Help Center

Browse the map on the SaunaMap home page, click a pin to see that sauna's details, and choose an available date and time. Depending on how the host takes bookings, you'll either pay and confirm instantly through SaunaMap, get redirected to the host's own booking page, or be prompted to email the host directly.

Use the map on the SaunaMap home page it shows every mobile and permanent sauna near your location as a pin. Tap a pin to see photos, pricing, and availability, or use the filters to narrow results by experience type like wood-fired or contrast therapy.

A permanent sauna is fixed at one location usually a host's backyard or a wellness business. A mobile sauna can be brought to different locations, so its map pin may move depending on where the host currently has it parked. Both types show up on the map and can be filtered separately.

Yes. The map's filters let you narrow results by heat type (wood-fired, electric, infrared), whether cold plunge or contrast therapy is available, and other experience details, so you can find exactly the kind of session you're looking for.

No you can book as a guest by entering your name and email at checkout. If you'd like to track your booking history, message hosts, and manage upcoming sessions in one place, you can create a free account, and any bookings made with the same email will automatically show up there.

Some hosts require approval before a booking is confirmed. When you request a date and time, the host reviews it and can accept or decline. If accepted, you'll get a secure payment link by email that stays valid for 24 hours to complete your booking.

Once a host accepts a Request to Book, you'll receive a secure payment link by email that's valid for 24 hours. If it expires before you pay, message the host to ask them to resend it.

Group size limits are set individually by each host based on their sauna's real capacity you'll see the maximum number of people allowed listed right on the sauna's page before you book.

Yes. Each listing page lets you reach out to the host with questions about access, parking, or anything else before you commit to a date and time.

This varies by host, so check the listing's description and any house rules first most sessions call for a towel, water bottle, and swimwear or clothing you don't mind getting warm in. If anything is unclear, message the host directly before your session.

Yes tap the save/heart icon on any listing to add it to your saved saunas list, which you can revisit anytime from your guest dashboard. It's a handy way to build a shortlist and share favorites with friends or family.

Open the listing and check its calendar available dates and times are shown based on the host's weekly schedule, any specific-date overrides, and dates the host has blocked (including through a synced Google Calendar). Days with nothing open are greyed out and can't be selected.

Absolutely there's no limit on how many times you can book a sauna you love. Save it to your list so it's easy to find and rebook.

You'll get a confirmation email with your session date, time, directions, and any house rules or access instructions from the host. You can also manage the booking message the host, view details, or cancel if needed from your guest dashboard.

Each host sets their own per-person price, shown on the listing. Your total at checkout is the subtotal (price times number of people) plus SaunaMap's platform fee and a processing fee both shown as separate line items before you pay, so there are no surprises.

The listed price is what the host charges. On top of that, SaunaMap adds a 4.8% platform fee and a 4% processing fee (8.8% in total) to cover running the marketplace and handling secure payments. Both are itemized on the booking screen before you confirm.

The platform fee is 4.8% of the booking price and helps fund SaunaMap, things like host support, payment infrastructure, and building new features. It's added on top of what the host charges, so the host still receives the full price they set.

The processing fee is 4% of the booking price and covers the real cost of securely processing your card payment through Stripe. It's shown separately from the platform fee so you can see exactly what each part of your total is paying for.

Yes hosts must charge at least $5 per person. This keeps every booking's fees meaningful relative to the actual cost of processing the payment.

Yes hosts can charge up to $400 per person. If you're looking for something above that range, message the host directly to ask about custom arrangements.

For hosts using SaunaMap's built-in booking, you pay securely by card right on the site through Stripe. For hosts who use an external booking link or email, you'll be directed to complete payment on their own system instead.

It depends on the listing. Some let you book and pay instantly. Others require the host to approve your request first (Request to Book) you'll only be charged after they accept, via a secure payment link.

Yes. All SaunaMap-processed payments run through Stripe, a leading payment processor used by major platforms worldwide. SaunaMap never stores your raw card details.

Yes you'll receive a confirmation email with your full itemized total (subtotal, platform fee, and processing fee) as soon as your payment goes through.

No. Hosts who use an external booking link or email handle payment entirely on their own system SaunaMap doesn't process or take a fee on that transaction. You'll still fill out a short SaunaMap form and agree to SaunaMap's Terms and Conditions before you're redirected.

