Frequently asked questions

No account required. You book as a guest using just your name and email address. Your confirmation, waiver link, and trip history are all accessible from that email — no password needed.

All payments are processed securely through Stripe. You'll enter your card details at checkout and your card is charged when the booking is confirmed. We never store your card information.

You'll receive a booking confirmation by email within minutes. If the operator requires a liability waiver — most do — you'll also get a separate link to sign it digitally before your trip date.

Cancellation and refund terms are set by each operator and shown on the listing before you book. If you need to cancel, contact the operator directly. Their policy will determine whether a full or partial refund applies.

Each operator publishes their own weather and hurricane refund policy on their listing. If a hurricane watch or warning is issued that affects your booking area, both you and the operator will receive an automatic alert from us. Rebooking or refund decisions are made per the operator's policy.

Visit chartedwaters.app/trips and enter the email address you used when booking. All your upcoming and past trips appear there — no account or password needed.

After booking, you'll receive an email with a link to your digital waiver. You can also find the waiver link from your trip history at /trips. Waivers must be signed before your trip date.

Yes. Once the operator marks your booking as completed, you'll receive an email with a link to leave a star rating and comment. Reviews go through a quick moderation check before appearing publicly on the operator's profile.

Check your spam or promotions folder first. If it's not there, visit /trips with your booking email to confirm the reservation went through. If you still have trouble, reach out to us at support@chartedwaters.app.

Listing on Charted Waters is free. We charge a 10% platform fee on confirmed, paid bookings only — you pay nothing until a guest books and pays.

Create a free account and complete the onboarding wizard — it takes about five minutes. You'll add your business details, a vessel, and your first listing. Once submitted, our team reviews your profile before it goes live in the directory. Get started here.

Most listings are reviewed and approved within one business day. You'll receive an email confirmation once your profile is live.

You connect a Stripe account during onboarding, or any time from your dashboard settings. Stripe deposits funds directly to your bank account — typically within two business days of a completed booking, minus the 10% platform fee.

Yes. From your dashboard, open any listing and go to the Availability section. You can block individual dates or ranges — for personal trips, maintenance, or any reason — and they'll immediately appear as unavailable to guests.

You'll receive an email notification with the guest's name, contact details, party size, and trip date. The booking appears in your dashboard under Bookings, where you can track its status and see whether the guest has signed their waiver.

Yes. Liability waivers are built into the booking flow. After a guest books, they automatically receive a link to sign your waiver digitally. You can see waiver status for every booking from the booking detail page in your dashboard.

Your blackout policy is the refund or rebooking terms you offer guests if a hurricane watch or warning is issued for your area. You configure it in your dashboard settings. We surface it on your public listing so guests know what to expect before they book.

Yes — as many as you need. Create separate listings for different trip types (half-day, full-day, bonefishing guide, sunset cruise, snorkel trip), each with its own pricing, duration, guest capacity, and availability.

Yes. The dashboard is fully mobile-responsive. You can review new bookings, check guest details, update booking statuses, and manage your listings from any device.