When you book a relief professional through Hound, there are two separate amounts to keep in mind: the worker pay, which you pay to the relief professional directly, and the shift booking fee, which is the only amount Hound charges you. You are responsible for arranging payment to the relief professional yourself - Hound does not pay the worker on your behalf.
What do I actually pay?
Booking a relief professional involves two payments that go to two different places:
Worker pay: paid by you, directly to the relief professional. This is the hourly rate on your shift posting multiplied by the hours worked (for example, $100/hour × 9 hours = $900). You arrange this payment directly with the relief professional, off the Hound platform. Hound never collects or holds this money.
Shift booking fee: paid by you, to Hound. This is $15/hour booked for DVM shifts and $3/hour booked for non-DVM shifts. It's the only fee you pay to Hound, and it's charged to the card on file only when a relief professional confirms and books the shift. Posting relief shifts is always free.
You'll also see a Total Expected Cost (worker pay + booking fee) when you review a shift. That figure is a planning guideline only - you are never charged the combined total by Hound.
When am I charged the booking fee?
You are only charged after a successful booking. A relief shift is booked once the relief professional applies, you approve the application, and the relief professional confirms. At the moment they confirm, the booking fee is charged to your card on file. For the full step-by-step, see Shift Management: How do I book and pay for a shift?
How do I pay the relief professional?
You arrange this directly with the relief professional, using whatever method you both agree on (for example, direct deposit, check, or another method). Relief professionals typically send an invoice after the shift listing their hours, rate, and total due. We recommend agreeing on the payment method and timing before the shift so there are no surprises on either side.
What if we negotiated a different rate?
You're welcome to discuss pay with shift applicants directly - messaging shift applicants is free with or without a Hound premium subscription. If you agree on a rate that differs from your original posting, we recommend updating the shift posting to reflect the agreed amount so the expected worker pay stays accurate. Whatever you've agreed to, the relief professional should be paid at least the rate shown on the booked shift.
Are there tax considerations?
Relief professionals are generally treated as independent contractors (1099) rather than employees. Because you pay them directly, any tax-reporting obligations (such as issuing a 1099 or collecting a W-9) are between your practice and the relief professional. Hound does not withhold taxes or issue tax forms for these payments. If you're unsure of your obligations, we recommend checking with your accountant.
A relief professional says they weren't paid. What should I do?
Because worker pay is handled directly between your practice and the relief professional, the fastest fix is to confirm you've received their invoice and process payment per the terms you agreed on. If a relief professional raises a payment concern with Hound, our team may reach out to help connect the two of you and get it resolved. Keeping payments timely also helps protect your practice's reputation with relief talent on the platform.
Still have questions? Reach out any time through the chat or at hey@hound.vet and we'll be glad to help.