Questions, answered straight.

bartendersNow™ is a Bay Area bartending marketplace connecting event hosts with professional, independent bartenders. Two proprietary algorithms — the Stock List and the Smart Staffing Calculator — handle the planning math. The platform runs as a progressive web app, so there is nothing to download.

Hosts create an event, get a bartender-count recommendation and an ingredient-level Stock List, browse bartender profiles, and send a request. Bartenders build a profile, set their rates, browse local events, and request the ones that fit. Hosts can also post an event publicly and accept a bartender's request to work it. Stripe handles every transaction.

Government-ID identity verification through Stripe Identity is required to work on the platform. We do not run background checks. Profile photos are uploaded by the bartender. A person on our team may visually compare a bartender's profile photo with the images from their identity check. That is a visual check by a person, not a guarantee that the photo shows the person who arrives. Payments are processed by Stripe with PCI compliance, and disputes and safety incidents go through a documented support process.

The San Francisco Bay Area is our launch market, including Peninsula, South Bay, East Bay, North Bay wine country, and extending into the Central Coast.

Email support@bartendersnow.com or use the Help & Support section in the PWA. Support is the same across desktop, tablet, and mobile.

Create your event, run the Smart Staffing Calculator and the Stock List, then browse bartenders by rate, distance, and rating and send a request to the one you want. You can request a specific bartender, or post your event publicly and accept a bartender who requests to work it.

Your cost starts with the bartender's hourly rate times the hours booked. Any per-guest or travel fees the bartender charges, any optional add-ons you choose (such as equipment), and the 12% platform fee are added to that. The full breakdown is shown before you confirm.

Hosts pay 12% of the total bartender cost. For bartenders, a 12% platform fee on their service total is retained before payout. Both fees are disclosed line-item before the transaction.

Your card is saved at booking but not charged up front. For events more than 48 hours away, the card is charged at the 48-hour lock or at cancellation, whichever comes first. For short-notice bookings (less than 48 hours), the card is charged as soon as the booking is confirmed — not when you send a request.

Yes. For events less than 48 hours away, your card is charged the moment the booking is confirmed — either when the bartender you requested accepts, or when you accept a bartender's request to work your publicly-posted event. Sending a request does not charge your card. An event this soon is inside the 7-day cancellation window, so if you cancel afterwards you are not refunded.

You are not charged if the bartender declines or does not respond within the request window. You can then request another bartender or cancel the event.

RBS is not required to create a profile. It is generally required to serve at ABC-licensed premises, so bartenders who hold it can add it to their profile and become eligible for those bookings. We do not verify certifications.

Captain Service is an optional coordination tier for larger events. A designated lead bartender manages communication with the host and the rest of the bar team, all within the platform. Captain fees are disclosed upfront and are set by the lead bartender for coordination work.

No. The Stock List calculator is free and works without an account. You only need an account to book a bartender.

Hosts who cancel 14+ days before bartender arrival receive a 100% refund. Cancellations 7–14 days out receive a 50% refund. Cancellations within 7 days are non-refundable. Captain Service fees are refunded in full at 14+ days and are non-refundable within 14 days. You can cancel up until your event's scheduled start time.

When you tip in the app after the event, the platform takes no fee: the full tip goes to your bartender, and the platform covers card processing. Cash tips on the night are welcome too.

bartendersNow™ does not provide insurance and does not verify a bartender's coverage. Bartenders work as independent contractors and are responsible for their own insurance. If coverage matters for your event, ask your bartender directly before you book.

Sign up as a bartender (you must be 21 or older) and complete your profile: your service area, hourly rate, skills, experience, any certifications, and a photo. To start requesting work you will also need Stripe Identity verification. You can connect your payout account any time; it isn't needed to request or accept work. Earnings from events you work are held for you and released once your payout account is set up and verified.

You control your hourly rate, per-guest fees, travel, and any add-on services you offer, up to the platform's maximums. The app shows an earnings preview as you set them, so you can see what a sample event would pay before you publish.

After the event, complete your post-service tasks. Your event service total minus the 12% platform fee is sent to your linked bank account through Stripe. In-app tips carry no platform fee, so you receive the full tip amount, and no taxes are withheld.

Your payout is released once you complete your post-event tasks, or automatically 7 days after the event if you don't. If the Host's payment is still clearing with our payment processor, your payout is released once those funds become available. Transfer times to your bank are set by Stripe.

Captain Service lets you lead larger events as the coordinator for additional compensation. Set your captain fee as a flat rate or percentage of the total bartender cost.

Your compensation is 0% of your contracted amount if the host cancels 14+ days before arrival (time to find replacement work), 50% if the host cancels 7–14 days out, and 100% if the host cancels within 7 days of arrival. The standard 12% platform fee is retained from cancellation compensation before payout, just as it is from a completed booking.

If your earnings exceed IRS thresholds, you'll receive a 1099-K. Keep income and expense records. The Tax Preparation Tips guide (Options → Resources → Business Operations) includes gig-economy tax resources.

No. bartendersNow™ is a progressive web app — it runs in your browser with full app-like functionality. No app store download, no install, no manual updates.

Partly. Bookings and profile details already loaded in the app stay on screen if your connection drops, but saving changes to your profile, rates, or bookings needs an internet connection.

Yes. The PWA works across desktop, tablet, and mobile, with cross-device sync.