The short answer
Every booking shows two numbers. One is the Crew Member fee, their rate × the hours booked, which is all theirs. The other is Gaffr's Platform Fee of £25 per crew member. Booking places a hold on your card for the most it could cost. After the shift, Gaffr takes what's owed and releases the rest. Cancelling more than 48 hours before the call costs nothing.
What's the Platform Fee?
Gaffr's fee for introducing the crew member and handling the money. Today it's a flat £25 per crew member per booking, for on-demand and scheduled bookings alike. Under today's flat fee, extending a shift doesn't add to it. It doesn't rise with a counter offer.
The fee is set in Gaffr's settings and can change. The app shows it on the booking before you commit, and your receipt shows it separately.
How does the card hold work?
When you book, Gaffr holds your maximum hourly rate × the hours booked on your card, plus the Platform Fee. A hold reserves the money; it doesn't take it.
When the shift ends, Gaffr takes the crew member's actual rate × the hours booked, plus the Platform Fee. It releases the rest. When the release shows on your card is up to your bank.
An example. You book 8 hours with a maximum of £30 an hour. The crew member who accepts charges £25 an hour.
| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| Hold when you book | £240 + the Platform Fee |
| Charged after the shift | £200 + the Platform Fee |
| Released | £40 |
There's no upper limit on a hold, but your bank may decline a large one.
What if I book more than a week ahead?
A card hold lasts about 7 days. For bookings further out, Gaffr tries to renew the hold before it lapses. If your bank declines the renewal or wants to approve it, the app asks you to update your card.
What if I end the shift early or extend it?
- Ending early: you still pay for the hours booked.
- Extending: each request for more time, in half-hour steps, goes on its own hold and needs the crew member's yes. If they say no or don't answer within 10 minutes, the hold is released.
What does cancelling cost?
It depends on how close to the call time you cancel.
| When you cancel | You pay | The crew member gets |
|---|---|---|
| Before anyone accepts | Nothing | Nobody's booked yet |
| More than 48 hours before the call | Nothing | Nothing; they're told the job's off |
| 24 to 48 hours before | Half the Crew Member fee, plus the Platform Fee | Half their fee |
| Less than 24 hours before | The full Crew Member fee, plus the Platform Fee | Their full fee |
| Once it's started | The full Crew Member fee, plus the Platform Fee | Their full fee, and they're told the booking's cancelled |
- Exactly 48 hours before the call counts as 24 to 48 hours.
- There's no grace period. If you book less than 24 hours ahead, cancelling costs the full amount as soon as a crew member accepts.
- "Started" means the crew member is on the way or on site, or the call time has passed.
Gaffr takes what's owed from your card hold and releases the rest. If the hold has lapsed, it charges your saved card instead, and you can't book again until it's paid.
What if the crew member doesn't turn up?
Cancelling in the Gaffr app has a "Crew didn't show" option. If the booking's record shows they never set off and never came near the venue, it's free. If it shows they were on the way, a person checks it before anything is charged.
What if the crew member releases the booking?
You pay nothing for them. Gaffr may reopen the booking and try to match someone else, but it can't promise a replacement. Cancelling is free again until someone new accepts.
Where are my receipts?
In the Gaffr app, as a PDF, showing the two numbers separately. They aren't emailed.
Where's the full version?
The terms set out how the money works and the cancellation policy in full.