Yes the subtotal scales with your party size (per-person price times number of guests), and the platform and processing fees are calculated as a percentage of that subtotal, so your total updates automatically as you adjust group size.

No your total is locked in at the moment you book. If a host updates their listed price afterward, it only applies to future bookings, not one you've already made.

It depends on who cancels and when. If a host cancels, you always get a full refund. If you (the guest) cancel 48 hours or more before your session, you also get a full refund. Cancelling less than 48 hours before your session results in a partial refund.

You'll receive a full refund, including the platform and processing fees. Simply cancel from your guest dashboard.

You'll be refunded 80% of the subtotal (the price times people amount). The remaining 20% of the subtotal goes to the host as a late-cancellation fee, and SaunaMap's platform and processing fees are not refunded, since those cover work already done to secure the booking.

You always receive a full 100% refund, no matter how close to the session it is a host cancellation is never the guest's fault, so the guest shouldn't be out any money for it.

Open your guest dashboard, find the booking, and click Cancel. You'll see exactly what refund amount applies (full or partial, based on timing) before you confirm.

Refunds are issued immediately through Stripe once you cancel, but it typically takes 5 to 10 business days for the funds to appear back on your card, depending on your bank.

If you cancel 48 hours or more before your session, yes fees are refunded along with the subtotal. If you cancel within 48 hours, the platform and processing fees are not refunded, since they cover work already completed for the booking.

If you have a pending Request to Book that hasn't been paid for yet, there's nothing to refund simply let the host know or let the request expire, and no charge will ever be made.

Hosts can cancel a booking, but doing so always results in a full refund to the guest, and repeated cancellations can affect a host's standing on SaunaMap. If a host cancels within 48 hours of the session, they're also charged a fee, deducted from their future payouts.

No a host cancellation always results in a full guest refund and no payout to the host for that session. If the host cancels within 48 hours of the session, they're additionally charged the platform and processing fees as a ledger deduction from future payouts.

The same timing-based policy applies regardless of the reason 48 hours or more before your session gets a full refund, less than 48 hours gets a partial refund. If it's a host-side issue, message the host directly, since a host-initiated cancellation always results in your full refund.

Yes you'll get an email as soon as a host cancels, confirming your full refund. Hosts are also encouraged to message you directly to explain why.

Listings go through review before they go live, payments are processed securely through Stripe, every booking includes SaunaMap's Terms and Conditions and (for host-facilitated bookings) a liability waiver, and both guests and hosts can leave reviews building real accountability and reputation over time.

Yes a new listing is reviewed before it's published to the map, which usually takes about 24 to 48 hours. This is to help keep the marketplace genuine and well-represented.

Yes reviews go both ways. Guests can review their sauna experience and the host can review the guest, which helps build a trustworthy community and gives future bookers real signal to go on.

For bookings made through SaunaMap's built-in system, guests agree to a liability waiver either the host's own custom waiver or a standard one before completing a booking. A timestamped copy of exactly what you agreed to is kept on file.

Yes every guest agrees to SaunaMap's Terms and Conditions before completing a booking, regardless of whether the host uses SaunaMap's built-in payments, an external link, or email. The liability waiver specifically only applies to bookings SaunaMap facilitates directly.

Messaging through SaunaMap keeps a record of your conversation with the host or guest, which helps if any question or dispute comes up later. It's a simple habit that protects both sides.

All SaunaMap-processed payments go through Stripe, a widely trusted payment processor with strong fraud protection and encryption. SaunaMap never sees or stores your full card number.

Message the other party first if it's a simple misunderstanding, but if something feels unsafe or inappropriate, contact SaunaMap directly so it can be looked into. Reviews also help surface this kind of feedback for the community.

Only what's needed to complete the booking your name and contact details are shared with the host once you book, and vice versa, so you can coordinate the session. SaunaMap doesn't publish your contact info anywhere public.

A Clean Verified badge shows up on listings that consistently earn strong cleanliness ratings from guest reviews an easy way to spot saunas that are reliably well maintained.

Hosts can set a custom liability waiver for their sauna, or use SaunaMap's standard one. Whether a host separately carries their own insurance is between the host and their insurer if that matters to you, it's worth asking the host directly before booking.

Sign up as a host and fill out the Listing tab on your host dashboard title, description, photos, pricing, and location. Once everything's complete, submit it for review; it typically goes live within 24 to 48 hours.

