Why Lumo Charges 10% (And Why That Matters More Than You Think)

The Commission Tax You're Already Paying

Every time you order delivery, book a handyman, or hire someone for a quick gig, there's an invisible tax built into the price. TaskRabbit takes 15-30% from service providers. DoorDash and Uber Eats? They're grabbing 15-30% from restaurants per order. Turo takes 25-40% depending on the plan.

That money comes from somewhere. Either the provider eats it (and struggles to make ends meet), or they pass it on to you in the form of higher prices. Usually, it's both.

We Charge 10%. Here's Why.

At Lumo, we take a 10% commission on transactions. Not 15%. Not 25%. Just 10%.

Why? Because we did the math, and we realized something important: marketplaces don't need to extract maximum value to be sustainable. They need volume, trust, and happy users on both sides.

When a handyman keeps 90% of their $150 job instead of 75%, that's an extra $22.50 in their pocket. When a restaurant keeps more of your order, they don't need to inflate their delivery menu prices as aggressively. When a car owner on a peer-to-peer rental keeps more per booking, they can charge you less and still profit.

Lower fees create a better economy for everyone. More transactions. More satisfied providers. More affordable services. That's not idealism—it's just better business.

The Honest Trade-Offs

Let's be real: charging less means we can't do everything the big players do.

We're not running $100 million Super Bowl ads. We're not offering instant $100 credits to every new user (paid for by jacking up commissions on everyone else). We're not spending millions on developing self-driving delivery robots or experimental drone programs.

What we are doing is building solid infrastructure: reliable payments, responsive dispute resolution, background checks for service providers, and straightforward tools that work. We invest in the basics that actually matter when you're trying to hire someone to fix your sink or deliver your lunch.

Some competitors argue their higher fees pay for better insurance, better support, or better technology. Sometimes that's true. Often, it's paying for growth-at-all-costs strategies and investor returns.

What This Means for Providers

If you're offering services on Lumo—whether that's deliveries, home repairs, freelance work, or renting out your car—you keep more of what you earn.

A TaskRabbit Tasker doing $3,000 in monthly jobs pays $450-900 in platform fees. On Lumo, that's $300. That's real money. Gas money. Rent money. Equipment upgrade money.

Lower commissions also mean you can price more competitively without cutting into your livelihood. You can win more jobs, build a better reputation faster, and actually build a sustainable side income or business.

What This Means for Customers

You're not choosing Lumo for charity. You're choosing it because it's a better deal.

When providers keep more money, they can charge less. When platforms aren't desperately trying to hit 30% margin targets to please Wall Street, prices stay reasonable. You get the same service—handyman, delivery, car rental, whatever—for less.

Plus, here's something nobody talks about: lower commissions attract better providers. The experienced contractor who's good at their job doesn't want to give away 25% of their earnings. They'll choose the platform where their skills are valued and their time is compensated fairly.

The Bottom Line

Lumo charges 10% because we believe marketplaces should facilitate transactions, not dominate them. We're the infrastructure, not the star of the show.

We're not perfect. We're smaller than the giants, and we're still building. But we're building something different: a marketplace where providers can actually make a living and customers can actually afford the services they need.

The big platforms had their reasons for high commissions—usually involving venture capital returns and aggressive growth targets. We have different priorities: sustainability, fairness, and building a local economy that actually works.

Ready to keep more of your money? Whether you're looking for services or offering them, check out what's happening on Lumo. Same jobs, same quality, way better math.