Verified on Sep 6, 2026
You visit older adults to talk, run errands, and sometimes drive them places. Papa says base pay is $13 to $18 an hour, but it also advertises a much higher number it never explains. You need an insured car and a driver's license to do this job.
Papa connects you with older adults who want company. Papa calls you a Pal. That is Papa’s name for this job.
You visit someone in their home. You talk with them. You might play a game or share a meal.
You also help with small tasks. You might tidy a room, water plants, or run an errand. Some visits need a drive, like a trip to the store or a doctor’s office.
Papa calls this a non-medical role. Non-medical means you need no medical training. Papa also says Pals do not give personal care or hands-on care. Personal care means help with bathing or dressing. Hands-on care means touching a person’s body to help them, like giving medicine or lifting them. A visit that needs that kind of help is not part of this job.
Papa’s blog uses a different name for this same role. It calls it a companion caregiver. It is the same job Papa calls a Pal on its sign up page.
Papa states a base pay of $13-$18 an hour. This is the number Papa states plainly on its sign up page.
The same page also shows a bigger number. It says Pals average $22 an hour. Papa adds a small footnote that rates may vary. It gives no group size, no time period, and no method behind that $22 figure.
These numbers do not match. Papa never explains how its stated $13-$18 base rate connects to its advertised $22 average. We use the base rate here. Papa states it plainly. The $22 number is not something we can check, so we do not use it as pay.
Papa’s blog adds a third number. It says bonuses can bring many companion caregivers to about $20 an hour. That still does not match the base rate or the advertised average.
Base pay also changes by state. Papa publishes one base rate for each state. You can find it in a chart on Papa’s earnings page. You can also find it on Papa’s state pages. Bonuses come on top of that base rate. Alabama shows $13.00 an hour. Massachusetts shows $19.00 an hour. Look up your own state before you apply.
Papa’s own chart lists $19.00 an hour as the Massachusetts base rate. The Massachusetts state page shows the same $19.00. That is more than the $13-$18 base range Papa states on its sign-up page. Papa does not explain the gap. This is one more place where two Papa pages give different answers.
Every visit pays for at least one hour. This is true even when a visit runs shorter. Papa also pays for the miles you drive during a visit. Papa’s chart shows 45 cents a mile in every state. What changes is whether the first 10 miles count. In some states only, Papa also pays for your drive to the visit, before it starts.
To get paid, you set up an account with the company Papa uses to move money into your bank. Papa’s two pages do not agree on which company that is. Its earnings page says Stripe. Its blog for caregivers says Tipalti. Ask which one it is when you sign up.
Pay moves fast once a visit ends. Papa processes your pay the next business day after the visit. After that, it takes 1 to 2 more business days to reach your bank.
This fits you if you enjoy talking with people and already own an insured car. It fits if you want fast pay. Papa sends your pay the next business day after each visit.
It fits if simple errands and light house tasks sound easy to you. It also fits if you don’t want hands-on medical work. That is not part of a Pal’s job.
Papa says it welcomes retirees and stay-at-home parents. It says no caregiving experience is needed.
You must be 21 or older.
Skip this if you do not have a car. Papa requires an insured vehicle and a valid U.S. driver’s license.
Skip this if you want to give hands-on care, like bathing someone or giving medicine. Papa says Pals do not do that kind of work.
Skip this if you are under 21. Papa sets that as its lowest age.
Skip this if you do not want a background check. A background check looks at your legal history. Papa runs one on every applicant, and runs it again every year along with a check of your driving record.
Skip this if you do not want to check your identity by photo. Papa asks for a photo of your license and a selfie.
Skip this if you need to know your exact pay before you start. Papa’s own pages give three different numbers. Rates also vary by state. You can look up your state’s base rate. Bonuses come on top of that rate. But Papa’s ad says $22 an hour, while base rates run $13 to $19. The number you plan around is not the number in the ad.
Skip this if you need money right away. Getting approved takes several steps, including safety training and a background check. Papa says approval takes 1 to 2 weeks.
Day 1. Apply on Papa’s sign up page. Have your driver’s license and car insurance ready.
Day 2. Complete Papa’s Safety Training.
Day 3. Check your identity. Upload your license photo and take a selfie.
Day 4. Wait for your background check to clear. Papa says the whole approval takes 1 to 2 weeks, so expect to wait.
Day 5. Set up the payment account Papa asks you for, so you are ready to get paid.
Day 6. Look for visit requests near you. We could not find how soon a new Pal gets a first visit.
Day 7. If a visit request comes in, take it. Every visit pays for at least one hour. Track your miles too, for transportation pay.
This job needs no special gear to buy. You need an insured car, a valid U.S. driver’s license, and a smartphone. You also need a free payment account to get paid. If you already have these, this job costs you nothing extra to start.
Papa advertises $22 an hour on this same page. It also states a $13-$18 base rate there. The two numbers do not add up. Papa gives no way to check which one applies to you.
Papa’s own pages disagree on your car’s age too. The blog says 2009 or newer. The sign up page says 2010 or newer. That mismatch could affect whether your car qualifies.
A car is the biggest barrier to this job. Without one, insured in your name, you cannot become a Pal.
Getting approved takes real work. You need safety training, a photo identity check, and a background check. Papa says it takes 1 to 2 weeks. The background check comes back every year, with your driving record.
This job leaves out hands-on care. A Pal cannot help with bathing, dressing, or medicine. That kind of care needs someone else.
Base pay changes a lot by state. Alabama pays $13.00 an hour. Massachusetts pays $19.00 an hour. Where you live decides much of your pay, and you cannot change that. Bonuses come on top of your base rate.
Will I really earn $22 an hour? Papa advertises that number on the same page. It also states a base pay of $13-$18 an hour there. The two do not match. Papa never explains the gap. Plan around the base rate, not the ad.
Does a 2009 car qualify? Maybe. Papa’s blog says 2009 or newer. Papa’s sign up page says 2010 or newer. Check which year the actual sign up form asks for.
Am I an employee or a contractor? Papa says Pals are independent contractors. That means no taxes come out of your pay, and you file them yourself. Papa sends a 1099 form if you earn more than $600 in a year. A 1099 is a form that reports what you were paid. Talk to a tax preparer about your own situation.
Do I get paid for driving? Yes, for miles during a visit. Papa’s chart shows 45 cents a mile in every state. What changes is whether the first 10 miles count. In some states, Papa also pays for your drive to the visit.
How fast does the pay arrive? Papa processes it the next business day after your visit. It then takes 1 to 2 more business days to reach your bank.
$4 an hour
$4.00 an hour is the rate AmeriCorps uses to build its grant budgets, not a promise to any one volunteer.
You spend a few hours a week helping an older adult or a child one to one. If your income is low enough, you get a small tax-free stipend. It is budgeted at $4 an hour and does not count against other benefits.
You set your rate
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