You'll need a title and description, a hero photo plus at least 4 gallery photos, your per-person price, location details, sauna type (heat and cold-plunge type, capacity), and how you want to take bookings (SaunaMap's built-in system, an external link, or email).

You need one hero photo and at least 4 gallery photos before you can publish. Listings with strong, clear photos tend to book more, so it's worth taking a little extra time here.

Yes SaunaMap supports both permanent and mobile saunas. Just set the sauna type accordingly when you build your listing.

Both are welcome. Homeowners with a home sauna can list it for some extra income, and established sauna, wellness, or contrast-therapy businesses can list to reach more bookings set "operation" accordingly on your listing.

Typically 24 to 48 hours for a first-time listing, since it goes through review before publishing. After that first approval, future edits update your live listing automatically without another review.

Your listing is reviewed, and you'll get an email as soon as it goes live on the map. If you're using SaunaMap's built-in bookings and haven't connected Stripe yet, you'll also get a reminder to finish that step so you can actually get paid.

Only if you want to use SaunaMap's built-in booking and payment system. If you take bookings through your own external link or by email instead, Stripe isn't required you handle payment on your own.

Enter your desired per-person price on the Listing tab anywhere from $5 to $400. Guests will see that price plus SaunaMap's platform and processing fees added on top at checkout; you always receive exactly what you set.

Three options: SaunaMap's built-in booking (guests pay instantly or you can require approval first), an external link to your own booking system, or a simple email inquiry. Choose whichever fits how you already run things.

Yes, anytime update your photos, pricing, description, or availability from your host dashboard. After your first approval, edits update the live listing directly without needing another review.

Save Draft keeps your changes safely stored without pushing them live. Publish / Update Listing pushes your changes to the actual live map and listing page make sure to publish once you're ready for guests to see your latest info.

Save Draft stores your changes without them going live handy if you're not finished editing. Publish / Update Listing pushes everything live to your map pin and listing page and, for a first-time listing, also submits it for review.

On the Availability tab, toggle which days of the week you're open and set the time windows for each. This is your default schedule guests will only be able to book during the hours you set here unless you add a specific-date override.

Use the Specific Date Rules section on the Availability tab pick a date and either block it entirely or set custom hours just for that day, overriding your normal weekly schedule for that one date only.

Yes paste your Google Calendar's public iCal link into the Availability tab's Connect Calendar field. Events marked "Busy" on that calendar will automatically block the matching dates and times from guest bookings.

Open the booking on your dashboard's Booking tab and click Message Guest it opens a chat thread tied to that specific booking, and the guest is notified by email.

Requests that need your approval show up under Pending Requests on your Booking tab. Accept sends the guest a secure payment link; Reject cancels the request with no charge to the guest.

From the Booking tab, find the booking and click Cancel. The guest is always fully refunded. If it's within 48 hours of the session, a small fee (SaunaMap's platform and processing fees) is deducted from your future payouts you'll see the exact amount before confirming.

The Booking tab has sub-sections for Upcoming, Past, and Cancelled bookings, plus a Calendar view of everything at once. Switch between them to find exactly what you're looking for.

This means you saved a draft but haven't clicked Publish / Update Listing yet, so your live listing doesn't reflect your latest edits. Click the banner's "Publish now" button, or head to the Listing tab and publish when you're ready.

Go to the Listing tab anytime, make your changes, and click Publish / Update Listing to push them live. There's no need to resubmit for review after your first approval.

On the Account tab, click your photo to upload a new one, or use the small X badge on the corner of your photo to remove it.

The Booking tab's Calendar view shows everything in one place which days are open per your weekly schedule, any custom one-off hours, dates blocked from your synced Google Calendar, and any bookings already on the books all color-coded so you can see your month at a glance.

For SaunaMap built-in (SMI) bookings, connect your bank account through Stripe on the Account tab. Once a guest's session is complete, your payout is sent automatically typically within about 30 minutes of the session ending.

Yes, if you're using SaunaMap's built-in booking and payment system connect it through the Stripe setup on your Account tab. If you take bookings via an external link or email instead, SaunaMap never touches that payment, so no bank connection is needed.

Your payout is sent out shortly after your session's scheduled end time passes usually within about 30 minutes. From there, how quickly it lands in your bank follows Stripe's normal payout timing.

No cancelling means the guest gets a full refund and you receive no payout for that session. If you cancel within 48 hours of the session, you're also charged SaunaMap's platform and processing fees, deducted from a future payout.

