Bark
London marketplace where professionals pay credits to answer free leads
Key data
| Company | Bark.com Global Limited |
|---|---|
| Category | Home Services Marketplaces |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
| Founded | Not stated |
| EU Presence | Yes - United Kingdom |
| Data Location | not stated on the pages we read |
| Open Source | No |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes |
| Self-Hosting | No |
| Main Features | Service requests, leads for professionals, credit packs, messenger, customer phone and email on response, credit refund guarantee |
| Pricing | Leads are free to receive; professionals pay credits per response, the credit price depends on service, job value and local supply and demand; no commission |
| Best For | UK customers and professionals in a wide mix of services, from house and home to lessons |
| Replaces | Thumbtack |
Review in detail
Bark.com Global Limited is registered in England and Wales under number 10614196, with a registered address at 5th Floor, 167-169 Great Portland Street, London W1W 5PF. The terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, except for users in the USA, where New York arbitration applies.
Bark lists categories from accounting and web design to gardening, house cleaning, DJs and tutoring. The pricing page says leads are free from sign-up and professionals only pay to contact customers.
How Bark credits work
Bark uses a credit system. A professional buys a credit pack and spends credits to contact the customers they select. The page says there is no commission and no hidden fees.
Credits are valid for 3 months from purchase, and the cost in credits is shown before a response.
What a response gives you
When a professional pays to respond to a lead, Bark says they receive the customer's phone number and email. Follow-up messages are free, and Bark's Messenger can be used as well.
Bark also states that it returns all credits if the first credit pack brings no business.
Bark as a European alternative to Thumbtack
Bark is closest to Thumbtack in model: customers post, professionals pay per lead. The contracting entity is in London, which makes the rules and consumer terms UK-based.
The terms also set out a separate New York arbitration clause for USA customers.
Points against
Bark is the closest copy of the pay-per-lead model that pushes some users away from Thumbtack, so it does not remove the cost of competing for leads. The pricing page does not show credit prices, and credits expire after 3 months. The pages we read do not state who owns Bark or where data is hosted. See Checkatrade for a vetted-trades model.
Best suited to users of Bark
UK customers who want quotes across many service types, and UK professionals who prefer paying per response over a membership.
Advantages and drawbacks
Pros
- Company number and London address published
- Leads free to receive
- No commission on jobs won
- Credits returned if first pack brings no business
- Very wide service categories
Cons
- Credit prices not shown
- Credits expire after 3 months
- Professionals compete for each lead
- Owner and hosting not stated
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Company number and London address published
- Leads free to receive
- No commission on jobs won
- Credits returned if first pack brings no business
- Very wide service categories
Cons
- Credit prices not shown
- Credits expire after 3 months
- Professionals compete for each lead
- Owner and hosting not stated
Alternatives to Bark
Further European home services marketplaces to compare:
See all European home services marketplaces or compare them directly against Thumbtack on our alternatives page.
Common questions
No. The pricing page says Bark charges a one-off fee in credits to respond to a lead and no commission, so 100% of job income stays with the professional.
All credits are valid for 3 months from the date of purchase, according to the pricing page FAQ.
Bark.com Global Limited, registered in England and Wales under number 10614196, makes the services available under the Bark terms.