Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
General Questions
For Teachers
- What are the teacher guidelines and expectations?
- How do I get listed with SkillMint?
- Am I responsible for providing a location or facility for the lessons?
- Are there any age restrictions to be a teacher?
- Why is it important to make sure lessons are booked through SkillMint?
- Are there any fees to be a teacher? How much do I earn per lesson?
- Can I teach multiple skills?
- What is your policy for client cancellations?
- How do I get paid?
- Can clients pay me directly?
- How do I adjust my rates and/or edit my lesson packages?
- Can I teach more than one skill?
- How long do I have to respond to a booking request?
- How do I schedule a lesson?
- How do I reschedule a lesson?
- How do I cancel a lesson?
- What happens after lesson has taken place?
- Why do I need to mark lesson completed or missed? And how do I do that?
For Students
- What are the student guidelines and expectations?
- Are there any age restrictions for taking lessons?
- Where will the lessons take place?
- What is your Refund Policy?
- What is your lesson cancellation policy?
- Can I contact a teacher before booking lessons?
- How much does it cost to book lessons?
- Can I pay my teacher directly?
- How do I leave a review for my teacher?
- How do I schedule a lesson?
- How do I reschedule a lesson?
- How do I cancel a lesson?
For Activity Partners
- How can I contact someone?
- What's a meet?
- What are meet stages?
- How does the meet end and what happens after?
- It shows that my meet has ended. Why can't I request another meet with this person?
- How many meets can I request at the same time?
- Can I meet with 2 or more users simultaneously?
- How do the ratings work and how do I provide a competent rating?
- I know of somebody who has rated me, but it doesn't show on my profile. Why does it still say "not enough ratings yet"?
- What is the skill mint or mint coin?
- How do I earn skill mints?
- How do I change my skill level?
- How do I level up?
- I leveled down. Is it a bad thing?
- How do I delete a skill?
- What are the different skill levels?
What is SkillMint?
SkillMint is a trusted community marketplace and essentially one stop shop for people who are looking to learn, improve and strengthen their sport, music and art skills. It allows people to book private lessons from local teachers and coaches. Alternatively, SkillMint connects people with similar skills and interests and helps to find and meet activity partners of a similar skill level.
Return to TopHow do I upload a profile picture?
Click the picture on your profile page. The maximum image size is 4MB.
Return to TopWhat are the teacher guidelines and expectations?
- Respond to booking requests within 3 days (72 hours)
- Provide clients with at least 24 hour notice in the event of a cancellation
- Contact and respond to client messages promptly
- Show up on time and be tactful
- Let us handle the billing (more on that)
How do I get listed with SkillMint?
Once you sign up for your free account, we will review your application within a couple of days. You will receive an email letting you know either that your profile has been approved and activated, or that we need more information before we can approve it.
Return to TopAm I responsible for providing a location or facility for the lessons?
In most cases yes, but sometimes the client might suggest a location. You are also responsible for all fees associated with facility/location usage if any (in that case we recommend to include them in your rates).
Return to TopAre there any age restrictions to be a teacher?
Yes, you have to be at least 18 years old to be able to sign up as a teacher and offer private lessons through our platform.
Return to TopWhy is it important to make sure lessons are booked through SkillMint?
- You are protected under our 24-hour cancellation policy, which means you are still going to get paid in case of a client no-show (unless it's due to unforeseen circumstances or emergency)
- Sometimes we offer discounts, in which case client pays less but your earnings stay the same
- You never have to worry about asking your clients for a payment - we manage all transactions and make sure that you are paid in time
- You can track all your lessons and bookings in one place
- You can use our scheduling tools
Are there any fees to be a teacher? How much do I earn per lesson?
There are no membership fees, it's completely free to be listed as a teacher. On top of that, we do not charge neither you nor your client any service, placement, transaction or any other extra fees that ALL other platforms do. We get paid when you get paid.
