That’s a really good point and that’s about right for the amount of long trips we expect to do in a year. We got the Premium membership for the perks and honestly I was curious how many sitters favorited our listing. I know it’s not really a good reason to spend the extra money but whatever.
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Where are you in Mexico? We live on our little sailboat for at least 8 months every year, sailing north and south from Guaymas to Barra de Navidad depending on the winds…
The assumption from THS is that your spouse is not to be trusted unless you pay them, not that they do anything for that extra, annual fee. Remember, THS has never done much in return for the annual fee other than provide an on-line meeting place where people who need a sitter can fine people willing to sit. This fantasy about THS providing assistance is just an advertising illusion. The new rule revamping obviously comes from corporate lawyers and provides absolutely zero benefits to the members while absolving THS of any obligation or liabilities.
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Thanks for clarifying, I was scratching my head over that one!
Hi Snowbird,
As a respected and loved member that you are, I would have thought it was obvious.
All us home owners are loving, generous, welcoming people, living in clean, stunning comfortable houses, in amazing locations in beautiful countries. Our pets can cope on their own, never cause any trouble and can be left for hours and hours on end.
No home owner ever asks or expects too much of any sitter. All in all sitters definitely get the better end of the deal, so of course, need to pay extra for that privilege 
Please now excuse me, while I go back to my excel spreadsheet to work out if keeping my basic membership with the new pay to book addition is actually worth it🤔
Let’s see, I’m a basic member, I have not used the site services at all during this years membership so far and I am unlikely to before it’s due to renew in March 2026. Hmm do I go for premium??? That’s a tough one………..
Have a lovely day all you sitters and should I choose to stay and I do need the services of a sitter, I would quite happily pay your booking fee too.
Merry christmas 
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I’m pretty sure there’s one sitter and one host for each sit?
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That poster was referring to the fact that sitters do more sits than hosts list dates for sits at their property.
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The plans start at $129 for sitters and $139 for hosts.
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The OP doesn’t take into consideration that the Premium has additional benefits beyond the booking fee which might make it more attractive.
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I believe that you mentioned that sitters pay more to upgrade, right?
I’m not very familiar with pricing, so yes my assumption could be off.
It appears that sitters pay slightly less for their memberships on each level but I’m not completely sure.
Yes, there are several additional benefits to Premium yet none are appealing to me. I also believe that many sitters may see the biggest perk of upgrading, as avoiding additional costs. Again, this just my perspective.
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Correction. @Snowbird, not you, mentioned that hosts in Canada pay $100 to upgrade to Premium, while sitters pay $120 to upgrade to Premium. No one seems to be sure why it’s costing sitters more to upgrade to Premium.
I also don’t have a hosting or combined account, so I can only speak to sitter pricing in the US.
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I’ve just gone to turn off auto renew as , like so many members , I was absolutely incandescent about the introduction of the £9 booking fee, but found I couldn’t do it as I have two confirmed sits after my renewal date and I have to cancel them first. Perhaps best if I contact the HO and explain that I’m cancelling but will of course honour their sits and explain why.
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@hfg ,
Just jumping in here to let you know you won’t be charged a booking fee for any sits that were confirmed before the booking fee went into effect:
When will the booking fee take effect?
All of our members except those on our Premium plan will start paying the booking fee after their next membership renewal. Any existing sits confirmed before renewal won’t include a booking fee.
See this article for addtional details:
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I know I won’t be charged a fee but I can’t turn off auto-renewal without cancelling the sits; that was the problem, but thank you.
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I just finished 4 years with THS as a sitter. I started with a standard membership and tried premium for a year. I moved back to standard because I didn’t like the lounges that I used and the cancelation insurance is limited. If a sit is canceled I probably want to stay home instead of staying close to the area of the sit and $150 a night for a hotel coverage is not much for some cities, so you are still out of pocket.
I’ve canceled auto renewal (membership expires April) while I look at how much I plan to travel with THS in 2026/2027 . If I don’t go back to premium, I will sit less and the ones that get cut will be local and very short stays. I only do one local and I enjoy it very much. I’m pretty sure I could do that off THS or that the HO would cover it.
For my travel budget and travel style I do think the price of THS is reasonable but I don’t like the extra booking fee. I prefer the membership to include all cost even if it means a membership increase.
It’s a strategy to get more money and/or to get all members on premium. There is no extra benefits being offered (with the booking fee )
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@ExploreDreamDiscover That was a very well constructed and written post 
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@ExploreDreamDiscover I love that you tried premium before and shared your experience, as it really helps others who in considering upgrading. I too have cancelled auto renewal until I have more travel confirmed, which I’m honestly not expecting to do much of for financial reasons. I feel many already share this sentiment, yet the introduction of booking fees is prompting the start of this conversation.
Wishing you and everyone all the best for the upcoming new year!
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@hfg I believe you can only cancel auto renewal until if you have no confirmed sits after your renewal date. So in order to keep those confirmed sits you must have an active/renewed membership.
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