# PodiumOS — Frequently asked questions Source: https://podiumos.com/faq ## Getting Started ### Is PodiumOS really free to join? Yes. Creating your PodiumOS.ID and using the community, directory, Rig Intelligence, racing hours logging, PodiumTV and the racer tools is 100% free. There are no subscriptions, no minimum balance and no listing fees. You only ever pay when you buy something from another member (a setup, gear or a coaching session). ### How do I create an account? Click Join Free and sign up with an email and password, or use Google, Discord, Steam or Twitch. You then pick your role (racer, coach, mentor, merchant, venue, guardian and more) and you're in. It takes under two minutes and you can add extra roles later from Settings. ### What is a PodiumOS.ID? Your PodiumOS.ID is your portable racing identity: one profile, one QR code and one digital ID card that works across venues, coaches, teams and merchants on the platform. It carries your verified racing hours, rigs, badges and reputation with you instead of leaving them locked in one sim or one arcade. ### What is the Racer ID card on my dashboard? It's the flippable card at the top of your dashboard. The front shows your name, role, PodiumOS.ID and QR code; flip it to see live stats and your Racing DNA chip computed from your logged sessions. You can add it to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet so venues can scan you in from your phone. ### Can I use more than one role on the same account? Yes. PodiumOS is multi-role by design. Add roles from Settings → Manage Roles and switch context with the role switcher — the sidebar and dashboard adapt to whichever hat you're wearing. Data you've already provided is reused so you don't re-enter it. ### Do I need identity verification straight away? No. You can explore, log hours, connect a rig, follow creators and build your profile without verification. Verification is only required at financial or trust checkpoints: taking payments, withdrawing funds, selling, coaching minors or registering as a venue or merchant. ## Rig Intelligence ### What is Rig Intelligence? Rig Intelligence is our hardware layer for sim racing. PodiumOS recognises the wheelbases, pedals, shifters, handbrakes, wheels, displays, motion systems and PC components that make up your rig, normalises them against a verified device catalogue, and turns that into a structured, comparable profile. Nobody else is doing this at platform level — it's what makes rig-to-rig comparison, venue equivalence and hardware-aware coaching possible. ### Do I need the SimHub plugin to have a rig on PodiumOS? No. You can add a rig manually in My Rigs. Automatic PC capture requires one installed and connected official desktop app: choose the SimHub plugin if you actively use SimHub, or the standalone Windows Agent if you do not. A manual rig, download click or mobile app alone does not activate automatic Rig Intelligence. ### How does automatic hardware detection work? The SimHub plugin and the PodiumOS Windows Agent report connected USB devices and PC specs to our API. We match them against our verified device catalogue, split transport from topology, and label each part correctly instead of dumping a raw device list. Anything unknown is queued for catalogue review. ### Can I upload photos of my rig? Yes. Use the Rig Images manager on any rig to upload photos. Our AI vision pass reads the images and suggests hardware tags, so your gallery entry and your spec sheet stay consistent. Photos can also be entered into showcase competitions. ### Is my rig data private? You control it. Rig specs power your profile, comparisons and venue matching, but visibility follows your privacy settings. Diagnostics and telemetry sent by the apps are used to improve detection and support you — they are never sold. ## Official Apps & Integrations ### What official apps does PodiumOS publish? For PC capture, choose one: the PodiumOS SimHub plugin for people who actively use SimHub, or the standalone PodiumOS Windows Agent for people who do not. Installing both on the same PC is unnecessary and can record the same run twice. Downloads and release notes are available under Official Apps. The WordPress integration is separate from PC session capture. ### Where do I find release notes and version history? Every release gets a branded PodiumOS changelog page — /simhub/changelog for the plugin and /agent/changelog for the Windows Agent. Version numbers and checksums shown on the download page are pulled live from our release manifest. ### What does the plugin or agent actually send? The desktop apps send session details, detected hardware and PC specifications. The Windows Agent also uploads the installed-application list to the platform; this is not limited to racing games. Diagnostic reports can include logs and environment details. Hardware serials are hashed before storage; these identifiers are pseudonymised, not anonymous. Review the app consent information and Privacy Policy for purposes, access and retention. ### Which accounts can I connect? Google, Discord, Steam, Twitch and EA, plus your YouTube channel for PodiumTV. Connections are managed in Settings → Sign-in methods and Connected Apps, and each external account can only be linked to one PodiumOS