Onboarding for Surf Schools
From zero to your first booking in 15 minutes.
Step-by-step guide, built for schools that never used a platform before. Every step has a time estimate and a direct link to the right screen.
1
Create your school account3 min
Create the account here on the web, or in the Surf Booking app if you are on your phone. It is the same account on SurfBooking OS, the app and the Channel Manager.
What the account gives you:
Create account on the web
Download the app
- SurfBooking OS on the computer: lessons, bookings, tides and agent mode on a big screen
- Push notifications for bookings, check-ins and student chat
- Valid email, school name (editable later), PT-format phone, strong password (12+ chars, 1 upper, 1 lower, 1 number, 1 symbol)
2
Verify your email1 min
We send a code. You type it. Done.
Don't see the email? Check spam. If still missing after 2 min, we have a resend button right in the modal.
3
Complete the profile3 min
Tab "Definições" → upload logo + cover photo, pick your primary beach, set access code for login.
Primary beach matters:
- Decides where your school shows on the marketplace
- Powers the forecast cards on your dashboard
- You can teach at other beaches too (Staff tab → Allowed spots)
Tip: Use a square logo (at least 400×400px) and a landscape cover (1200×600). Makes your marketplace card pop.
4
Create your first lesson3 min
Click “Criar Aula” on the dashboard. A 3-step wizard opens.
Wizard steps:
- Step 1 (essentials): mode (single or bulk multi-day), date, time, beach, level, group/private
- Step 2 (details): instructor, price, max students, duration, equipment included, photo
- Step 3 (review): check everything, click Create
Bulk mode: great for recurring classes. Pick a date range + weekdays + hours → creates up to 120 lessons at once. You can also preset different hours for each day.
Already have a season in a spreadsheet? You do not have to retype it. There is a fifteen-column template you fill and upload, and a button that undoes the whole batch if it lands wrong. How the import works →
5
Connect Stripe5 min
Stripe is the payment processor. We use Stripe Connect, so the money goes straight to your bank account and never sits with us. Our 20% commission comes off only the bookings we brought you. On a walk-in or a sale through your own direct channel we take nothing: you pay just the card processing fee.
What Stripe asks for:
- Business NIF
- Portuguese IBAN for payouts
- Copy of your ID (selfie verification)
- Proof of address (utility bill, bank statement)
Until Stripe is approved (usually a few minutes), you can't accept bookings. The platform still lets you create lessons — they just won't be bookable until verification is done.
✓
Bookings start coming inauto
Your lesson is now on the Surf Booking marketplace and your school's public page. When someone books:
- You get a push notification + email
- The money lands in your Stripe balance immediately, minus our 20% because this one came from the marketplace
- Stripe transfers to your IBAN (daily or weekly, your choice)
- Student gets a QR code — scan on the beach = instant check-in
- If you have a waiver, the student signs it digitally before the lesson
And then? What the panel asks for next
Six steps get you selling. The panel keeps a list of eight.
We would rather you saw the other five here than discover them the moment you walk in. Nothing on this list blocks your first booking, and none of it has to happen today.
- Complete the school profile That is step 3 above.
- Create the first lesson or pack That is step 4 above.
- Connect Stripe That is step 5 above.
- Request the Partner badge
You submit the licence number and the policy number, and a person on our side reads them. It is not automatic and we do not promise a deadline. - Put your gear into Stock
Wetsuits, boards and leashes by size. It is what lets the system pick the right size for each student without you thinking about it. - Create your first instructor
With no instructor there is no ratio to validate, and it is the ratio that stops a lesson from being born overbooked. - Set up the digital waiver
Signed on the phone before the lesson. A minor needs their guardian to sign. - Embed the widget on your site
Optional, and the only one on the list that stays unticked - it sits there so you have it at hand if you ever get a site.
What’s new — straight to the point
Three differentiators most schools haven’t found yet. Shortcuts below.
Progress Passport
At the end of the lesson the instructor ticks what each student achieved, and it stays on that lesson's stamp. Students carry their progress from school to school.
See Progress Passport →
Agent mode
Press A and speak: «show the tides», «create a lesson on the 24th at 3pm». The OS does it in front of you and asks before touching bookings.
Open SurfBooking OS →
iCal setup wizard
Airbnb, Booking.com, Google Calendar, Outlook, Apple — one calendar. Clashes blocked in your calendar. 5-min setup.
Open Channel Manager →
Once you're live: unlock more
These features aren't essential to launch, but most schools activate them within the first 2 weeks.
Express QR on the beach
Walk-up tourist, QR scan, pays in 10 seconds. No app install needed. Ideal for summer street presence.
Channel Manager
Register lessons sold outside Surf Booking (your site, Instagram, phone). One calendar, clashes blocked. 0% commission on externals.
Digital waivers
Students sign on the phone. Guardian co-signature for minors. Templates aligned with public surf-school regulation.
Team (staff)
Invite instructors. Granular permissions per role. Certification tracking. Multi-beach scheduling.
Waitlist
Lesson full? Student joins the queue. If someone cancels, waitlist gets notified automatically.
Extras
Sell photo packs, transport, rentals, insurance to students at booking time. Your price, your margin.
Reports
Revenue breakdowns by instructor, beach, level, weekday. Month picker. No Excel required.
Badges
Mark students as VIP, loyal, fast learner, rapid progress. Visible to your whole team.
Common questions
How much does it cost?
Free. 0€/month. We take 20% commission only on the bookings we bring you through the Surf Booking marketplace. On walk-ins and your own direct channel our commission is zero and you pay just the card processing fee. No commission either on lessons you register in Channel Manager (external sales). Channel Manager at no cost — just keep lessons on sale with us. Full pricing →
Do I need Stripe?
Yes, to receive money through the marketplace. Stripe is the industry standard — used by Shopify, Lyft, booking.com. Setup takes ~5 min, verification is usually instant. If you only want to use Channel Manager (register external bookings), you can skip Stripe — but you won't appear on the marketplace.
When do I get paid?
Your share lands in your Stripe balance immediately when the student pays: the full price minus the card processing fee, and minus our 20% only if the booking came from us. Stripe transfers to your IBAN on a schedule you pick (default is daily, 2–7 business days depending on first payout).
What if a student cancels?
Refund policy is automatic based on time before the lesson: 100% refund if >96h, 75% if 48–96h, 50% if 24–48h, 0% if <24h. You can override for any booking in the admin panel.
Do you have an app?
Yes — iOS and Android. Use it for beach ops: check-in QR scanner, lesson view, team, waivers, notifications. SurfBooking OS (this guide) is web-only — runs better on a bigger screen when creating lessons or doing analytics.
I'm stuck. Who do I contact?
Email [email protected] or open Support in SurfBooking OS. We answer within business hours.
Stop waiting. Your first booking is 15 minutes away.
SurfBooking OS — 0€/month, always.
Open SurfBooking OS