Understanding CitizenShipper's Booking Fee & Total Shipment Costs

Your Shipment Costs 

When you book a driver through CitizenShipper, your total includes the driver's accepted bid plus a one-time booking fee. The booking fee is shown before you confirm your booking, so you can review your total cost upfront.

This fee helps provide the protections, support, and services included with your booking, from driver verification and Booking Assurance to customer support throughout your shipment. 

What is the Booking Fee?

The booking fee is a one-time charge added to your shipment when you confirm a driver. It's separate from the driver's quoted price and is only collected at the point of booking. Creating a listing, comparing bids, and messaging drivers are all free.

In exchange for the booking fee, every shipment on CitizenShipper comes with a set of protections and services designed to keep you covered from the moment you book until your shipment is delivered.

What your booking fee covers:

• Driver background checks and verification Every driver on the CitizenShipper platform goes through a verification process, which includes background checks and identity verification. You're not choosing from an anonymous pool; you're choosing from a vetted network.
• Booking Assurance Guarantee If something goes wrong with your booking, CitizenShipper's Booking Assurance Guarantee provides a path to resolution.
• 7-day customer support Our support team is available seven days a week, before, during, and after your shipment. This includes help with rebooking, dispute resolution, and answers to any questions that come up along the way.
• Pet Protection Plan coverage: All pet shipments include a short-term Pet Protection Plan contract. The plan can reimburse you for eligible medical expenses, such as injury or illness to your pet during transport, up to $1,000 per pet. Optional upgraded plans may be available for an additional fee and can provide higher coverage limits or additional benefits. Terms, conditions, and exclusions apply. 
• Optional 24/7 virtual vet access for drivers: Drivers on CitizenShipper have the option to enroll in 24/7 virtual vet access, giving them a direct line to professional veterinary guidance throughout the journey. 

You only pay the booking fee once you select a driver and proceed to book. It is not charged to post a listing, receive quotes, or message drivers. The booking fee can be paid by credit card at checkout.

How to Find the Cost of Your Booking Fee

You can find your exact booking fee in the fee schedule for your shipment type, in your message thread, and on the Review step before you confirm your booking.

Your booking fee depends on the type of shipment you are posting. Select your shipment category below to view the current fee schedule:

• Pet Shipping Booking Fees
• Vehicle Shipping Booking Fees
• Boat Shipping Booking Fees
• Motorcycle Shipping Booking Fees
• Booking Fees for Household Moves, General Freight, and Miscellaneous Shipping

For pet and vehicle shipments, the fee is based on the estimated trip mileage. For boats, motorcycles, household moves, freight, and most other shipment types, the fee is based on the driver bid you accept.

Where to See Your Booking Fee Before Checkout

The booking fee is presented in the drop-down menu of the messaging chat even before you reach the checkout process.

You’ll also see the booking fee on the "Review" step before checkout once you click the “Proceed to Booking” button.

After booking, we will also send an order confirmation email with a breakdown of the costs, listing the booking fee.

Need help understanding how to pay for the shipment? This help article walks you through it.
 

When is the booking fee refundable?

The booking fee may be refunded when a driver-related issue prevents your shipment from moving forward, such as a driver canceling within five days of pickup, failing to show up, becoming unresponsive, or being unable to complete the shipment due to vehicle trouble or an emergency. Certain documented circumstances, including unexpected military deployment or unforeseen pet health complications, may also qualify.

The fee is generally not refunded when plans change on the customer’s side or when a driver cancels more than five days before pickup. In cases that do not qualify for a cash refund, CitizenShipper provides a site credit equal to the booking fee that can be used toward a future booking.

This policy helps keep the marketplace fair to both customers and drivers. It provides a path to reimbursement when a driver-related issue disrupts a confirmed booking, while still allowing CitizenShipper to provide rebooking help and maintain the protections and support included with the booking fee.

Submit refund requests within 90 days of payment. Requests are reviewed before a refund or site credit is issued.

Read the full Refund Policy here. 
 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the booking fee included in the driver’s bid?

No. The booking fee is a separate platform charge collected directly by CitizenShipper on top of the driver’s quoted price. It does not come out of the driver’s earnings.

Driver quotes are set by independent transporters. CitizenShipper lists its booking fee separately so customers can see the driver’s price and the platform charge before confirming a booking.

What will my total cost be at checkout?

Your total cost equals the driver's accepted bid plus the CitizenShipper booking fee (along with any optional Pet Protection Plan upgrades you select). You can review the exact total on the "Review" step before confirming your booking.

Do I have to pay anything to post a listing or receive quotes?

No. Posting a shipment listing, comparing bids, and messaging drivers are 100% free. The booking fee is only charged when you officially accept a driver’s quote and confirm the booking.

What happens after I pay the booking fee?

Once your booking fee is paid, your booking is officially confirmed. You’ll receive an itemized confirmation email, and you can immediately begin coordinating pickup, delivery, and any remaining direct arrangements with your driver.

If you’re ready to book or just want to explore more, check out our guide on how to book a driver.

Still have questions? Our support team is always here to help! Simply reach out at support@citizenshipper.com.