Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to the most common questions about using SlotBase. Questions are organized by topic to help you find what you need quickly.
Account & Signup
How do I create a SlotBase account?
Visit the SlotBase website or download the mobile app and tap Sign Up. You will need to provide your name, email address, and create a password. After verifying your email, you can complete your profile by adding your phone number, date of birth, and skill level. Once your account is created, you can search for facilities and submit join requests.
What roles are available in SlotBase?
SlotBase has five user roles: Player (books sessions, registers for events, enrolls in programs), Parent (manages child accounts and books on their behalf), Coach (creates availability blocks, teaches lessons, tracks students), Facility Admin (manages a facility's resources, bookings, events, programs, and staff), and Platform Admin (oversees the entire SlotBase platform across all facilities).
Can I have multiple roles?
Yes. A single user can hold multiple roles simultaneously. For example, you can be both a Player and a Parent, or both a Coach and a Player. Your dashboard will adapt to show the relevant sections for each of your active roles. You can switch between role views using the role selector in the sidebar navigation.
How do I join a facility?
After creating your account, search for the facility you want to join. On the facility's page, click Request to Join. This sends a join request to the facility admin, who will review and either approve or reject your request. You will receive a notification when your request is processed. Once approved, you can book resources, register for events, and enroll in programs at that facility.
What if my join request is rejected?
If your join request is rejected, you will receive a notification with the decision. You will not be able to book resources or access that facility's offerings. If you believe the rejection was a mistake, contact the facility directly using the contact information on their profile page. You may also submit a new join request after addressing any issues.
How do I update my profile information?
Navigate to your account settings from the sidebar or top menu. From there, you can update your name, email, phone number, profile photo, skill level, and other personal details. Changes take effect immediately across the platform.
Bookings
How do I book a session?
Navigate to the facility's calendar or booking page, select the resource (court, field, etc.) you want, choose your desired date and time slot, and click Book. A 5-minute hold will be placed on the slot while you confirm your booking details and payment. Once you confirm, the booking is either immediately confirmed or sent for admin approval, depending on the facility's settings.
What happens when I make a booking?
When you initiate a booking, SlotBase places a 5-minute hold on the time slot to prevent double-booking. During this hold period, you review the booking details, select any add-ons, and confirm your reservation. If the facility requires booking approval, your booking moves to a "Pending Approval" state after confirmation. Otherwise, it is immediately confirmed and appears on your calendar.
Why does my booking say "Pending Approval"?
Some facilities require an admin to manually review and approve bookings before they are confirmed. When you see "Pending Approval," it means your booking has been submitted and is waiting for the facility admin to approve it. You will receive a notification once the admin approves or rejects your booking. If the admin does not act within the configured time window, the booking may be auto-approved.
How long does a booking hold last?
A booking hold lasts 5 minutes. During this time, the time slot is reserved for you while you complete the booking process. If you do not confirm the booking within 5 minutes, the hold expires automatically and the slot becomes available for other users. You will need to start the booking process again if this happens.
Can I cancel my booking?
Yes. You can cancel a booking from your player dashboard by navigating to the booking and clicking Cancel. Cancellation policies vary by facility -- some allow free cancellations up to a certain time before the session, while others may charge a cancellation fee. Check the facility's cancellation policy before cancelling.
What is a recurring booking?
A recurring booking is a reservation that repeats automatically on a schedule -- daily, weekly, biweekly, or monthly. When you create a recurring booking, SlotBase generates individual booking instances for each occurrence within the specified date range. You can manage each instance independently, cancelling or modifying a single occurrence without affecting the rest of the series.
What happens if I don't show up for my booking?
If you do not attend a confirmed booking and do not cancel in advance, the facility may mark your booking as a No-Show. Depending on the facility's policies, you may be charged a no-show fee. Repeated no-shows may affect your ability to make future bookings at that facility. Always cancel in advance if you cannot attend.
Can a facility admin book on behalf of a player?
Yes. Facility admins can create bookings on behalf of any player who is a member of their facility. This is useful for phone-in reservations or walk-in customers. Admin-created bookings bypass the hold process and can be immediately confirmed.
Events
How do I register for an event?
Browse the facility's event listings to find an event you are interested in. Click on the event to view its details, including date, time, location, capacity, age group, skill level, and cost. If the event requires a waiver, you will be prompted to review and accept it before completing registration. Click Register to sign up. If there is a fee, you will be prompted to complete payment.
What happens if the event is full?
If the event has reached its maximum capacity, you will be offered the option to join the waitlist instead of registering directly. Your position on the waitlist is based on the order you joined (first-in, first-out). If a registered participant cancels, the next person on the waitlist is automatically promoted and notified via email.
