How we make money
The whole model on one page, because a marketplace that will not explain its incentives has told you something.
Last updated September 1, 2026. When this changes materially we say so on the page rather than quietly amending it.
The one-line version
Providers pay $149 a month to be listed. We take nothing from what you spend on care, and we never sell your phone number.
| Weight | Factor |
|---|---|
| 35% | Match to what you asked forCare type, budget, language, specialist skills, distance. |
| 20% | Review quality and volumeRating, weighted by how many verified bookings sit behind it. |
| 15% | Profile completenessA published rate card is most of this. No prices, no marks. |
| 10% | Response speedMedian time to first reply to a family. |
| 10% | Verification levelLicence, insurance, background checks on file. |
| 10% | AvailabilityHow soon they can actually start. |
| 0% | MoneyPaying us more does not move a provider up by a single place. |
Questions about any of this go to hello@seniorcarez.com, and the answer is a person, not a form. See also our review and verification policy and what we do with your data.
What we charge providers
Every listed provider pays $149 a month. Not a percentage, not a sliding scale, not a different number for the big agencies. A one-nurse practice and a 230-person agency pay the same.
Publicly funded long-term care homes pay nothing. They are listed because families need to see them and the wait times, not because they are customers.
What we do not charge
- No commission on your care hours. If you spend $1,400 a month on care, we receive none of it.
- No move-in fee. The referral industry standard is $3,500 to $12,000 per move-in, paid by the community. We take zero.
- No fee to families. Search, compare, the calculators, the guides and booking are free and always will be.
- No pay-per-lead resale. Your details are never sold to a provider, an insurer, or anyone else — not once, not in aggregate.
How search results are ordered
Ranking is not for sale, so here is the formula. It is the same code that runs on the search page.
Sponsored results
A provider can buy one labelled slot per city. It is marked 'Sponsored — ranked below free results', and it is ranked below the free results, always, whatever sort order you choose. There are never more than two on a page.
A sponsored slot cannot earn a 'Top rated' badge, cannot outrank a free listing, and cannot be bought by a provider whose licence is unverified.
Where we will make money later
Being straight about the roadmap matters as much as being straight about today. Three things are coming, and none of them changes the rules above.
- Payments: if you choose to pay care invoices through Seniorcarez, the provider pays a 2–3% processing fee. You get one itemised receipt trail for tax time. Paying off-platform stays free and does not affect ranking.
- A Pro subscription for providers who want a calendar, e-signature and invoicing. It buys tools, not position.
- An employer benefit, where a company pays for its staff to have a care navigator. Employers never see which of their staff used it.
What you can hold us to
- If a provider you did not tick contacts you, tell us. We remove the listing. That is the policy, not a goodwill gesture.
- If a price on a listing is wrong, tell us. We re-check every rate card every 30 days and hide listings we cannot verify.
- If a review disappears after a complaint from the provider, we have broken our own rules. Reviews from confirmed bookings are never removed for being negative.