Home App Reviews Puls Technician App Review: Is Puls Worth It?
April 10, 2024
Editorial GuidelinesSuzanne is a freelance writer and web designer with 10 years of experience. She previously helped to rebuild a failed digital...
If you’re looking for gig work that pays more than what you find on standard on-demand job apps, then you need to bring a special set of skills to the table. Home improvement and repair is one such skill set that can be quite lucrative if you can land a position as a Puls technician.
In this Puls review, you’ll find out what this gig app is all about, who is eligible to work for Puls, and how much money you can make from a Puls side hustle.
Puls is an on-demand service platform that helps homeowners book IT workers and skilled contractors for home improvement projects, repairs, and installations. Currently, it functions as a job platform for home repair technicians across a range of specialties, but this wasn’t always the case.
Puls Technologies, Inc. was launched back in 2015 as a company called CellSavers. 1 Originally, their focus was on mobile phone and tablet repair. But since 2018, Puls has significantly expanded the scope of its services.
Smartphone repair is just a small fraction of what the company does now. In addition to functioning as a home services app for booking on-demand technology and appliance repairs, the company sells home warranty coverage.
Homeowners use the Puls app to request the services they need, including a date, time, and location for the job. Puls then matches them with local technicians that match their specifications.
Depending on the gig, some technicians need to complete a paid service call, repair quote, or damage assessment first. This allows them to assess the product in need of Puls appliance repair and provide the homeowner with an estimate of the time and costs involved.
For more straightforward gigs (like Puls TV mounting), technicians head straight out to the customer’s home. Many times, these services need to be completed the same day or by the next day. So while you can set your own schedule with Puls, having flexible availability is a plus.
As a Puls technician, there’s a wide range of tasks you can do. The table below gives an overview of the types of services you can provide through Puls.
| Category | Tasks |
|---|---|
| Handyman | Drywall repair Interior painting Furniture assembly |
| Home appliance repair | Refrigerator Dryer Washer Oven Dishwasher Cooktop Freezer |
| TV mounting | 31–81+ inches |
| Plumbing | Bathroom Kitchen Laundry room Water heaters Water lines Gas lines |
| iPhone repair | Phone repair Battery replacement LCD installation |
| Garage door repair | Cable replacement Door replacement |
| Smart home installation | Smart security camera Video doorbell Thermostat Smart hub or speaker |
When signing up, you’ll have to choose one job category. Later, you’ll be able to select more specific services.
Puls is strictly an app for US-based gig workers. However, it’s only available in the following 20 states:
It also appears to be available strictly in major metropolitan areas. For example, in the entire state of Florida, users only have four cities to choose from: Miami, Tampa, Orlando, and Jacksonville. Before signing up, make sure your current location is supported.
To apply to become a Puls technician, there are certain requirements you’ll have to meet:
Beware that meeting all the above requirements isn’t a guarantee you’ll be accepted as a Puls worker. In a 2018 interview, Puls CEO Eyal Ronen explained the company’s rigorous vetting process:
“We now have an 8.5 percent on-boarding success, meaning that out of 100 applicants, we will bring on only 8.5. Usually we want people with a lot of experience. We don’t want university student that just completed five repairs for his friends. But we do want to find professionals. The skilled technicians that have done this many many times before.”
Things have changed quite a bit with Puls since then. However, the Puls website still claims to only accept the “best of the best.” At the time of writing, Puls claims to approve only 10% of applicants.
Puls is technically free to use as a contractor. However, even though Puls doesn’t have any signup fees or membership fees, you will need to pay for your own insurance and cover certain equipment expenses while on the job. Puls also charges penalty fees for certain behaviors.
Additionally, Puls.com reviews suggest that the company keeps a big percentage of the amount they get from customers on each booking—seemingly often taking a cut of 50% or more. These cuts aren’t a direct cost you need to pay, but they do indicate that you’re sacrificing a decent percentage of your possible earnings on each Puls job.
The Puls terms of service for technicians mentions fees associated with “certain behaviors.” These behaviors include canceling or rescheduling a job within 72 hours of the appointment time.
Unfortunately, the Puls website doesn’t provide a complete list of penalized behaviors or the exact fees you would need to pay. However, a review from one user suggests that you’ll get fined $30 for cancelling a job within 48 hours of the start time.
Chances are good that your homeowner clients aren’t going to have all (or any) of the equipment and materials you need to get the job done. Although it looks as though Puls may have provided these materials to technicians in the early days of the company, that’s no longer the case.
