How the Circle works

Create your account

1. 1Tap "Join the Circle" in the top right (or any Sign in link, then "Create one").
2. 2Use your personal email, your business attaches to your account separately, so the account always stays yours.
3. 3Confirm the email we send you and you are in.

Reset or change your password

1. 1Go to Sign in and choose "Forgotten your password?".
2. 2Enter your email, we send you a secure link.
3. 3Open the link and set your new password.

Set your name, photo and username

1. 1Open your profile menu (top right) → Account.
2. 2Add your display name, upload a profile photo, and pick a username.
3. 3Your public profile lives at algarvecircle.com/u/your-username.

You can also add a short Profile Loop (a looping clip up to 8 seconds), it plays on your profile and next to your posts.

Notifications

1. 1The bell in the header shows everything new: friend requests, likes, comments and invites.
2. 2Tap an item to open it, it marks itself read.
3. 3See your full history under profile menu → Notifications.

Turn push notifications on or off

1. 1Go to Dashboard → Account and open the Notifications tab.
2. 2Use the switch to allow push alerts on this device for messages, follows, comments and friend requests.
3. 3The switch is per device, so set it on your phone and your computer separately.

Update your privacy settings

1. 1Open your Dashboard and choose Privacy, under Account.
2. 2Two switches cover data: "Anonymous analytics" and "Emails from the Circle".
3. 3Below those, per-field switches decide what your public profile shows: posts, joining date, follower count, bio, where you live, circles, businesses, activity and WhatsApp.

There is also a "Filter strong language" switch, on by default, which blurs swearing across posts, comments and reviews.

Hide your public profile

1. 1Go to Dashboard → Privacy.
2. 2Turn off "Show my public profile".
3. 3Your /u/ page then shows only your name and photo. Friends and chat keep working as normal.

Close your account

1. 1Go to Dashboard → Privacy and choose "Close my account".
2. 2If you own live business listings, transfer each one to a team member or archive it first, the page lists them for you.
3. 3Choose what happens to your posts and reviews: by default they stay, shown as "Former member", or you can delete them all.
4. 4Confirm, and your personal data is erased for good. You are signed out and cannot sign back in.

What each plan includes

1. 1Being a member is free forever: browsing, posting, friends, chat, reviews and the marketplace never cost anything. Paid plans are for businesses.
2. 2Free: your listing with 3 photos, a map pin, reviews, events, collabs and basic analytics, in English and Portuguese.
3. 3Solo: 10 photos, a booking link, the lead inbox and request form, offers, a digital menu with table QR, the link-in-bio hub, review replies and fuller analytics.
4. 4Pro: up to 3 businesses with 25 photos each, real-time calendar bookings, class passes, event ticketing, team dashboard access, property listings, hero video, your own brand colour and advanced analytics.
5. 5Elite: up to 10 businesses, unlimited photos, the shop and gift vouchers, premium placement, sponsored homepage rotation, the white-label booking widget and the full analytics suite.

Prices and the full side-by-side comparison are on the Pricing page.

Upgrade your plan

1. 1Go to Dashboard → Plan & billing.
2. 2Pick your plan and choose monthly or annual, annual gives you two months free.
3. 3Pay by card through Stripe. Your new plan is live within seconds, and one plan covers every business you own.

Change, downgrade or cancel your plan

1. 1On Plan & billing, pick a different plan and confirm the switch, Stripe settles the prorated difference automatically.
2. 2To update your card, use "Manage on Stripe Portal".
3. 3To cancel, use "Cancel plan" on the same page. Your plan runs until the end of the period you have paid for, then your listing drops back to Free, nothing is deleted.

Download your invoices

1. 1Go to Dashboard → Plan & billing and scroll to Invoices.
2. 2Every payment lists a Stripe receipt and, where available, the certified Portuguese fatura-recibo, both downloadable.

List your business

1. 1Tap the + button in the header and choose "Business".
2. 2Have a website? Paste it and we build your free listing for you, photos and all. You review everything before it goes live.
3. 3No website? Choose "Add your business manually" and follow the steps: name, what you do, where you are, photos and contact details.

