Without a doubt, the PRO plan is the best option for professionals on GuruWalk. It’s a paid plan that guarantees you get the most out of the platform for several reasons.

This article goes deeper into how the PRO plan works in practice: how the advertising balance works day to day, the application and cancellation process, and common practical cases. If you're looking for a general comparison between Hobby and PRO, check out the article Plans on GuruWalk: Hobby and PRO, how do they work? first.

Balance consumption: detailed cases

In addition to what's covered in the general article (consumption per attendee, dynamic pricing, and the fact that traveler cancellations or no-shows don't consume balance), here's the detail on one additional case:

Guide cancellations: cancellations made by you as a guide deduct balance, but you can request a refund if the reason is justified (illness, force majeure, or adverse weather conditions, mainly).
Balance refund process: whether the charge is for attendees or for a justified cancellation, the refund process is always the same:

Marking attendance or cancellation (all done through the calendar so it's properly recorded).
Balance is charged.
Refund request to the Destination Manager.
Case review.
Refund, if applicable.

Learn more about our Cancellation Policy in this link.

Doesn't consume balance: traveler no-show or cancellation nor children up to 14 years old.

It’s very important to correctly register attendees to ensure accurate tour metrics and avoid incorrect charges.

Price and disccounts

The amount per attendee is dynamic and can vary by destination depending on advertising bidding needs. There are no additional fees for opening an account, subscribing, maintenance, or closing an account.*
* GuruWalk reserves the right to deduct credits in cases of fraud detected on the part of the provider.

If you are part of the European Union, you may get special discounts on the PRO plan if you have a VAT registered in VIES. This process is simple and free. More info here.

How can I apply for the PRO plan?

Requirements

Balance of supply and demand: if a destination does not have enough demand, no more PRO profiles can be admitted, as a higher booking volume cannot be guaranteed.
Excellent profile quality: if a destination can admit more PROs in terms of demand but the profile's quality needs significant improvement, the candidacy may be rejected.
Tour requirements: your tour must reach at least 15 reviews and a score of 4.80 or higher on your tour to request the switch to the PRO plan.

How to Apply

To apply for the PRO plan, go to the "My Tours" tab and click the "Become PRO!" or "I want to be PRO" button. If you meet the requirements listed above, you'll be able to complete the application.

Once you've submitted your application, our team will review PRO profile availability at your destination. If your profile is accepted, the Destination Manager will get in touch with you.

Every request is reviewed, but not every request receives an answer.

Important: Keep in mind that insisting won't improve your chances of becoming PRO; in fact, it may negatively affect your candidacy due to your attitude. Destination Managers always carefully review each destination's data and actively reach out to the best profiles to offer them PRO status when there's a real opportunity.

Next steps

Once an Account Manager contacts you, the process is quick:

You’ll be asked to complete your billing details.
You’ll be sent a private link to validate your card within GuruWalk.
Once your details are validated and payment is processed, you’ll see the PRO badge on your profile and tour card.

Important – Payment security

At GuruWalk, we’ll never ask you to enter your card details through external links, email, WhatsApp, or social media.
If someone claiming to be from the team asks you to pay outside the platform, don’t trust it and report it immediately to support@guruwalk.com.

Leaving the PRO plan

You can cancel the PRO plan at any time, giving prior notice to your Destination Manager so your cancellation can be made official.

Keep in mind that you may still have balance available.

If you still have balance left:

You'll keep using it for bookings you already had while you were PRO. Only bookings you already had will consume balance; any bookings you receive once your cancellation is processed are considered Hobby bookings and, as such, don't consume balance.

Once your balance reaches 0, the PRO badge will disappear and your positioning will be whatever corresponds among the other Hobby tourss.

If you have no balance left:

The PRO badge will disappear immediately and your positioning will be whatever corresponds among the other Hobby tours.

If you want to rejoin the PRO plan

You can reapply. The team will review your profile and the destination's data again, just like the first time.

Having been PRO before does not guarantee you’ll be accepted as PRO again.

Practical examples:

Tour with no-show

You run a tour that initially had 10 travelers signed up. In the end, only 8 show up. First, the balance for all 10 is deducted; once the event closes (48 hours after it starts, or once you close it manually after reviewing attendance), the amount corresponding to those 2 no-shows is refunded.

Tour with traveler cancellations

You run a tour that initially had 10 travelers signed up. In the end, 2 cancel at the last minute. Only the balance corresponding to the 8 actual attendees will be deducted.

Tour with partial no-show (or travelers who leave before the tour ends)

You run a tour that initially had 10 travelers signed up. Halfway through, 2 decide to leave (for whatever reason). These travelers are still considered attendees, and you should never mark them as no-shows.

Unjustified cancellation

You had a tour planned for 7 people. In the end, it looks like only 4 will show up, and you decide to cancel because you don't reach the minimum number of attendees you consider optimal. You'll be charged the balance for all 7 people, as this is an unjustified cancellation.

Justified cancellation

You were going to run a tour for 10 people, and the day before, you have an accident or a family emergency. In this case, it's important to:

Properly cancel the tour through the platform so that travelers are duly notified.
Try to offer them an alternative, if possible, to minimize the impact this unexpected last-minute change may have on their travel plans.

Once the event is cancelled, the balance for all 10 people is still charged. To request a refund:

Contact your Destination Manager to explain what happened.
Your Destination Manager will evaluate the case and may request a balance refund.
This refund is a manual process and may take several days.

I marked no-shows, but I haven’t received my balance back

The event probably hasn't closed yet. You can submit attendance and close it manually, or wait for it to close automatically 48 hours after it starts.

I had a health issue, force majeure, or extreme weather condition, but I'm not getting my balance refunded

If you've had an issue like this, the balance refund requires a process:

Properly cancel the event through the platform so travelers are notified of the reason for the cancellation.
Inform your Destination Manager about the situation and provide proper justification.
Your Destination Manager will review your case and, if approved, request the corresponding balance refund.

Keep in mind that the refund isn't automatic. The process needs to be followed correctly, and it can take a few days from when it's initiated until the refund is issued.

The more context you provide, the faster your case can be resolved. For example, include the event date and time, and any additional information that supports your claim.

I canceled my PRO plan, but my balance isn't being refunded

Under the terms of the PRO plan, balance isn't refundable if you decide to leave this plan. You can, however, transfer it to another account — just get in touch with your Destination Manager.

What is the PRO plan and how to access?