Bookings & Cancellations

Where can I see the total amount I will have to pay?

Our homepage has full price transparency and a detailed price breakdown is shown before you pay. No surprise pricing or any hidden costs.

Can I book more than one domestic worker for the same day?

Yes, by simply repeating the once-off booking process for that day a second or more times.

Until what time can I make a booking for the next day?

Until 18h the previous evening. The domestic worker then still has 2 hrs to accept the booking until 20h and should your favourite(s) fail to accept within those 2 hours, the booking will be refunded and automatically cancelled and you will be notified.

How and until when can I cancel my booking if I have changed my mind?

Simply click on “cancel booking” before 9:00am on the day before the housekeeper or nanny was supposed to come work for you and your e-wallet will be fully refunded. You can either choose to book the same or another domestic worker for another day, or opt for a full refund into your bank account by contacting us. Should you cancel after 9:00am the previous day, your money will be forfeit as the domestic worker won’t be able to receive another booking on time. Note that each first booking with a NEW domestic worker is non-refundable.

What happens if the domestic worker can no longer come and asks me to cancel the booking?

The domestic workers don’t have a function on their app to cancel a booking and will either have to ask you or us to cancel the booking. In case the domestic worker cancels you qualify for a full refund. If the booking was cancelled after 9:00am the previous day, simply contact us so that we can manually refund your e-wallet. You will then have the option to book the same or a different domestic worker for another day instead, or, in case the cancellation was made far enough in advance, you have the option to book another worker for the same day. This refund will also be given if it was your first booking with a NEW domestic worker. Simply contact us to issue it for you.

Is it possible to only book a helper for one day, like for a spring clean, or a man to help lift heavy boxes when I move?

Yes, by simply selecting the once-off booking option and, if needed, choosing a male housekeeper.

If I didn’t like a certain person, do I have the option to not book this person again?

Yes, by simply not shortlisting the person next time you book. Or by using our “Don’t hire again” function which makes sure that people you dislike are not ever displayed to you again.

What if no workers come up on my screen to be selected?

It either means you live outside of our service area of the Helderberg, Stellenbosch and Cape Town, or, that you have chosen too many filters and need to decrease them. It could also mean that we currently just don’t have anyone available in your area.

Everything payment related

Do I get a discount when employing more than one domestic worker?

Yes, you get a 1% discount on your total top up amount when making use of the Instant EFT payment option. We can offer this because the payment gateway asks us lower fees for that method of payment.

Is the One Stop Domestic weekly cycle Monday to Sunday like a normal calendar week and how does the weekly payment cycle work?

No, our week starts on a Friday and ends on a Thursday. Our e-wallet deductions for the week ahead run each Thursday morning at 8am and, should there be insufficient funds in your e-wallet, you will get a notification. If you are signed up for subscription service and there isn’t enough money in your bank account we will contact you to top up your bank account before 11pm on Thursday, when subscriptions will run again. In case you use manual top up we also contact you to let you know that you still have time to manually top up your e-wallet until the day the one day buffer payment is used up. This system prevents bookings from being cancelled unnecessarily because of clients forgetting to top up the e-wallet.

Why am I billed weekly for recurring bookings after I have selected subscriptions or failed to top up my e-wallet manually?

After you have used your payment card on our website once, you are automatically signed up for our subscription service each Thursday for the week ahead (The One Stop Domestic week is Friday to Thursday). But you will only be billed weekly if you failed to manually add funds or, if you choose to make the subscription service your preferred method of payment. This method makes the administration for our services a lot easier. Automatic weekly payments also don’t require you to have a large amount of money in your bank account.

Why does each recurring booking ask for one additional day’s “buffer payment”?

In the past, before we offered the subscription option, numerous bookings were cancelled due to clients who forgot to top up their e-wallet on time. As once-off bookings are always paid immediately we had no problems with them but the problem occured only with recurring bookings. We then decided to ask for one additional “buffer day”, it is just one day on top of the amount of days per week you have already booked a domestic worker. Should you ever forget to manually top up that day can still be used to keep the booking going and gives you more time to top up. So should you never forget to manually top up your e-wallet on time, the buffer day is only charged ones, in the beginning of your recurring booking. Note, if you use card payment and opt for manual top up you are automatically subscribed, so that your card will be billed by us in case you forget to manually top up. For the next cycle you are again welcome to manually top up any time before Thursday morning at 8am.