Listing is free. Premium tiers add featured placement and more, see Pricing.

Claim a business that is already listed

1. 1Found your business already on the Circle? Tap "Claim it free" on its page.
2. 2Sign in or create a free account, then tell us who you are and how you are connected to the business.
3. 3Tap "Send my claim". Our team checks every claim, and the listing transfers to you once it is approved.

Edit your business or add photos

1. 1Go to Dashboard → Businesses and open the listing.
2. 2Update details, swap the cover photo or add gallery images under Media.
3. 3Changes go live as soon as you save.

Add your team

1. 1Open the business in your Dashboard and choose Team.
2. 2Under "Add a team member", give their name and role, and add a photo and a line about them if you like.
3. 3Add their email to link their Circle account, or to invite them if they are not here yet, they appear the moment they join.
4. 4Pick their access: "Display only" just shows them on your page, Editor and Manager can also work in your dashboard (Pro and up).

Answer your leads and messages

1. 1Open the business in your Dashboard and choose Leads.
2. 2Every enquiry conversation for the business sits there, newest first, and your whole team can see them.
3. 3Tap a lead to open the conversation and reply in chat.

Respond to reviews

1. 1Dashboard → Reviews shows every review across your businesses.
2. 2Write your reply under any review, it appears publicly beneath it.

See how your listing performs

1. 1Your dashboard shows lifetime views, saves, reviews and average rating across your businesses.
2. 2For the full picture, open the business and choose Analytics under Insights.

Your dashboard fits your business type

1. 1Every business gets the same core pages: Overview, Details, Media, Brand, Link in bio, Hours, Team, Analytics, Reviews, Leads, Collabs and Settings.
2. 2Extra pages appear for your type: restaurants and cafés get Menu, service businesses get Services, estate agents get Properties, shops get Shop and Orders, bookable businesses get Bookings and Requests.
3. 3Anything you have switched on stays visible whatever your category, you never lose a page you already use.

Add a booking link (Solo and up)

1. 1Open the business in your Dashboard and go to Bookings → Setup.
2. 2Choose "Booking link" and paste the address of your own booking page (your website, TheFork, and so on).
3. 3A "Book now" button appears on your listing, and we count the clicks so your stats show the interest.

Take requests with a form (Solo and up)

1. 1On Bookings → Setup, choose "Request form".
2. 2People fill in a short form on your listing. It lands in your Requests inbox and we email you every detail instantly.
3. 3The fields are customisable, so it works as a "request a quote" form too.

Switch on real-time calendar bookings (Pro and up)

1. 1On Bookings → Setup, turn on the real-time calendar.
2. 2Add what people can book under "What you offer", and your weekly opening pattern under Schedule.
3. 3People pick a real time slot on your listing and book instantly. Everything lands under Reservations.

No per-booking fees, ever.

Confirm or decline a request

1. 1Open the business in your Dashboard and choose Requests.
2. 2Tap Confirm or Decline, the guest gets an email either way.
3. 3You can also simply reply, every request is a conversation too.

Put booking on your own website

1. 1Go to Bookings → "On your site".
2. 2Copy the embed code and paste it into your own site, it is one line of HTML.
3. 3Every booking made there still flows through your Circle dashboard, same requests, reminders and stats.

On Elite the widget is white-label, no "Powered by Algarve Circle" badge.

Sell class passes (Pro and up)

1. 1If your bookings are class-based, a Passes page appears under Bookings.
2. 2Create credit packs or memberships, you set the price and what each includes.
3. 3Members buy a pass from your page and use it to book classes. Paid straight into your own Stripe, 0% commission.

Bought a pass yourself? It lives under "My passes" in your Dashboard menu.

Sell tickets to your event (Pro and up)

1. 1Go to Dashboard → Events and tap Tickets on your event.
2. 2Connect your Stripe account if you have not already, buyers pay you directly and Algarve Circle takes 0% commission.
3. 3Add your ticket types: name, price, how many are available and, if you like, when sales open and close.
4. 4Sales and check-ins show on the same page as they happen.

