Frequently Asked Questions

A professional mourner is someone who attends funerals, memorials, and other services to provide emotional support, fill seats, or enhance the atmosphere of the event. They bring dignity and presence to services, ensuring your loved one is honored appropriately.

There are many reasons: a loved one may have outlived most of their friends, family may live far away and cannot attend, you want to ensure a well-attended service, or you need someone with specific cultural or religious knowledge. Professional mourners can also provide emotional support to grieving family members.

Simply create a Hirer account, browse mourner profiles on our map or search, select mourners that match your needs, and send a booking request. Once the mourner accepts and payment is processed, the booking is confirmed.

Mourner rates vary based on experience, location, and tier level. Basic mourners start around $25-50/hour, Professional tier is $50-100/hour, Premium is $100-200/hour, and Elite mourners are $200+/hour. Emergency bookings (less than 48 hours) include a 50% premium.

Standard services include attendance for the booked duration, appropriate attire, and respectful behavior. Depending on the mourner's skills, additional services like emotional support, cultural customs, prayers, or eulogies may be available.

Yes! When booking, you can specify dress code requirements, cultural customs to observe, whether you want quiet presence or emotional expression, and any other special instructions.

Cancellations 48+ hours before the service receive a full refund minus processing fees. Cancellations 24-48 hours before receive a 50% refund. Cancellations less than 24 hours before are non-refundable unless the mourner agrees otherwise.

Yes, all mourners must complete identity verification through Stripe Identity before accepting bookings. This includes government ID verification and a selfie match to ensure safety and trust.

Sign up for a Mourner account, complete your profile with your bio, photo, mourning styles, and hourly rate. Then complete identity verification through Stripe Identity and set up your Stripe Connect account for payments. Once verified, you can start accepting bookings.

Mourners set their own rates, typically ranging from $25 to $300+ per hour depending on experience and tier level. Emergency bookings pay an additional 50% premium. Top mourners on our platform earn substantial supplemental income.

Payment is held in escrow during the booking. After you complete the service, funds are released to your Stripe Connect account, minus platform fees. Payouts to your bank typically arrive within 2-3 business days.

We have four tiers: Basic (new mourners), Professional (verified with positive reviews), Premium (experienced with specialized skills), and Elite (top performers with exceptional ratings). Higher tiers can command higher rates.

Attire depends on the service type. Generally, conservative dark clothing is appropriate for traditional services. The hirer may specify particular requirements. Always confirm dress code before the service.

If you must cancel, do so as early as possible through the platform. Frequent cancellations will negatively impact your rating and may result in account suspension. The hirer receives a full refund when you cancel.

Yes! You can offer add-on services like eulogies, music performance, flower arrangements, or specific cultural ceremonies. List these in your profile with separate pricing.

Complete your profile fully, add a professional photo, list all your skills and cultural expertise, maintain high ratings through excellent service, respond quickly to requests, and consider offering competitive rates when starting out.

Yes, professional mourning is legal and has been practiced in many cultures for thousands of years. It's a legitimate service profession.

All payments are processed securely through Stripe. Hirers pay when booking, funds are held in escrow, and released to mourners after service completion. We never share payment details between users.

Contact our support team through the platform. We mediate disputes between hirers and mourners and can process refunds when appropriate. Both parties can leave reviews after the service.

Yes, we take privacy seriously. We only share necessary information between hirers and mourners for confirmed bookings. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

Currently, MournMate operates primarily in the United States. We plan to expand to other countries in the future.

Yes! We offer partnership programs for funeral homes with bundled pricing, priority access to mourners, and white-label integration options. Visit our Partners page to learn more.