What if I need an invoice?

We are not registered for VAT yet. Invoices can only be generated after payment is completed. Should you need an invoice, please contact us.

Can I pay my helper more than the salary you suggest?

Yes, by manually changing the amount during the booking process. Note that our service fee doesn’t change, so your helper is entitled to the full increase. Alternatively you are welcome to give the domestic worker some additional cash each time he/she works for you.

What payment options are available?

For all bookings you can pay via instant EFT ( when using that method you will get a 1% discount, each time you top up), by all South African payment cards with a CVV on the backside or by subscription.

Can I book and pay for a housekeeper or nanny to work somewhere other than my own house?

Yes, because with each new booking you are prompted to enter the address the service will take place. You can then use any address of your choice within our service area, for examply the address of a friend or your offices.

Is there a refund policy?

When you cancel your booking before 9:00am on the day before the housekeeper or nanny was supposed to come work for you, your e-wallet will be refunded. You can either choose to book the same or another domestic worker for another day, or opt for a full refund into your bank account by contacting us. Should you cancel after 9:00am the previous day, your money will be forfeit as the domestic worker won’t be able to receive another booking on time. Unless the domestic worker asked you to cancel the booking. Then you qualify for a full refund but need to contact us to issue it for you manually. Note that each first booking with a NEW domestic worker is non-refundable.

How will my account be charged?

For the first day of each new booking, your account is charged immediately and subscriptions run weekly on Thursdays for the week ahead. Note that each first booking with a NEW domestic worker is non-refundable.

Can I top up my e-wallet manually or do I need to make use of the subscription service?

You can always opt to manually top up rather than use subscription service. After you have used your card once to make a payment, you will automatically be enrolled for the subscripton service on a Thursady, in case you failed to top up your e-wallet manually before then. This will only happen if your recurring booking is still active. Once you have cancelled it, no deductions will take place. Note that each first booking with a NEW domestic worker is non-refundable.

Will you send me any payment reminders if I prefer to top up my e-wallet manually?

Reminders to top up your e-wallet or, in case of subscriptions, bank account, go out to peope with insufficient funds in their e-wallet on a Thursday morning. The One Stop Domestic week runs from Fridays to Thursdays and it will be a reminder about your upcoming bookings for the upcoming One Stop Domestic week.

What happens on a public holiday?

For a once off booking, you will be charged double salary as your intention is to let a domestic worker come on that day. Our fee remains unchanged and does not get doubled.

For a recurring booking we only deduct the normal salary but assume that your domestic worker stays at home. Should you organize with him/her to come work on the public holiday you are asked to pay him/her the difference to double pay in cash on the day.

General Questions

Do the housekeepers bring cleaning equipment?

No, your own equipment is used.

How does the UIF option work?

By selecting the optional UIF service on top of our compulsory payroll service, you will need to provide us with your u-filing account login details. In case you are not registered for u-filing yet, we can do your UIF registration for a once-off fee. For the u-filing account registration we will need you to email us a copy of your ID as well as proof of residence. We then take care of your monthly UIF declarations and payments. Our service fee for UIF payment covers your UIF fee (of 1% of the domestic worker’s monthly salary) in full and you don’t need to pay it on top of the service fee.

Where can I see your Privacy Policy?

Our Privacy Policy can be viewed by clicking here

What are your Terms and Conditions?

Click here to find our T’s and C’s which you will have to accept when creating a profile.

What is my relationship with the Housekeeper or Nanny and with One Stop Domestic?

You become their legal employer. One Stop Domestic only emails you the employee’s payslip bi-monthly and, should you prefer, also do UIF declarations on your behalf.

May I book someone to clean our office, B&B, do a spring clean or only clean windows or iron? And can the ladies move heavy furniture and perform upholstery steam cleans?

Any office, hotel or B&B may book a cleaner with us. Should you like to have only your windows cleaned or need someone only to iron, you won’t have a problem, as the housekeepers are there for eight hours and can perform various, reasonable tasks. Housekeepers don’t have training in cleaning upholstery. Should you be willing to show them, they will be happy to oblige. It is not really reasonable to expect a lady to move heavy furniture. It would, however, be advisable to book a male to help with outside window cleaning and the moving of heavy furniture.

Can the people on your website cook or do they have a first-aid certificate?

