How Zinītis works
Find out how to choose a tutor, book a lesson and pay for it - and how cancellations, refunds and payment protection work.
How paying for a lesson works
- Money with you
- With Zinītis
- With the tutor
How do I choose a tutor?
Use the filters for subject, level, price, rating and available times. A tutor’s profile tells you about them, their lesson format and their schedule. Pick a time that suits you and book.
How do I pay for lessons?
You pay through Zinītis, for each lesson separately. The tutor can access the money only after the lesson has taken place and been checked.
Where does the lesson take place?
The lesson takes place right in Zinītis: video call, shared whiteboard and recording. The recording is available for 30 days - you can download it, and you’ll get a reminder 7 days before it’s deleted. The board, lesson summary and homework stay in your account.
What happens after the lesson?
After the lesson, your payment stays protected for another 48 hours. If something went wrong, send a complaint - a chat with an administrator will open. Your case will be reviewed within 5 days. You don’t need to confirm that the lesson took place.
When does the tutor get paid?
48 hours after the lesson, if there’s no complaint and the check is complete, the payment becomes available for the tutor to withdraw. If there is a complaint, the decision is made once it has been reviewed.
If plans change
Refunds go to your Zinītis balance, not your card
If a tutor cancels a lesson or doesn’t show up, its price goes back to your Zinītis balance.
You can use your balance to pay for lessons with any tutor. It can’t be withdrawn to a card or bank account.
If you withdraw from a purchase within 14 days, unused funds may be refunded to the original payment method under the refund terms. To arrange this, contact support: @zinitis or support@zinitis.lv.
Lesson deadlines on one timeline
Deadlines count from different moments: before the lesson starts, after it ends or from the start of the recording. Here they’re shown in order, each labelled with what it counts from. The time to answer a reschedule and the 5 minutes to restore a cancelled lesson count from the request or the cancellation itself - they’re in the table below.
24 hours before the start. Until then, cancelling is free: the lesson goes back to you. After that, cancelling is paid - the lesson price is lost and goes to the tutor.
Lesson. Once the lesson has started, it can’t be cancelled.
48 hours after the lesson ends. You can complain about the lesson only until this point. If there’s no complaint, the money goes to the tutor.
30 days after the recording starts. The lesson recording is deleted. A week before, you’ll get a reminder to download it. The board and summaries stay in your account.
Lessons, chat and payments - all in one place
Video, whiteboard and lesson recording work right in Zinītis, with no Zoom or outside links. That’s why refunds and disputes are settled here, not in private chats.
About lessons and platform rules
Getting started
Do I need an account?
You can browse the catalogue and tutor profiles without an account. To book an intro or a lesson and pay for it, you need a Zinītis account: that’s also where you’ll find your schedule, lesson recordings, materials and payments.
How do I choose a tutor?
The catalogue has filters for subject, level, price, rating and available times. A tutor’s profile shows information about them, their lesson format, reviews and schedule. The Zinītis team reviews every tutor application.
How does the free intro lesson work?
It’s a video lesson of 20 minutes or more, right in Zinītis. You tell the tutor about your goal, they work out where to start and suggest a lesson plan. You can book an available time in the tutor’s profile. The link to the lesson room will appear in your account and arrive by email.
How do I book a lesson?
Open the tutor’s profile and choose an available time. Pay for the lesson by card or from your Zinītis balance. The lesson will appear in your account, and the link to the lesson room will be sent there and to your email.
Payment
How do I pay for lessons?
By card on a secure Stripe page or from your Zinītis balance. Each lesson is paid for separately. The price in the tutor’s profile is final: there are no extra fees.
When does the tutor get the money?
48 hours after the lesson ends, if there’s no complaint. Until then, Zinītis holds the payment. If there is a complaint, the money waits for an administrator’s decision.
Lessons and materials
Where do lessons take place?
Right in Zinītis: video calls, the shared whiteboard and lesson recording all work on the site, with no Zoom or third-party links. The link to the lesson room is in your account.
Where can I find and download a lesson recording?
In your account. The recording is kept for 30 days from when recording started, and you can download it. You’ll get a reminder 7 days before it’s deleted.
Where are homework and materials?
In your account: the whiteboard, lesson summary, homework and files from the tutor. Lesson files are kept for 365 days from upload.
Can I have lessons with a tutor outside Zinītis?
Lessons, messages and payments go through Zinītis. If you study and pay directly, there’s no lesson recording, no refund and no help from an administrator in a dispute.
Cancelling and rescheduling
How do I cancel a lesson, and when is it free?
You can cancel a lesson in your account before it starts. Cancelling 24 hours or more before the start is free: the lesson goes back to you. Otherwise cancelling is paid - your account shows the amount before you cancel.
Can I undo a cancellation?
Yes, within 5 minutes of cancelling: your account will show a “Restore lesson” button. During those 5 minutes the slot isn’t released, the tutor isn’t told and no money moves. If the lesson starts in less than 5 minutes, you can restore it until it starts.
How do I arrange a reschedule?
Suggest a new time in your account - the tutor can suggest a reschedule too. The answer is due within 48 hours, but no later than the lesson start. If there’s no answer or the reschedule is declined, the lesson stays at the original time. Rescheduling costs nothing.
What happens if the tutor cancels a lesson?
The lesson price goes back to your Zinītis balance as money, even if the cancellation was last-minute. You can use it to pay for a lesson with the same tutor or another one.
Problems and refunds
What if I missed a lesson?
If you don’t show up, the tutor reports it to an administrator. Once the administrator confirms it, the lesson is deducted and the tutor receives its price minus commission. If you can’t make it, it’s best to cancel or reschedule in advance.
What if the tutor didn’t show up?
Send a complaint from your account within 48 hours of the scheduled lesson end. An administrator will check who joined the lesson room and refund the lesson price to your balance.
How do I report a problem with a lesson?
Send a complaint from your account within 48 hours after the lesson ends. A complaint can be standard or serious - if there were threats, harassment or anything similar. A chat with an administrator will open, and your case will be reviewed within 5 days. While it’s under review, the money doesn’t go to the tutor.
Where do refunds go?
To your Zinītis balance, not your card. You can use your balance to pay for lessons with any tutor, but you can’t withdraw it. The one exception is withdrawing from a purchase within 14 days: then unused funds may be returned to the original payment method. To arrange this, contact support.
What happens if I cancel or reschedule often?
If you cancel often, Zinītis may limit your bookings or block your account - this is set out in the Terms of use. If your plans change, it’s best to agree a reschedule with the tutor in advance.
Didn’t find your answer?
Contact support
Where shall we start?
Find a tutor and choose a time for your lesson. And if you’re a tutor yourself, tell us about yourself in an application.