As a Puls technician, you’ll need to supply your own tools and materials and also cover the cost of traveling to and from each gig. This means you’ll need a bit of cash upfront for Puls to work for you.
Puls doesn’t have any liability in the event of property damage, theft, or injury on the job. It’s written into the technician terms of service that this liability falls on you. To work through Puls, you’re required to maintain appropriate insurance.
Here are examples of coverage you may need:
You should budget at least $25+ per month for insurance as an independent contractor for Puls. But don’t get too hung up on these expenses.
While not all other gig apps would strictly require you to have professional insurance, it’s pretty much a necessity when you’re working as an independent contractor, especially if you’re handling expensive technical equipment.
According to Puls, you can make up to $60 per hour as a technician. Top technicians earn up to $2,000 every week.
If that’s the top earning potential, then what does the average technician make with Puls? Here are some of the actual earnings that Puls workers have reported on Indeed: 2
If you want to get a sense for what you can quote for specific services, visit Puls’s home services pricing page, which lists the company’s regular starting rates for various services. Every job is different. It’s up to you to pitch accurate estimates and quotes based on the work involved, parts needed, and so on.
As a Puls technician, you’ll get paid three times per week via direct deposit. You’ll see the money in your bank account within 14 days of service completion.
Puls’s payment process is fully handled in the app. As soon as you complete a job, the client will pay you through the app on your mobile phone. Puls accepts all major credit cards, debit cards, and PayPal.
On the Puls.com homepage, click the “Become a tech” link at the top of the page. Next, click “Apply Now” to get the process started.
Here’s what the application process entails:
Because of how picky the company is about who gets approved for Puls, it’s important to take your time completing the application process. Once approved, you’ll be invited to download the Puls technicians app.
The general consensus from Puls technicians is that the platform does offer convenience, but at a pretty hefty cost. Many users feel that Puls overcharges customers and underpays contractors.
While the app may make it easy to find work as an IT specialist or repair technician, you’ll be earning significantly less than you would working independently. It’s worth it if you don’t have much experience or you’re lacking professional connections, but otherwise you may be sacrificing too much to the platform.
Here’s an overview of the key complaints and compliments that the Puls technician app has received from professionals.
The biggest complaint among Puls technicians is the huge cut that Puls takes from workers. When you really look at your take-home pay from Puls jobs, it’s clear that you could be earning significantly more money by doing jobs off the app.
This issue is exacerbated by the fact that Puls requires technicians to pay for their own insurance and repair parts. All in all, your actual income after expenses may not be worth it for you if you’re used to getting to keep the full amount you charge customers.
User reviews:
“They always took 50% of the job fee, but recently increased that percentage to take more from us – even Uber doesn’t take that much.” (Apple Store, August 2023)
“This firm underpays, taking over 50% of fees, and continually reduces pay rates. They inflate part costs significantly. Expect minimal compensation for part purchases, taxes on those, with no shared tax revenue. After a $280 bill, your earnings are just the part cost (~$55), from which they take $120, leaving you $105 for parts, repair, tax, and fuel makes it an $18 per-hour job.” (Google Play, July 2023)
“It is expensive and customer pays, but Puls takes almost more than %50 , also ask pro to pay insurance.” (Google Play, June 2022)
“As a long time Handyman, I have no idea as to how one makes big money utilizing Puls. Between mileage, fuel costs, my time traveling to each site, wear and tire on my vehicle, commercial insurance, all to make 40 to maybe 70 dollars on a job that consumed 4 hours of my time?” (Google Play, October 2021)
“Puls makes more than you on each job. Customers are overpaying, technicians are underpaid. You get pennies to you making you think you making money.” (Google Play, March 2019)
“Techs working here simply don’t do the math or really desperate. You are abused by Puls. $30 a job is a rude joke. Deduct expenses and taxes and you will be left with nearly half what you actually got paid. Then take in account time you spend driving to customer and actual job.” (Google Play, March 2019)
Puls will charge customers more than the amount you’re getting for a particular job. Needless to say, this can mean you end up dealing with frustrated customers who are expecting more for their money.
User reviews:
“The job for example cost 300$ to customer … they pay a pro 120$ included part and they take a rest.” (Google Play, November 2023)
“When I type in the price of whichever part that I’m replacing, the app automatically raises the price to a larger amount so that Puls makes more money … If a customer tries to cancel their membership, Puls first makes them return any money saved on repairs during said membership.” (Apple Store, July 2023)
“With an end bill of a $126 on the customer end you will only get $60 of it.” (Google Play, February 2023)
Puls’s cancellation policy allows customers to cancel a booking any time prior to your arrival at the job site. This is great flexibility for customers, but it’s bad news for technicians. The result is that customers have no problem clicking “cancel booking,” and seeing as there’s seemingly no penalty fee for customer cancelations, there’s no cancelation pay for technicians unless they actually arrive at the job site.