How does the event waitlist work?
The event waitlist operates on a first-in, first-out (FIFO) basis. When you join the waitlist, you are placed at the end of the queue. As spots open up (due to cancellations), the system automatically promotes the next person in line to a registered status. You will receive an email notification when you are promoted from the waitlist. You can also remove yourself from the waitlist at any time.
Do I need to sign a waiver to register for an event?
Some events require participants to sign a waiver or liability release before registration can be completed. If a waiver is required, you will be shown the waiver text during the registration process and must accept it to proceed. For minors, a parent or guardian must accept the waiver on the child's behalf. The signed waiver is stored in the system for the facility's records.
Can I cancel my event registration?
Yes. You can cancel your event registration from your player dashboard. Navigate to the event and click Cancel Registration. Depending on the facility's policy, refunds may or may not be issued for cancelled event registrations. If a waitlist exists, your spot will be offered to the next person in line.
Programs
What is a program?
A program is an ongoing, recurring group class or activity run by a facility. Programs follow a regular schedule -- for example, a "Junior Tennis Group" might meet every Tuesday and Thursday from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Players enroll in programs for continuous participation over weeks or months. Programs support trial sessions, drop-in attendance, waitlists, and attendance tracking.
How do trial sessions work?
A trial session is a free introductory session that lets you experience a program before committing to enrollment. When you request a trial, the facility admin or coach approves it and you attend one session at no cost. After the trial, you can decide whether to enroll in the program. Each player is typically allowed one trial session per program.
What is a drop-in session?
A drop-in session allows you to attend a single program session without being formally enrolled. Drop-in sessions are ideal if you want to attend occasionally or try a class without commitment. Drop-in pricing is typically higher than the per-session cost for enrolled members, since you are not subscribing to the full program. Drop-in availability depends on whether the session has open capacity.
How do I cancel my program enrollment?
To cancel your enrollment, navigate to your program enrollments in the player dashboard and select Cancel Enrollment. Your cancellation may take effect immediately or at the end of the current billing period, depending on the program's cancellation policy. While in a "Pending Cancel" state, you can still attend sessions until the cancellation date arrives. Once cancelled, you will need to re-enroll if you want to rejoin.
Can I pause my enrollment instead of cancelling?
Yes, some programs allow you to pause your enrollment temporarily -- for example, during a vacation or injury recovery. While paused, you are not charged and do not attend sessions, but your spot in the program is preserved. Contact the facility admin to request a pause. When you are ready to resume, the admin reactivates your enrollment.
Payments
How do I pay for bookings?
SlotBase supports both online and offline payments. If the facility has Stripe integration enabled, you can pay online with a credit or debit card during the booking process. If the facility operates on offline payments, you pay at the facility using cash, check, bank transfer, Venmo, Zelle, or another accepted method. The facility admin records offline payments in the system.
What offline payment methods are accepted?
Offline payment methods vary by facility but can include Cash, Check, Bank Transfer, Venmo, Zelle, and Other. When you pay at the facility using one of these methods, the facility admin manually records the payment in SlotBase to update your account. Offline payments show as "Pending" until the admin confirms receipt.
How do invoices work?
Facilities can generate monthly invoices that consolidate all of a player's outstanding charges -- bookings, program fees, event registrations, and other costs -- into a single bill. Invoices are created by the facility admin and sent to the player. You can view your invoices in the player dashboard and make payments against them. Invoice statuses include Draft, Pending, Paid, Partially Paid, Overdue, Cancelled, and Refunded.
What is a sibling discount?
A sibling discount is an automatic price reduction for families with multiple children enrolled in programs or registered for events at the same facility. When the system detects that more than one child from the same family is participating, the sibling discount is applied automatically. The discount amount is configured by the facility admin and helps make activities more affordable for larger families.
Can I get a refund?
Refund policies are set by each facility. If you are eligible for a refund, the facility admin processes it through the system. For online payments made via Stripe, refunds are returned to your original payment method. For offline payments, the facility will arrange the refund directly. Contact the facility admin to request a refund.
Coaching
How do I book a coaching lesson?
To book a coaching lesson, navigate to the facility's coaching section and browse available coaches. Select a coach to view their profile, availability blocks, pricing, and lesson types. Choose an available time slot and the lesson type (private, semi-private, group, etc.), then complete the booking. The booking may require facility admin approval depending on the facility's settings.
What are coach blocks?
