Trash and recycling to the curb
Bins out the night before collection and back in afterwards, for a week you're away or while stairs and heavy lifting are off the table.
A little help with the things that need doing in Alexandria.
From errands and yard work to setting up a new phone, Bounty lets you describe a task, set a reward, and hear from people nearby who may be able to help. You choose who does it, and they're paid only when you confirm it's done.
Not sure yet? Email the Bounty team your question before you post anything.
Everyday tasks
The kind of help people ask for.
Small, one-off jobs around the house and around town: the things that don't need a contractor or a standing appointment, just another pair of hands.
Groceries and errands
A grocery order picked up, a parcel taken to the post office, or a Saturday trip to the Old Town Farmers' Market for the things you always buy there.
Carrying and moving light things
Boxes up from the basement, a chair out to the car, decorations down from the attic of a Del Ray bungalow or an Old Town rowhouse with steep stairs.
Phones, tablets and computers
A new phone set up, video calls with the family working, or the email that stopped arriving sorted out. Help over a video call counts too.
Yard work and leaves
Leaves raked and bagged in the fall, beds weeded, the front walk cleared, or whatever has grown over the fence cut back.
Getting ready for a move
Sorting, boxing and labelling before downsizing, and taking donations to a drop-off, a carload at a time.
These are examples, not a menu. Describe what you need in your own words; if it's legal and someone nearby can do it, you can ask.
How Bounty works
Five steps, and you decide at every one.
On Bounty, a task is called a bounty and the person who does it is called a hunter. On this page we just say “task” and “helper”.
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Describe the task
Say what needs doing, roughly where, and when. A few plain sentences are plenty. You don't need an account to start.
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Set a reward and pay it
You choose the amount. You pay it by card through Stripe's secure checkout, and Bounty holds it. Nobody is paid at this point.
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Sign in to the Bounty app
Choosing a helper and confirming the job happen in the free Bounty app for iPhone and Android. Sign in with the email you used. First time? Tap “Forgot password” on the sign-in screen to set one.
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Read the offers and choose — or don't
People nearby can offer to help. Each offer shows the person's name, a short note from them, how long they've been on Bounty, how many tasks they've completed, and ratings from past tasks. You choose one person, or nobody at all.
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Confirm it's done, and only then are they paid
Once you've chosen someone, you sort out the details with them in the app's messages. When the job is finished to your satisfaction, you confirm it in the app, and that is what releases the reward to your helper.
Your money and who helps
What you can count on, in plain terms.
No service can promise that every person is trustworthy or that every task gets done. Here is exactly what Bounty does and doesn't do, so you can decide with the facts.
Your payment is held until you say the job is done
You pay the reward when you post, and Bounty holds it through Stripe. Your helper is paid only after you confirm the task is finished, in the app. Nobody else can release it for you.
Changed your mind? Cancel before you choose anyone
Until you've chosen a helper, you can cancel the task in the app and the full payment goes back to your card. Once someone is working on it, cancelling needs their agreement, or you can report a problem.
You choose who helps, and you can see who they are
Before you choose, you can read each person's note, see how long they've been on Bounty and how many tasks they've completed. Nobody is assigned to you.
Ratings come from real tasks
Only two people who completed a task together can rate each other. Someone new won't have ratings yet. That's normal on a young service, and a good reason to read their note carefully.
Your exact address can wait
Your neighborhood or street is enough for the post. Share the house number with the person you choose, in the app's messages, once you've decided.
If something isn't right
Don't confirm the job until you're satisfied. Tell your helper in the app's messages, or use “Report a problem” in the app. The reward isn't released unless you confirm it.
What an identity check does — and doesn't — mean
Before a helper can cash out what they've earned, Stripe checks their identity and bank details. That confirms who receives the money. It is not a background check, and Bounty doesn't check licenses, insurance or references. Look at each person's profile, read their note, and choose for yourself.
If anyone asks you to pay them some other way, such as cash, gift cards or a payment app, say no. Paying through Bounty is what keeps your money held until the job is done.
For family and caregivers
Helping a parent shouldn't mean doing everything yourself.