account. ### I linked Discord and got an 'already linked' error — why? Each external identity maps to exactly one PodiumOS account so your verified history can't be split or spoofed. If your Discord, Steam or Google account is already attached to another PodiumOS profile, unlink it there first, or contact support to merge the accounts. ### Do you support AI agents or MCP? Yes. PodiumOS exposes an MCP server so AI assistants can read your profile, rigs, sessions and wallet context with your permission. Partner developers can also build against our documented APIs — see the developer resources in the docs section. ### Can I use the SimHub plugin on Linux through Wine or Proton? Windows is the tested platform. If SimHub already works under Wine or Proton, the plugin installer may work when run in the same prefix and installed into that SimHub folder, but we have not validated this in-house. Linux is community-supported and untested. The standalone Windows Agent is not a native Linux app. ## Racing Hours & Venues ### How does Racing Hours tracking work? Every session — home rig or venue rig — is logged with the game, track, car and duration. Sessions from the plugin or agent are automatically verified; venue sessions are verified by the venue; manual entries can be peer-verified. Your dashboard shows verified vs unverified hours separately. ### Can I log sessions manually? Yes, from Racing Hours. Manual entries are marked unverified until a peer or venue confirms them, so the leaderboards and your Racer ID stay honest. ### I own a sim racing venue — what do I get? A venue dashboard with rig management, check-ins via PodiumOS.ID QR, session attribution, verification badges, a public directory listing and venue-attributed referrals. Every racer who signs up on one of your rigs is credited to your venue. ### What are venue-attributed referrals? Each venue — and each individual rig — has its own referral code and branded QR. When a racer signs up after scanning at your venue, that signup is attributed to you on a first-touch basis, so you earn credit and Octane Points as the platform monetises. ### My venue doesn't run SimHub. Can I still take part? Yes — that's exactly why we built the sim-agnostic Windows Agent. Install it on the venue PC and sessions, hardware and check-ins flow into PodiumOS without SimHub. ## Coaching, Mentoring & Pit Wall ### How do I find and book a coach? Browse coaches and mentors in the directory by sim, specialisation, price and availability, then book directly through the native booking engine. Coaches publish their availability and you pick a slot — no external scheduling tool needed. ### What is the Pit Wall? Pit Wall is the coach-side view of a racer's shared data: sessions, telemetry summaries and rig context, plus a structured feedback tool. It only ever shows what the racer has explicitly granted. ### How does data sharing with a coach work? Sharing is intent-based and time-boxed. A personal grant lasts 6 hours, a session review covers one day either side of a session, and professional oversight renews monthly until you revoke it. You can revoke any grant instantly from your dashboard. ### Is there a fee on coaching? Coaching is free during launch — coaches aren't charged, and bookings don't cost anything. If a platform fee is introduced later, it will be announced to coaches first, and there will be no listing fees or monthly charges. ### Can I coach minors? Under-16 accounts currently have racing-hours and session-time functionality only, with guardian-represented leaderboard entries. Messaging is closed for all under-18s. Do not treat a guardian relationship as enabling unrestricted coaching, communication or telemetry access; only explicitly available, guardian-approved functionality may be used. ## Marketplace, Sell & Resell ### What can I buy and sell? Car setups, second-hand and new gear (wheels, pedals, rigs, displays), digital content and coaching. Gear listings include photos and a location, and we show approximate distance from you so you can find kit nearby. ### How do I become a seller or merchant? Add the Merchant role from Settings → Manage Roles. Identity verification is mandatory before you can list or take payments. Business sellers add company details during onboarding. ### What fees apply to sales? There are no monthly or listing fees. A transaction fee applies on completed sales; we're keeping published rates flexible while the early merchant programme runs, so exact terms are confirmed during merchant onboarding. ### How do I know a setup is any good? Listings carry seller ratings, reviews, lap-time references and verification badges. Setups from verified coaches and pro drivers are flagged, and your purchases land in Pit Garage — your personal setup vault, taggable by track, car and conditions. ### What happens if a purchase goes wrong? Open a case from your transaction history. Support mediates, and funds can be held while the dispute is resolved. ## Wallet, Payments & Payouts ### What is the Podium Wallet? Your Podium Wallet holds your balance, receives earnings from sales, coaching and competitions, and pays for anything you buy on the platform. Top-ups are handled through Podium Octane. ### How do I add funds? Top up with a credit or debit card