Coach blocks are time slots that a coach creates on specific resources to indicate their availability for lessons and sessions. For example, a tennis coach might create blocks on Court 1 every weekday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Once a block is approved by the facility admin, it becomes visible to players who can then book lessons within those time slots. Blocks ensure that coaches only receive bookings during their designated availability.
How do coach levels work?
Coaches are classified into five levels based on experience and expertise: Trainee, Junior, Standard, Senior, and Master. Higher-level coaches typically charge higher rates and may have more availability or priority scheduling. Coach levels are assigned by the facility admin and help players choose a coach that matches their budget and training needs.
Can I choose a specific coach for my lesson?
Yes. When booking a coaching lesson, you can browse all coaches affiliated with the facility and select the one you prefer. Each coach's profile shows their level, sport specialties, bio, and pricing. You can also filter coaches by sport, level, and availability to find the best match for your needs.
Parents & Children
How do I add my child to my account?
From your parent dashboard, navigate to Family or Children and click Add Child. Enter your child's name, date of birth, and other required details. Once added, your child appears under your family account and you can book sessions, enroll in programs, and register for events on their behalf. There is no limit to the number of children you can add.
Can my child create their own account?
This depends on the facility's minor signup policy. Children under 13 typically cannot create their own accounts and must be added by a parent. Children aged 13 to 17 may be allowed to self-register, depending on the facility's settings. Regardless of age, all minor accounts are linked to a parent account for oversight and billing purposes.
What happens when my child turns 18?
When a minor on SlotBase turns 18, their account transitions to a standard adult account. They gain full control over their own bookings, enrollments, and payments. The parent-child link is maintained for historical records, but the now-adult child manages their own activities independently. The parent no longer needs to approve or manage their bookings.
Can I book on behalf of my child?
Yes. As a parent, you can create bookings, register for events, and enroll in programs on behalf of any child linked to your account. When booking for a child, select the child's name as the participant during the booking process. All charges are billed to the parent account. You can also manage cancellations and view your child's schedule from the parent dashboard.
Facility Administration
How do I set up my facility on SlotBase?
Start by creating a facility from your admin dashboard. Enter your facility's name, address, contact information, sport types, and upload photos. Then add your resources (courts, fields, lanes, etc.), configure operating hours for each day of the week, set up holidays, and define your booking policies (approval required, hold duration, cancellation rules). Once everything is configured, publish your facility to make it visible to players.
How do I configure booking approval?
Navigate to your facility's Settings and find the Booking Approval section. You can choose between two modes: Auto-Approve (bookings are confirmed immediately without admin review) or Manual Approval (bookings require admin review before confirmation). If you choose manual approval, you can also set an auto-approve timeout -- the number of minutes after which unapproved bookings are automatically confirmed. This prevents bookings from getting stuck in a pending state.
How do I manage my resources?
Go to your facility's Resources section in the admin dashboard. From there, you can add new resources, edit existing ones, or deactivate resources that are temporarily unavailable. For each resource, specify the name, type (tennis court, pickleball court, etc.), and any additional attributes. Resources inherit the facility's operating hours by default. You can also set resources as active or inactive to control availability.
How do I invite coaches to my facility?
From your facility admin dashboard, navigate to the Coaches section and click Invite Coach. Enter the coach's email address and the system sends them an invitation. Once the coach accepts the invitation and creates their profile, their affiliation status is set to PENDING until you approve it. After approval, the coach can create blocks and accept bookings at your facility.
How do I manage subscription plans?
Your facility's subscription plan determines the features and resource limits available to you. To view or change your plan, go to Settings > Subscription in the admin dashboard. SlotBase offers four plans: Starter, Growth, Pro, and Enterprise. You can upgrade at any time to unlock additional features. Downgrades take effect at the end of the current billing cycle. Contact support for Enterprise plan inquiries.
Calendar & Schedule
Where can I find the calendar?
The calendar is available in both the player dashboard and the facility admin dashboard. In the player dashboard, the calendar shows your upcoming bookings, event registrations, and program sessions. In the admin dashboard, the calendar provides a facility-wide view of all bookings, events, and resource utilization. Access the calendar from the sidebar navigation.
Can I view a specific resource's schedule?
Yes. In the facility admin dashboard, you can filter the calendar by individual resource to see all bookings for that specific court, field, or lane. This helps identify availability gaps and scheduling conflicts. Players can also view resource-specific availability when making bookings.
How do I export my schedule?
You can view your upcoming bookings and sessions in the player dashboard calendar. For facility admins, the admin dashboard provides a comprehensive view of all scheduled activities across resources. Contact support if you need data export capabilities for reporting purposes.