Whether it's groceries, the bins on collection day, or a few things around the house, Bounty gives you another way to get the small jobs on your family's list done, without driving over for every one of them.
You post it, you stay in charge of it
Whoever posts and pays is the account holder. If that's you, you choose the helper, message them, and confirm the job is done, from wherever you are.
Their home, their say
Talk it through first: what they'd like done, when, and whether they want to be there. Put those wishes in the task description so your helper knows them too.
Small jobs, not a care plan
Bounty suits one-off tasks. For regular personal care, look to a licensed home-care provider. The city's aging services, linked below, can point you to one.
What Bounty isn't
Bounty isn't home care, medical care or an emergency service, and helpers aren't licensed tradespeople vetted by Bounty. Please don't use it for personal care, medication, or electrical, gas or structural work. In an emergency, call 911.
In Alexandria
From Old Town to the West End.
Bounty is live across Northern Virginia, including Old Town, Del Ray, Rosemont, Seminary Hill, Parkfairfax and the West End. Your task is shown to people near where it happens, so the closer the location, the better.
An honest word about availability
Bounty is new, and the number of people offering help near you will vary. We can't promise someone will be free on a particular day. If nobody offers, nobody is paid, and you can cancel for a full refund before choosing anyone.
Other help in the city
- For in-home care, meals or support services: City of Alexandria Aging & Adult Services.
- For collection days and bulky-item pickup: the city's Resource Recovery pages.
Nearby: household help in Arlington, VA · odd jobs in Washington, DC
Questions
Before you post.
What does it cost?
The reward you set, and nothing more. There's no charge to post and no subscription. Bounty's service fee comes out of the reward when it's paid to your helper, so the amount you choose is the total you pay.
How much should I offer?
Whatever the task is worth to you, from $5 up. As a rough guide, people often offer about $20–35 for a grocery run, $35–60 for mowing or yard work, $40–75 to assemble furniture and $60–120 for help moving. These are estimates, not rules. A clear description and a fair reward make an offer more likely.
When is my card charged, and when does the helper get paid?
Your card is charged when you post from this page, and Bounty holds the money. Your helper is paid only after you confirm in the app that the job is done.
What if no one offers to help?
It can happen, and nobody is paid. You can keep waiting, or cancel in the app and the full payment goes back to your card. The reward can't be changed once it's paid, so to offer more, cancel and post again with a higher reward or more detail.
Do I need a smartphone?
For now, yes. You can describe and pay for a task on this page, but choosing a helper, messaging them and confirming the job is done happen in the Bounty app, on iPhone or Android. If you don't use a smartphone, a family member can post and look after the task from their own account.
Who are the people who help?
People nearby who have signed up to take on tasks. They aren't Bounty employees and aren't background-checked. Stripe verifies a helper's identity before they can cash out, which confirms who is paid but not their skills or conduct. Their profile, their note to you and any ratings are there to help you choose.
Can I arrange help for my mother or father?
Yes. Post the task from your own account, with their neighborhood as the location. You'll be the one who chooses the helper, messages them and confirms the job. Agree the plan with your parent first, and say in the description who will be there.
Is my address shown to everyone?
Put only your neighborhood or street in the post. Once you've chosen someone, give them the full address in the app's messages.
What if something goes wrong?
Don't confirm the job until you're happy with it. The reward isn't released unless you confirm. Tell your helper in the app first; if that doesn't settle it, use “Report a problem” in the app. If anyone is in danger, call 911.
Can I ask someone before I post?
Please do. Email the Bounty team at leewright093@gmail.com with whatever you'd like to know. We'd rather you ask than guess.
Get help with a task
Tell us what needs doing.
It takes a few minutes. When you continue, you'll pay the reward on Stripe's secure checkout page; nothing is charged until you finish there.
What happens next
- Your task goes up, and Bounty holds your payment.
- Get the Bounty app and sign in with the same email.
- Read the offers, and choose someone, or no one.
- Confirm when it's done. That's when your helper is paid.
Stuck, or want to check something first? Email the Bounty team.
What do you need done?
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