You are always in control of your rates, you set and manage them yourself. Our commission helps us run the platform and it is calculated based on the number of lessons you teach a client. All fees associated with the billing (client charges, direct deposit transfers and so on) are already included in our commission. The more you teach a client, the more you'll earn for teaching that client.
- 1st lesson, you earn 75% of your rate
- 2-4 lessons, you earn 80% of your rate
- 5-9 lessons, you earn 85% of your rate
- 10+ lessons, you earn 90% of your rate
We've structured it this way to be able to provide occasional discounts for the clients without hurting your earnings. In addition, decreasing our commission as you teach more lessons to a client allows you to discount your own rates which results in a client purchasing more lessons from you.
Return to TopCan I teach multiple skills?
Absolutely! We do not limit the number of skills you teach. You can add as many of them as you want to.
Return to TopWhat is your policy for client cancellations?
We follow a 24 hour cancellation policy. All clients are expected to give their teachers at least 24 hour notice if they need to cancel or reschedule. If client failed to do so or has never showed up, ultimately it is entirely up to you whether to mark the lesson missed or just cancel/reschedule it. Missed lessons cannot be rescheduled, and you get paid for the time you've set aside. Canceled lessons can be rescheduled, and clients are not charged for them. This policy is to be implemented at your discretion, and we do encourage you to use your judgement depending on your client's circumstance.
Return to TopHow do I get paid?
You are paid on weekly basis via direct deposit for all lessons that are marked "completed" or "missed" at least 7 days prior to the payout.
Return to TopCan clients pay me directly?
No. By agreeing to our terms, you are required to let us handle the billing. Failing to do so may result in your account suspension.
Return to TopHow do I adjust my rates and/or edit my lesson packages?
To edit your rates and lesson packages, go to your teacher profile and click "Edit" in the Rates section. You can enable up to 3 lesson packages per skill with their own custom size and rate per lesson. Trial package with 1 lesson is required while the other two are optional. We recommend letting your existing clients know about lesson changes ahead of time so there are no surprises the next time they book lessons from you.
Return to TopCan I teach more than one skill?
Absolutely! You can add as many skills as you want to offer private lessons for. To add more skills that you teach, go to your teacher profile and click "Edit" or "Add them now!" in the Rates section. In the modal window click "Add new skill you teach".
Return to TopHow long do I have to respond to a booking request?
Once a new client has booked lessons with you, we will send you an email notification and you will have 3 days (or 72 hours) to either accept it or decline it. If you fail to respond within 72 hours, the request will expire and the client will be refunded.
Return to TopHow do I schedule a lesson?
On your lessons page you should see a list of active bookings with the number of lessons available to schedule. Click "Schedule a Lesson" button to choose the date and time for your lesson with an optional message. The client will receive notification email letting them know that you have scheduled a lesson. Note that you are only able to schedule new lessons at least 48 hours in advance to give client time to accept it.
Return to TopHow do I reschedule a lesson?
You can only reschedule lessons that were either previously scheduled or confirmed. Visit your lessons page to reschedule a lesson. The client will receive notification email letting them know that you have rescheduled a lesson. Note that you are only able to reschedule lessons at least 48 hours in advance to give client time to accept it.
Return to TopHow do I cancel a lesson?
You can cancel a lesson any time via your lessons page. However, canceling last minute may result in negative reviews, so make sure to let the client know in advance (we recommend at least 24 hour notice). Only confirmed lessons can be canceled. Canceled lessons can be rescheduled, clients are not charged for them. We recommend canceling lesson vs rescheduling it when you don't have a clear understanding of your current availability. The client will receive notification email letting them know that you have canceled a lesson.
Return to TopWhat happens after lesson has taken place?
It is now your responsibility to mark the lesson either completed or missed, this is required in order for you to get paid for the lesson. The client will receive an email notification and will have an opportunity to leave you a review if they haven't done so yet.
Return to TopWhy do I need to mark lesson completed or missed? And how do I do that?