via Podium Octane. Checkout is embedded — you never leave PodiumOS — and funds land in your wallet immediately on success. ### How do I get paid out? Where payouts are available for your account and region, choose bank transfer, PayPal or Revolut and complete the required verification. The minimum withdrawal threshold is €50. The separate PodiumOS.Pay card offering is coming soon, not open for card applications. ### Which currencies do you support? EUR, USD, GBP and more, with conversion handled automatically at checkout and payout. ### Are there countries you can't serve? Yes. We screen against sanctions lists and cannot offer accounts or payouts to users in sanctioned jurisdictions. If your account is flagged, the balance is frozen pending review rather than lost, and our team will contact you. ### Is my money safe? Payments run through regulated payment infrastructure with bank-level encryption; we never store your card details. Wallet balances are reconciled against segregated funds. ### Can I apply for a PodiumOS.Pay card now? No. The PodiumOS.Pay card offering is coming soon; card applications are not open. You can submit your interest through the enquiry option on the PodiumOS.Pay page. Registering interest is not an application or a promise of a card. ## Octane Points & Referrals ### What are Octane Points? Octane Points are the ongoing, non-monetary loyalty points for PodiumOS activity. They are separate from Launch Challenge draw entries and remain part of your profile beyond the campaign. They support recognition, badges and access; future uses may include discounts, swaps and services as these are introduced. Those future benefits are not guaranteed or all available today. Points are not cash and cannot be withdrawn. ### Where do I find my referral link? It's on your dashboard, right under your Racer ID card. Copy or share it in one tap, and set a friendly alias for it there or in the Affiliate dashboard. ### How does the referral network work? Level 1 is anyone who signs up through your link. Level 2 is anyone they go on to refer — so if you bring in a creator or a venue who brings in others, you earn milestone rewards from that activity too. ### Can I see who referred whom? No — the referral grid is deliberately anonymised for privacy. You see a sequential ID, the role type that joined (racer, coach, venue…), the join date and how many people that person has referred. Never names or contact details. ### Why didn't my referral code attach? Attribution is first-touch and time-boxed from your signup — or, if you've restored a closed account, from your reactivation. If the account already existed well before the link was clicked, the code won't attach retrospectively. ### Can under-18s refer people? Under-16 accounts currently have a restricted racing-hours and session-time experience, not the full referral tools. Where an eligible minor referral is supported, minors never hold or receive money; any commission goes to the verified guardian, who is notified. Octane Points are always non-monetary. ## Launch Challenge & Founding Rigs ### Are Launch Challenge points the same as Octane Points? No. Launch Challenge points are campaign-only entries used in its prize draws. Octane Points are the separate, ongoing non-monetary loyalty system. A qualifying activity may earn both, but they serve different purposes and neither is cash. ### When are the Launch Challenge draws? There are two draws per day at the SimRacing Expo in Frankfurt on 16, 17 and 18 October 2026, giving six prizes. The campaign continues until 29 November 2026 at 23:59 UTC, with five more winners drawn on 30 November. Every eligible daily login through the campaign end can count. One prize per member applies across these eleven Launch Challenge prizes; entries do not guarantee a win. ### What prizes are offered and how do winners receive them? Prizes vary in category and value; we are not committing to an exact prize list in advance. Expo winners who are present receive their prize there and then; absent winners have it shipped. The November draw allows time for international shipping before Christmas, but arrival dates depend on delivery and customs. See the public Launch Challenge terms for the rules. ### Is the Founding Rigs draw separate from the Launch Challenge? Yes. The Founding Rigs draw takes place when the ceiling of 1,000 real, verified founding rigs is reached. Winners and the exact prizes will be announced at that milestone, not on a promised calendar date. Launch Challenge winners remain eligible for this separate draw. ## PodiumTV & Creators ### What is PodiumTV? PodiumTV is a single feed of the newest sim racing videos from every creator channel linked to PodiumOS — the consolidated view the scene never had. Browse by creator, sim or recency without hopping between platforms. ### How do I get my channel on PodiumTV? Contact the team about connecting a YouTube channel to PodiumTV. Content Creator role activation is currently marked Coming soon; do not assume the full creator onboarding and monetisation tools are available today. ### Do I get a public creator page? Yes — a public /@username page with your videos, rigs, showcase entries and SEO metadata, shareable outside the platform. ## Showcase, Teams & Community ### What is the rig showcase? A swipe-based showcase where the community rates rigs and battlestations, with Rig and PC categories kept separate. Rate on a 1–10 slider and leave comments after liking. ### When are showcase rewards handed out? Rewards are discretionary rather than on a fixed deadline — we award Octane Points and features as standout entries come through. ### How do teams work? Team Admin is marked Coming soon and is not currently available to activate. Do not assume team management, shared wallets or automatic prize splits are open simply because the wider platform describes them. ### How do I find other racers? The Community Directory lets you filter by sim, role, skill level, timezone and location. Anonymous visitors see basic profiles; signed-in members see the full profile. ### Are there sim racing jobs on PodiumOS? Yes — the Careers section lists motorsport and sim racing roles, with job alerts by email and the ability to apply using your verified PodiumOS identity. ## Verification & Trust ### How does identity verification work? Verification runs through Shufti Pro. It opens in a new tab, you complete the document and liveness steps, and your status syncs back automatically — usually within minutes. Your dashboard, account page and ID card all read from the same status. ### When is verification actually required? At financial and trust checkpoints: withdrawing funds, selling on the marketplace, taking paid coaching bookings, registering as a merchant or venue, and acting as a guardian for a minor. Browsing, logging hours and connecting rigs need nothing. ### What are verification badges? Badges show at a glance what's been proven — verified identity, verified venue, verified merchant, verified coach, verified racing hours. They're what makes reputation portable across the platform. ### My status shows differently in two places — what do I do? It shouldn't: verification status is read from a single source across the dashboard, account page and ID card. If you do see a mismatch, refresh and then contact support with your PodiumOS.ID so we can inspect the record. ## Young Drivers & Racing Guardians ### Can under-18s use PodiumOS? Yes. Children aged 5–12 cannot self-register: a verified guardian adds the young driver and manages their linked account. Ages 13–15 require guardian approval and are limited to racing hours and session times, including leaderboard entries marked as minors with their guardian as representative. Ages 16–17 have wider age-appropriate access, but messaging remains closed for everyone under 18. Restricted menu items are hidden, not greyed out. ### Do minors go through KYC? Never. We do not run identity or biometric checks on under-18s. The guardian verifies themselves and vouches for the young driver. ### Can a minor hold money or get paid? No. Minors can earn Octane Points, badges and access, but they never hold or receive money. Any commission or payout goes to the verified guardian, who is notified. ### What controls does a guardian have? A verified guardian creates and manages under-13 driver accounts, approves the required relationship for ages 13–15, and oversees the young driver’s session activity and applicable consents. Guardian documents are private. Minors are excluded from behavioural tracking and identity or biometric checks. Guardian approval does not override the under-16 feature limits or the under-18 messaging ban. ## Account, Privacy & Security ### Can I see my account activity? Yes. My Devices & Activity shows a timeline of sign-ins, sign-outs, device and location signals, and connected app events, so you can spot anything you don't recognise. ### How do I close my account? Settings → Close account. You must type DELETE MY ACCOUNT to confirm. We then archive rather than erase: your profile is closed, your session ended, and records are retained for audit, safety and legal obligations. ### I closed my account — can I come back? Yes. Try to sign in and you'll be routed to the Account Restore page, where we email you a one-time restore link that reactivates your profile with your history intact. If you clicked a referral link while closed, that attribution is preserved from the moment you reactivate. ### How is my personal data protected? Access controls restrict personal data to authorised users and services. We do not sell your data. Session capture, diagnostics, adult device-recognition signals and service-provider processing are explained in the Privacy Policy, including their purposes and retention. Hashed hardware identifiers remain pseudonymised personal data where they can be linked to a person or rig; they are not automatically anonymous. ### How do I report a user or content? Use the report control on any profile, listing, message or showcase entry. Moderation reviews reports and acts under our community guidelines; messaging has its own moderation layer. ### Who operates PodiumOS and how do I contact them about privacy? PodiumOS is operated by Searise Developments Ltd, 25, Henry Calleja Street, St Julians STJ1390, Malta. Company registration C98223; VAT MT28201818. Privacy enquiries go to privacy@podiumos.com, for the attention of Jonathan Camilleri Bowman. The supervisory authority is Malta’s Information and Data Protection Commissioner.