Find your tickets

1. 1Bought a ticket? It lives under Tickets in your Dashboard menu.
2. 2Each ticket has a QR code and a short code. Show either at the door, each code admits one person.

Check people in at the door

1. 1Open your event’s Tickets page on your phone, the door list is built for the entrance.
2. 2Search by code, name or ticket type, the QR on each ticket carries its code.
3. 3One tap checks someone in, and undo is right there if you tap the wrong ticket.

Open your shop (Elite)

1. 1Open the business in your Dashboard and choose Shop.
2. 2Go to Shop → Payments and tap "Connect Stripe". Stripe walks you through a short setup.
3. 3Buyers pay you directly, you keep 100% minus Stripe’s own fees, and you manage payouts and tax from your own Stripe dashboard.

Add a product

1. 1Go to Shop → Products and tap "Add product".
2. 2Add the name, price, photos and a description.
3. 3You can archive a product or take it off sale any time from the same list, nothing is lost.

Sell gift vouchers

1. 1Create a product and tick "This is a gift voucher".
2. 2Choose "Issue it for me (recommended)": the buyer instantly gets a unique code with a QR. You can set a value higher than the price (a €100 voucher for €90) and an optional expiry.
3. 3Or choose "I send my own voucher": you get the order and the buyer’s email, and you send yours as usual.

Redeem a gift voucher at the till

1. 1Ask the customer for their voucher QR or code.
2. 2Scan the QR with any phone camera, it opens the voucher’s page, or type the code into "Redeem a voucher" on your Vouchers page.
3. 3Enter the amount to take off the bill. Partial amounts are fine, the balance carries over, and a mis-key can be undone.

Only your team can redeem, signed in on any device. Codes look like GV-XXXX-XXXX.

Vouchers you hold

1. 1Vouchers you buy live under Vouchers in your Dashboard menu, each with its QR, code and live balance.
2. 2Show the QR or the code at the business to spend it, across as many visits as you like.
3. 3Gifting it? Pass the code on, whoever holds the code can spend it, exactly like a physical gift card.

Orders, shipping and refunds

1. 1Open the business in your Dashboard and choose Orders.
2. 2Tap "Mark shipped" on a paid order and add the carrier and tracking number, the buyer is notified.
3. 3Need to give money back? "Refund order" refunds the buyer in full, and any gift vouchers from that order are cancelled too.

See your sales numbers

1. 1Open the business in your Dashboard and choose Sales, under Insights.
2. 2You get the shop funnel from view to paid order, every product’s views and revenue, voucher balances, and the booking funnel with reservation outcomes.

Share a post

1. 1Tap + → Post.
2. 2Write your update, add up to 10 photos or one video (up to a minute), and tag any businesses you mention.
3. 3You can also attach one of your events or offers, it appears as a card inside the post.

Post a story

1. 1Tap + → Story.
2. 2Add a photo or a short video. It shows at the top of the feed and disappears after 24 hours.
3. 3See how each one did, views included, under Dashboard → Stories.

Create an event

1. 1Tap + → Event.
2. 2Add the what, when and where, the composer shows a live preview as you go.
3. 3Under "How do people book?", paste your own booking link or let people request through Algarve Circle, requests land in your dashboard.
4. 4Published events appear in the feed, on town pages and on your business profile.

Want to sell tickets here instead, with 0% commission? See Events & tickets above.

Run an offer

1. 1Tap + → Promotion.
2. 2Set the discount, dates and how people redeem it.
3. 3Offers show in the Save room, the feed and your listing.

List a property

1. 1Tap + → Property.
2. 2Choose sale, long-term or holiday, add photos and details.
3. 3It appears under Properties and on the town page.

Post a Ping

1. 1Tap + → Ping.
2. 2Pings are the local noticeboard: lost & found, alerts, recommendations and free stuff, town by town.
3. 3Pick the town and post. It shows under Pings and in the feed.

