Verified on Oct 5, 2026
You visit older adults to keep them company and run errands. Papa states its base rate of $13-$18 an hour, plus bonuses. Papa runs a background check. Its pages list an insured car and a driver's license, and you must be 21 or older.
Papa connects you with older adults who want company. Papa’s Massachusetts page says companion caregivers are also known as Papa Pals. A companion caregiver is a person paid to keep an older adult company. We call the job Pal from here on.
Papa’s pages list what visits can include. Support includes help around the house, running errands, providing transportation. For company, you might watch movies, play board games, or go for a walk. Help in the home can mean laundry, light cleaning, meal prep, or light organization. Errands can mean picking up groceries or medications. Rides can mean a lift to the doctor’s office or the bank.
On medicine, Papa says a Pal can remind the member to take their medication or help with medication pick-up. Papa also says your visits will not involve giving medication or hands-on contact. Hands-on contact means touching the person.
Papa’s blog says companion caregivers don’t offer personal care or hands-on care. It calls the job a non-medical role. Non-medical means it is not health care work. Papa’s sign up page says no previous health care training is required.
Papa’s words are personal care, hands-on care, and hands-on contact. On the pages we read, it does not name bathing or dressing. If you are unsure what counts, ask Papa before you apply.
Verified on October 5, 2026. Papa’s sign up page says Pals earn a base rate of $13-$18 an hour, plus bonuses. A base rate is the hourly pay before bonuses.
The same sign up page says Pals on average earn $22 hr. One Papa blog says Pals can earn around $22 an hour when bonuses apply. Another says that with bonuses, many companion caregivers earn around $20 an hour. On the pages we read, Papa gives no group size, time period, or method for the $22.
Papa’s state pages use the words “up to.” The Massachusetts page says “Earn up to $19.00/hr with bonuses”. The Alabama page says “Earn up to $13.00/hr with bonuses”. Papa says hourly rates vary by state.
Papa’s earnings page shows a chart of payment details by state. Its column is headed Hourly Rate. It lists $13 for Alabama and $19 for Massachusetts. The $19 is higher than the $18 top of the sign up page range. We do not know how the chart and the range fit together.
Papa’s FAQ says you can earn bonuses based on how many visits you complete. Its bonus chart says each in-person visit completed counts for 2 points.
Papa says the minimum pay for a visit is one hour. It says transportation pay rates vary by state. Its chart lists 45 cents a mile in every row. Papa says commute pay is only for certain states.
To get paid, Papa’s earnings page says you will need to set up a Stripe account. Stripe is a company that moves money. Papa’s sign up page lists adding your bank information under its Approved step. Papa’s Stripe guide says to open an email titled “Action Required: Getting Paid for Papa Visits”. Its registration link will expire within 7 days. On the pages we read, none says when Papa sends that email.
Papa says visit payments and daily bonuses are processed the next business day. It says it takes 1 to 2 business days for payments to be reflected. Reflected means the money shows up. Weekly and other special bonuses are processed on Wednesdays. Payments are not processed on weekends or holidays. Papa’s blog says to expect payments within 2 business days after a visit.
This fits you if you enjoy talking with people. It fits if you have a valid U.S. driver’s license and an insured vehicle.
Papa’s Massachusetts page lists stay-at-home parents and retirees among the people it welcomes. It says no prior caregiving experience is needed.
It fits if you want to pick your own visits. Papa says you can take as many or as few of the available visits as you want. The Massachusetts page says visits are typically 2-4 hours each. Papa’s blog says there are no long-term commitments. The pages we read state no weekly minimum or maximum.
Skip this if you have no driver’s license. Papa asks for a valid U.S. state government-issued license.
Skip this if you are under 21. Papa’s blog says age 21 or older.
Skip this if you have no smartphone. Papa’s blog lists access to a smartphone.
Skip this if you have no car. Papa’s sign up page lists an insured vehicle, and so does its requirements page. Two blog pages ask for a copy of your car insurance if you plan to provide transportation. On the pages we read, we found no answer on what happens if you have no car. Ask Papa first.
Skip this if you want hands-on care work. Papa says visits will not involve hands-on contact.
Skip this if you do not want a background check. A background check looks at your legal history. Papa says it will run one. Its blog says the check and a motor vehicle report repeat every year. A motor vehicle report is a record of your driving.
Skip this if you cannot use a bank account for pay. Papa’s FAQ asks for payment information to receive direct deposits. Direct deposit means money sent straight to a bank account.
Your first week is sign-up and waiting. Papa says approval takes 1 to 2 weeks. Do not plan on a visit this week.
Day 1. Gather your driver’s license and proof of vehicle insurance. Check the car year on both Papa pages.
Day 2. Look up your state’s row in Papa’s chart. Read the bonus chart too.
Day 3. Apply on Papa’s sign up page. Start Papa’s Safety Training.
Day 4. Verify your identity with your license and a selfie. Agree to the background check.
Day 5. Find your bank details. Papa’s sign up page puts adding them after approval.
Day 6. Write down questions for Papa. Ask what happens if you have no car, which car year it checks, and when the Stripe email comes.
Day 7. Check for an approval message. If none has come, keep waiting.
You need a driver’s license, an insured vehicle, and a smartphone. You also need a Stripe account.
Papa’s requirements page says checks are run at no cost to prospective or existing Pals.
The pages we read do not say whether the safety training is free or has a cost. They do not say what a Stripe account costs. We cannot call this job free to start.
Papa’s pay figures do not line up, and bonuses depend on how many visits you complete.
Papa’s own pages disagree in other places. The car year is 2010 on one page and 2009 on another. One page says Stripe. A blog last changed on Feb 21, 2025 says Tipalti. On the pages we read, Papa does not say that blog is out of date. One page says payment is the next business day plus 1 to 2 days. Another says within 2 business days.
On the pages we read, no date shows on screen, but page source gives last-changed dates. Check the live pages before you rely on any figure here.
The start can be slow. Approval takes 1 to 2 weeks. After that, you may not see many visits at first. The pages we read do not say how long a new Pal waits.
On the pages we read, Papa states no weight limit or standing time. Ask Papa what a visit may involve.
Papa says Pals are independent contractors. That means Papa does not treat you as an employee.
You cannot do hands-on care on this job. Papa says visits will not involve it.
Will I really earn $22 an hour? Papa’s sign up page says Pals on average earn $22 hr. The same page states a base rate of $13-$18 plus bonuses.
Does a 2009 car qualify? We do not know. Papa’s pages give two different years. Ask Papa which year it checks.
Can I do this without a car? On the pages we read, we found no answer for a person with no car. Ask Papa before you apply.
Am I an employee? Papa says Pals are independent contractors. Papa’s tax FAQ covers earning more than $600 working as a Papa Pal. A 1099 is a tax form that reports what you were paid. Ask a tax professional what you must report and file.
How fast do I get paid? Papa says visit payments are processed the next business day. Nothing is processed on weekends or holidays.
$4 an hour
$4.00 an hour is the rate AmeriCorps uses to build its grant budgets, not a promise to any one volunteer.
Help an older adult or a child one to one, a few hours a week. If your income is low, some programs pay a small stipend. It is budgeted at $4 an hour.
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