Yes, some can cook and have done a first aid course. Should you need someone with special skills, you simply tick these boxes when selecting people. Our system will then suggest the best fits for you. If you don’t select anything, you can still read through up to 15 CVs with a photo of the available candidates. Then you can decide on the best fit for your home.

Are the workers to be trusted?

Part of our training with every person displayed on our website, is work ethics. Nobody can guarantee that there won’t ever be cases of minor theft. Temptation should, however, be minimised and workers should be treated respectfully. Always be sensitive to the fact that your lifestyles may be more privileged compared to theirs.

The housekeeper or nanny I’ve employed is taking a three-week annual leave and I need another person to stand in. May I book a stand-in person from you while my regular worker is on leave, or pregnant or sick?

Yes and you even have the option to book several workers for the same day by repeating the booking process each time.

Relationship & problems with my domestic worker

Do I need to be at home when the housekeeper/nanny comes?

For once-off as well as recurring bookings we recommend you greet your housekeeper or nanny on his/her first day, give him/her a brief of what to do and where to find cleaning equipment, and maybe leave a to-do list. After that you could leave.

Do I have to provide food?

Although other arrangements can be made, you are usually expected to provide a small breakfast and lunch.

Why do I have to book someone for eight hours Mondays to Fridays and Sundays and Saturdays only for 6 hours?

We only do full day bookings as half day bookings or only a few hours per day are unfair towards the domestic worker as it still means paying full transport cost. Sundays and public holidays are double pay so the workers agree to an 8 hour day whereas most workers prefer a 6 hour day on Saturdays, but that is negotiable between you and them.

What if I live in a small flat and can’t keep my housekeeper busy for eight hours?

The minimum days a recurring domestic worker can be booked is once a week on the same day of the week. Once off bookings can be made for irregular days. There are always other options to keep your housekeeper busy for eight hours, such as a proper spring cleaning, including the inside of drawers and cabinets, cleaning outside windows, and even washing your car inside and outside. Alternatively, you are free to send your employee home early, but he/she is still entitled to a full-day’s pay.

How does overtime payment work?

Neither our payslips nor the payment system make a provision for overtime – only an 8-hour day. Should your employee now and then stay longer, we recommend you pay his/her overtime directly.

Does my domestic worker make use of public transport to get to me?

Employees are expected to get to their place of work on their own, and transport costs are already included in the amount you paid us. You are always welcome to give the domestic worker some extra cash on the day for transportation.

Am I allowed to let the housekeeper or nanny start earlier than 08:00 or let him/her work longer than 16:00?

You are free to agree to an arrangement that suits both of you. We have found that many people struggle to be at their place of work before 08:00 and in winter, with it still being dark outside, it can become a safety issue. Should you require the domestic worker to work longer than the eight hours per day, you can pay the overtime directly to him/her. Note that sleep-in domestics – who work for the same amount as the sleep-out domestics – are prepared to work for more than eight hours a day without additional payment, as they have lower transport costs, get free water and electricity, as well as a third meal per day.

Does One Stop Domestic send me someone who was not amongst my chosen favourites?

No. Either your favourite candidate(s) will come or the booking will be refunded the previous day at 20h due to non-acceptance.

Do I become the employer?

Yes, you do. We are pairing you up according to your needs and issue the monthly payslips for your employee on your behalf, but you will become their employer and will therefore be responsible for things like holiday and sick leave.

What happens if my employee is sick?

First-time and once-off bookings: You are welcome to ask the same domestic worker to come another day instead, and, should that day fall within the same week, you don’t even have to cancel the day and re-book as the system doesn’t care what day the worker was with you (between Monday and Saturday as Sundays are double pay). Recurring bookings: Since you become the employer of your housekeeper or nanny, standard sick leave applies and can be read up in the Sectoral Determination. You keep all sick days on record and we book the day as if your employee has shown up and also pay him/her for the day. As you’ll record sick days at home, you don’t need to report them to us. You’re welcome to contact us at any time should you prefer for the domestic worker not to be paid for that day and we will issue a refund, for instance when his or her sick leave days are used up.

Are the people trained?

One Stop Domestic offers a one-day domestic skills refreshment course. It involves work ethics, cleaning methods and conflict management. People may only register if they were previously employed, and only appear on our website once we have personally followed up their references.

What if the housekeeper or nanny never arrives?

You contact us and for that day you will be refunded in full.

What if I was generally unhappy with how it went?

Please contact us and next time we will try assist you to book a more suitable person instead.