Add a Gem

1. 1Tap + → "Add a Gem".
2. 2Gems are hidden spots: waterfalls, viewpoints, secret beaches, street art and local secrets.
3. 3Add a photo, the spot and a line on why it is special. It appears under Gems for everyone to find.

Sell something second hand

1. 1Tap + and choose "Sell a second hand item".
2. 2Add photos, a price, your town and how you want to hand it over.
3. 3Buyers message you in chat and you agree everything there. No payments run through Algarve Circle, so meet sensibly.
4. 4Mark it sold or edit it any time under Dashboard → Marketplace.

Edit or remove something you posted

1. 1Dashboard → "Your posts", "Your events" or "Your offers".
2. 2Open the item to edit it, or remove it from the same list.

Add friends

1. 1Open someone’s profile and tap "Add friend", or go to profile menu → Friends.
2. 2They accept, and you are connected, you will see mutual friends on profiles.

Invite someone who is not on the Circle yet

1. 1Profile menu → Friends → "Invite by email or link".
2. 2Share the link on WhatsApp or email, when they join through it, you are friends automatically.

Send a message

1. 1Tap the message icon in the header (or press Ctrl+Shift+K).
2. 2Pick a friend to start a chat, messages are friends-only by design, so there is no spam.
3. 3Type @ in the composer to mention a business, town, event or offer as a tappable chip.

Start a group chat

1. 1Open messages → "New group chat".
2. 2Name the group and pick at least two friends.
3. 3Anyone in the group can add their own friends; leave any time from the group header.

Follow people, businesses and towns

1. 1Tap Follow on a member’s profile, a business listing or a town page.
2. 2The feed’s Following tab then shows just the people and places you follow.

Friends and follows are different: friends are mutual and unlock private messaging, follows are one-way, no approval needed.

Like and comment

1. 1Tap the heart on any post, or double-tap the photo.
2. 2Write your reply in the comment box, and answer someone’s comment to keep a thread going.
3. 3The author gets a notification either way.

Join or start a circle

1. 1Circles are groups: padel crews, parent groups, hiking clubs, village neighbours.
2. 2Browse Circles from the Menu and tap "Join this circle" on any that takes your fancy.
3. 3Start your own with "Start a circle", then share its invite link so people land straight in.

Search anything

1. 1Tap the search icon (or press Ctrl+K / ⌘K).
2. 2Type a business name, a place, or even the problem, "the lights went out" finds you electricians.

Use the map

1. 1Open Map from the header.
2. 2The Algarve map shows every municipality and town, tap one for its guide.
3. 3Below it, the street-level map pins every listed place in its room’s colour.

Save your favourites

1. 1Tap the heart on any business, event or offer.
2. 2Everything you save lives under profile menu → Favourites.

Explore towns and collections

1. 1Towns: guides for 45 Algarve towns with live weather, places and what’s on.
2. 2Collections: hand-picked sets, the best of something, in one page.

Read the news

1. 1Open Menu in the header and choose News, under Explore.
2. 2Algarve news that matters, curated by town and topic, plus stories from the community.

The weekend newsletter

1. 1Scroll to the footer of any page and pop your email in the box, then tap Subscribe.
2. 2Every week: what’s on this weekend, new hidden Gems and the best of the Circle.
3. 3Every email has a one-click unsubscribe link, or turn "Emails from the Circle" off under Privacy.

Install on iPhone or iPad

1. 1Open algarvecircle.com in Safari and tap the Share button.
2. 2Choose "Add to Home Screen".
3. 3Tap Add. The Circle lands on your Home Screen and opens full screen, just like an app.

Install on Android or desktop

1. 1Open the site in Chrome, you will see an "Install" prompt, or tap the ⋮ menu and choose "Install app".
2. 2Confirm, and the Circle installs like any app, with its own icon and notifications.

On a computer, Chrome and Edge show an install icon at the right of the address bar. Native iOS and Android apps are on the way.