Click View Stripe Dashboard on your Account tab it opens Stripe's own payouts and balance view right inside SaunaMap, so you never have to leave the site.

No you always receive exactly the price you set. SaunaMap's platform and processing fees are added on top of your price and paid by the guest, not deducted from your payout.

No if you take bookings through your own external link or by email, that payment happens entirely outside SaunaMap, on your own system. SaunaMap simply passes the guest along after they agree to SaunaMap's Terms and Conditions.

Yes your bank details are collected and stored directly by Stripe, a leading payment processor. SaunaMap never sees or stores your raw account or routing numbers.

This means Stripe is still reviewing the information you submitted usually resolves within 24 to 48 hours. You'll get an email once payouts are enabled; in the meantime, your listing can stay live and take bookings.

Yes the Account tab has a View Stripe Dashboard button that opens your payouts and balance right inside SaunaMap, so you don't need a separate login or a new tab.

Open the booking from your dashboard and click Message. A chat pane opens tied to that specific booking, and the other person gets an email letting them know you've messaged.

Yes you'll receive an email as soon as the host or guest sends you a message, with a link that takes you straight to the conversation (and signs you in automatically if you're not already).

Yes one SaunaMap account can be both. Use the host/guest toggle in the navigation to switch dashboards anytime; your profile info can carry over between the two automatically.

On the Account tab of either dashboard, click your photo to upload a new one. Hovering shows a camera icon when there's no photo, or a red X to remove your current one.

No phone number is optional on both the host and guest Account tabs. It can still be useful to add so the other party can reach you quickly if needed.

From the Account tab, scroll to the Delete Account option and confirm. This is permanent, so make sure you're ready before confirming the page will show a loading spinner and redirect you once it's done.

Deleting your account removes your SaunaMap profile and listing (if you're a host). If you have real concerns about existing bookings tied to your account, message the other party or reach out to SaunaMap before deleting.

Guests go to the Guest Dashboard and hosts go to the Host Dashboard both are reachable from the account menu in the top navigation once you're signed in. If you're not sure which role you picked, the host/guest toggle lets you switch and check both.

SaunaMap doesn't use passwords sign in with a magic link sent to your email, or use Google sign-in. Just enter your email on the sign-in page and click the link that arrives to log in instantly.

Yes click "Sign in with Google" on the sign-up or sign-in page for a quick, one-click login using your existing Google account.

First check your spam or promotions folder automated emails sometimes land there on a first send. If you still don't see anything after a booking, message, or sign-in attempt, double-check that you typed your email correctly, then try again after a minute (rapid repeat attempts can be briefly rate-limited).

Make sure events you want blocked are marked "Busy" (not "Free") in Google Calendar only Busy events are shared through the public feed SaunaMap reads. Also note that Google's export can take a little while to reflect a very recent calendar edit, so give it a few minutes after making a change before assuming the sync failed.

The most common reasons are a missing hero photo, fewer than 4 gallery photos, or (for SaunaMap built-in bookings) not yet having Stripe connected on the Account tab. If something's missing, the Publish button will tell you exactly what to fix and jump you to the right tab.

Large photos straight from a phone camera can take a little longer on a slow connection give it a moment before assuming it's stuck. If a photo genuinely won't appear after a minute or two, try refreshing the page and re-uploading it.

Try refreshing the page first dashboards load your data right after sign-in and an empty view can sometimes mean it's still catching up. If it's still empty after a refresh, make sure you're on the right dashboard (host vs. guest) for what you're looking for.

SaunaMap is still growing, so there may simply not be a listed sauna near your exact location yet try zooming out on the map to see what's available in your broader area. If you think a nearby sauna should be showing and isn't, refresh the page in case it's a temporary loading hiccup.

Email links are meant to sign you in automatically if it still asks you to sign in, the link may have already been used or expired. Just sign in normally with the same email and you'll land in the right place.

This just means Stripe is reviewing the information you submitted, which usually takes 24 to 48 hours. Your listing can stay published while you wait you'll get an email the moment payouts are enabled.

Greyed-out dates mean the host isn't open that day either it falls outside their weekly schedule, it's been blocked (manually or through a synced calendar), or it's already fully booked. Only genuinely open dates and times can be selected.

Use the Contact page to reach SaunaMap directly, or use the search box on this Help page it can answer most "how do I" questions about using the site instantly.