The Problem With Commission-Based Tutoring Platforms

How Commission Platforms Work

A commission-based tutoring platform acts as an intermediary. A parent finds a tutor through the platform, books sessions, and pays the platform directly. The platform deducts its commission — typically 20–40% — and pays the remaining amount to the tutor.

On the surface, this looks like a simple service fee. In practice, it creates a set of misalignments that damage quality.

The Tutor Side

A tutor earning £25/hr through a 25% commission platform takes home £18.75. To earn a professional income, they must either:

• Work an unsustainably high volume of hours
• Raise their rate to compensate — making them more expensive for families
• Do both

The result: experienced tutors often leave commission platforms once they build a sufficient reputation and client base. The tutors who remain are disproportionately those who have not yet built the confidence or network to go direct. Families searching commission platforms are effectively fishing in a pool where the best tutors have already left.

The Family Side

Families on commission platforms typically pay more for the same tutor than they would if they booked directly. This is because tutors on commission platforms price their published rate to account for the platform''s cut — meaning the price families see is already inflated to compensate.

The Quality Incentive Problem

Commission platforms earn more money when more sessions happen. This creates a structural incentive to maximise volume rather than outcomes. A student who improves quickly and no longer needs tutoring is worse for the platform''s revenue than a student who continues indefinitely. This is the opposite of what good tutoring should produce.

The Alternative

Platforms that charge tutors a flat access fee rather than a commission on sessions align their incentives with quality. Tutors keep their earnings. Families pay the tutor''s real rate. The platform''s success depends on tutors and families finding the service valuable — not on the volume of sessions booked.