Marking lesson attendance is required in order to receive payments. That way we know if the lesson took place or was missed due to client's no-show. In either case you'll get paid. Visit your lessons page to mark the attendance of the lesson. The client will receive notification email of this action. Missed lessons cannot be rescheduled and are not refundable.
Return to TopWhat are the student guidelines and expectations?
- Understand and comply with our refund policy
- Understand and comply with our 24-hour cancellation policy
- Let us handle the billing (more on that)
Are there any age restrictions for taking lessons?
It's entirely up to the teacher. Some teachers prefer to teach adults only, while others work with both children and adults. We encourage you to contact the teacher to find out more about their age preferences. Note that we do not allow children under 13 years old to use our platform, so if you want to find a teacher through our platform for someone who is under 13 years old, you will need to use your own account to book and contact teachers.
Return to TopWhere will the lessons take place?
In most cases your teacher will have a location in mind, but you're welcome to discuss it with your teacher and suggest the location of your choosing.
Return to TopWhat is your Refund Policy?
We offer a 100% refund for any unused lessons. Once the lesson has been marked missed or completed by the teacher, this lesson is considered used and is no longer refundable. Most importantly, unlike ALL other platforms that give you some kind of platform credits, we issue refunds straight to your bank account.
Return to TopWhat is your lesson cancellation policy?
If you need to cancel or reschedule a lesson, please do so at least 24 hours in advance, otherwise it will be at your teacher's discretion to mark the lesson missed. Missed lessons cannot be rescheduled and are not refundable.
Return to TopCan I contact a teacher before booking lessons?
Absolutely! In fact we encourage you to do that. However, if you're contacting a teacher for the first time, your message cannot contain any contact info such as phone numbers, email addresses and so on. Your message will get audited and any such information will be automatically removed.
Return to TopHow much does it cost to book lessons?
Teachers set up their own lesson packages with their own rates which can be found on their profile page. Normally the more lessons you book from a teacher the less you pay per lesson. The best part is there are no membership, service, placement, transaction or any other extra fees that ALL other platforms charge. What you see is what you pay.
Return to TopCan I pay my teacher directly?
No. By agreeing to our terms, all payments and billing should go though our platform. If teacher asks you to pay for lessons outside of SkillMint platform, please decline it and let us know. Teachers who accept payments outside of our platform are subject to be removed from the platform.
Return to TopHow do I leave a review for my teacher?
After you complete your first lesson with the teacher and the teacher marks it completed, you will get an email notification with the link to teacher's review page. Teacher's profile will also have a "Review" button once at least 1 lesson is marked completed by that teacher and you haven't reviewed them yet. Currently you can only review a teacher once.
Return to TopHow do I schedule a lesson?
On your lessons page you should see a list of active bookings with the number of lessons available to schedule. Click "Schedule a Lesson" button to choose the date and time for your lesson with an optional message. The teacher will receive notification email letting them know that you have scheduled a lesson. Note that you are only able to schedule new lessons at least 48 hours in advance to give teacher time to accept it.
Return to TopHow do I reschedule a lesson?
You can only reschedule lessons that were either previously scheduled or confirmed. Visit your lessons page to reschedule a lesson. The teacher will receive notification email letting them know that you have rescheduled a lesson. Note that you are only able to reschedule lessons at least 48 hours in advance to give teacher time to accept it.
Return to TopHow do I cancel a lesson?
You can cancel a lesson at least 24 hours in advance via your lessons page. Only confirmed lessons can be canceled. Canceled lessons can be rescheduled, and you are not charged for them. We recommend canceling lesson vs rescheduling it when you don't have a clear understanding of your current availability. The teacher will receive notification email letting them know that you have canceled a lesson. If lesson is going to take place within the next 24 hours and you need to cancel it in case of emergency or unforeseen circumstances, we recommend you to contact your teacher as soon as possible and let them know. If you don't show up at a confirmed lesson, it's at teacher's discretion to mark the lesson missed. Missed lessons cannot be rescheduled and you are charged for them.
Return to TopHow can I contact someone?
