Is Renting a Friend Safe? A Practical Checklist

Booking someone's time for company can be a good experience when the structure is right. Use this checklist on any platform, including Palhour.

Before you book

• Read the service and terms. A clear description, price, length and rules are good signs.
• Check it's platonic. Avoid any listing or message that hints at dating or anything sexual. On Palhour these are banned.
• Keep everything on the platform. Messages and payments made outside the platform aren't protected.

Agree the rules

Decide how much to talk, how much help you want and how close to stay. On Palhour your pal accepts these rules before the session, and both of you can see them.

Meet in public

For in-person sessions, choose a public place with other people around: a library, a café, a busy park, a store. Tell someone you trust where you'll be.

Pay through the platform

On Palhour you pay when you book and Palhour holds the money. It goes to your pal when you tap All good, or automatically 24 hours after the session. If something goes wrong, report a problem within those 24 hours and a moderator reviews it.

Leave if it feels wrong

You can end a session at any time. Report anything that worries you. In an emergency, contact local emergency services first.

Ready to try it? See how Palhour works.