If the customer cancels after you arrive, you’ll get $15 in cancellation pay. However, many professionals feel that this isn’t enough. After all, their schedule would be blocked for the canceled gig, making it hard to fill that time with other work.
Another pain point for technicians is that Puls favors customers over contractors when it comes to cancellations. If you can’t make a scheduled appointment, you’ll get charged $30, which is double the amount you’d get if the situation were reversed and the customer had canceled on you.
User reviews:
“If a customer cancels day of appointment, you get nothing. If they cancel after you’ve driven all the way to their house, you only get 15$. But if you as a tech need to cancel within 48 hours of the appointment you get charged 30$.” (Apple Store, August 2023)
“4 out of 4 jobs cancelled on the same day as the appointment. This leaves you without a way to earn money for the day. One lady bailed twice. She never even canceled. I arrived, and she wanted to reschedule.” (Apple Store, February 2022)
Gig apps have become a major income source for many independent contractors who perform home repairs, and many gig workers who use Puls claim that the platform falls short of the competition.
The main shortcomings that Puls has compared with other job platforms for repair workers are its greedy pricing strategy, poor Puls customer service, and technical issues with the app.
User reviews:
“This is still the worst technician app I’ve ever used in my life they constantly make updates that make it worse not better … on top of that they still don’t give a discounting option when customers think their prices are too high.” (Google Play, August 2022)
“Most competing apps pay you for your time, since it’s not your fault if a customer isn’t available. Other apps pay the tech for 3 hours or the full job payment. Puls pays $15 for a cancellation that blocks out your day.” (Apple Store, February 2022)
“I’ve used other company apps where you can actually re enter a job that was previously closed out and saved if you ever needed to follow up with a customer to update them on new developments with their repair or order. With pulse app you need to communicate to customer through a call/message center while they keep customer contact info and scheduling access internal.” (Google Play, April 2021)
“I use tons of apps to obtain clientele. For example, Thumntack, Taskrabbit, and Takl. NONE of them give me more issues than Puls. One moment the apps working, the next it’s working fine. Sometimes it doesn’t work at all and I’m on a job and I can’t service the client efficiently because the app is so integrated into the experience and it’s annoying. Their customer service team does not communicate with one another so I always have to fill the next person in when I call. Annoying! And their pricing is outrageous for some of their services.” (Apple Store, June 2019)
Despite the Puls app’s faults, it appears to be fairly straightforward and easy to use if you’re a technician. Ultimately, it does offer the flexibility and convenience that most users are looking for in a gig app for home repairs.
User reviews:
“I absolutely love Puls. The freedom of working for yourself at your own pace is priceless! The app is easy to use and the best part is, that it’s simple. Very easy to navigate around the necessary procedures to close out your work orders.” (Apple Store, November 2023)
“Very easy to use. has everything that’s needed in a great app.” (Google Play, August 2023)
“This app is amazing and a fantastic way of earning extra income specially if you own your own business. This app and their staff will owe you busy, booked and happy!” (Apple Store, December 2022)
“Easy Peezy!! I see the job, I review the job, I take the job, I get $$$ for the job. What’s not to love about the App.” (Google Play, March 2022)
“The app is pretty easy to follow and use.” (Google Play, March 2022)
Puls is a convenient option for IT professionals and handy workers to get on-demand jobs without the hassle of marketing or advertising. However, because only a small percentage of Puls applicants are actually accepted and the platform currently only operates in select markets, it’s not going to be a feasible option for everyone.
If you are able to work for Puls, you may be put off by the company’s pricing strategy. Seeing how much they charge customers relative to your take-home pay might make you feel like the company is taking advantage of everyone involved.
Puls can be a good way to get fast cash if you can’t rely solely on your regular income. But if you already have a stable business, you’ll likely earn more money in the long run by putting effort into finding new customers instead.
If you’re thinking about signing up to become a Puls technician, be sure to consider the platform’s major pros and cons first.
There are plenty of other apps like Puls that may be easier to get approved for or more widely used where you live. Here are a few options to explore:
Some platforms are better for establishing long-term relationships with clients and promoting your business, whereas others are mainly designed to get you quick work. You may be best off using a combination of apps and sites to achieve a balanced business strategy and maximize both your short-term and long-term earning potential.
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