By requesting a meet with this person. You'll be able to contact the user, once he or she accepts the meet.
Return to TopWhat's a meet?
Ready to go out and practice that skill? Found someone whose skill level and location seem like a match? Request a meet, once it's accepted you can contact user, exchange information and/or set up date and time to meet.
Return to TopWhat are meet stages?
- Pending - meets requested by others
- Requested - meets requested by you
- Accepted - pending or requested meets accepted by either party
- Ended - both parties have met and rated each other or the meet was declined
How does the meet end and what happens after?
The meet ends automatically after both parties rate each other or the meet is declined. After it's ended, users are no longer able to contact each other. However, you can always request another meet with the same person. Note that you are only able to rate the same user once a week.
Return to TopIt shows that my meet has ended. Why can't I request another meet with this person?
Most likely your meet has ended due to the fact that it was declined by the person you were requesting to meet with for any reason. There is a 7-day period during which you cannot request another meet with this person.
Return to TopHow many meets can I request at the same time?
You can request as many meets as you want as long as they are with different people. You can only request one meet at a time with the same person.
Return to TopCan I meet with 2 or more users simultaneously?
Sure thing. Just make a separate meet requests to each user individually.
Return to TopHow do the ratings work and how do I provide a competent rating?
- Familiarize yourself with skill levels and their descriptions
- Try to be as unbiased and honest as you can while comparing user's skills to your own
Remember that accurate rating helps SkillMint community members inculding you find a better match for future meets and to better track skill progress.
Return to TopI know of somebody who has rated me, but it doesn't show on my profile. Why does it still say "not enough ratings yet"?
Our ratings are anonymous, meaning you will not know how you were rated by a specific user and vice versa the user will not know how you have rated him or her. Therefore to keep SkillMint members’ rating activity anonymous, your ratings will only update after three different users have rated you.
Return to TopWhat is the skill mint or mint coin?
It is a currency that we use around here. The more skill mints you have, the better benefits you get. As of right now the more skill mints you have the higher in search results you show up which makes it easier for others to find you. We will be adding more..
Return to TopHow do I earn skill mints?
- by rating someone
- every time your level goes up or down
- by inviting others to join SkillMint using the "invite a friend" on your profile (only when someone registers using your invite link)
- by registering using a personal invite link sent to you by someone you know (one time only... obviously)
We'll be adding more...
Return to TopHow do I change my skill level?
You cannot. It's adjusted automatically when other users rate you.
Return to TopHow do I level up?
Once you accumulate a certain number of positive ratings your level will go up. The more people you meet the more you are going to get rated.
Return to TopI leveled down. Is it a bad thing?
Not at all! It can be a good thing. Most likely you over-evaluated yourself when you added the skill and now you could feel more comfortable with this adjusted level. Keep meeting people and watch your skill level grow.
Return to TopHow do I delete a skill?
You cannot at the moment. We are working on it.
Return to TopWhat are the different skill levels?
- Newbie: You are new to this skill, have never done it before but would love to learn it.
- Beginner: You are quite new to this skill, have just recently started to learn it, and obviously lack hands-on experience.
- Amateur: You understand the fundamentals of the skill, have limited experience with it, and, although inconsistent, you can execute the skill on a low level.
- Intermediate: You are showing a skill aptitude, somewhat consistent, but not completely comfortable just yet.
- Skilled/Competent: You are fairly consistent and comfortable with the skill. You have started transitioning from learning the skill to perfecting it.
- Proficient/Experienced: You have completely transitioned from learning the skill to perfecting it. You feel confident enough to execute it aggressively, however, you may still have occasional errors.
- Advanced: You are highly skilled and consistent. The skill is well-learned, and is performed automatically without having to focus on its execution.
- Expert: You are a professional, and can "play for pay". You really stand out while executing the skill.
- Master: You have had an intense or life-long training, have mastered the skill to a genuine level and could teach it to a monkey. The skill is your second nature.
- Elite: Think Olympics. That says it all. You are considered world class and one of the very best out there.