few days.

Identity and payout verification are required for every walker. Public liability insurance is optional but recommended — declare it in your profile and it shows on your trust badge. We also recommend getting a DBS check and link you to GOV.UK to apply. Your certificate stays with you — we don't collect or store DBS certificates, and your profile doesn't show whether you have one. Many owners will ask to see both at a meet and greet, so it helps to have them on hand.

Reply in the conversation to agree a time and place, then meet them and their dog. Bring your ID, and your insurance certificate and DBS check if you have them — owners often ask. There's nothing to accept or decline for the meet itself; the owner sends the booking request from that same conversation once they're happy, so keep everything in the app. They can only book you once your Stripe payout setup is complete.

Payouts run through Stripe Connect. After a walk is marked complete, your share — the booking amount minus our 15% service fee — is transferred to your linked bank account. Stripe typically settles within a few working days.

If you cancel — whenever it happens — the owner is refunded in full and the booking isn't paid out, so tell them as early as you can. If the owner cancels within 12 hours of the start time, they get half back and the other half is paid out to you on the usual terms. If you turn up and can't collect the dog and can't reach the owner, that's a no-show: you're paid in full. Message the owner in the app first, then start a support conversation — or email support@walknstay.org — so we can confirm it and settle the booking.

We charge a 15% service fee on each booking. That covers secure payments, verification, support, and keeping the platform running. There's no monthly fee and no charge to list your services.

Yes. You control your rates, the services you offer, the areas you cover, and when you're available. You can also decline any request that isn't a fit.

Every walker verifies their email address before they can create a profile. Stripe independently verifies their identity and bank details before payouts are enabled. We recommend walkers get a DBS check and link them to GOV.UK to apply, but we don't collect or store certificates and a profile never shows whether a walker has one. So always ask to see a walker's insurance certificate and DBS check in person at a meet and greet before booking.

• Email Verified — email address confirmed at signup.
• Payout Verified — bank details confirmed via Stripe.
• Insurance Declared — walker has declared they hold public liability insurance; we display this but don't verify the certificate.

There is no DBS badge. We recommend walkers get a DBS check and link them to GOV.UK, but we don't collect or store certificates and nothing on a profile indicates whether a walker has one — ask to see it in person at a meet and greet.

Not yet — we're UK-only while we build out our walker network. Sign ups from outside the UK are paused so we can keep verification rigorous and support local.

Message your walker first — most issues are sorted with a quick chat. If you need us, reach out at support@walknstay.org and our support team will step in.

Yes. All payments are processed by Stripe — the same payment infrastructure used by millions of businesses worldwide. We never see or store your card details.

Every successful booking generates an email receipt automatically. You can also view your full booking history from your dashboard.

Manage your details, password, and notification preferences from Profile in the dashboard. To close your account, email us at support@walknstay.org and we'll take care of it.