# Creating your account and signing in

How your account gets created, every way to sign in, and what to do when sign-in won't cooperate.

Your account is where your rentals, invoices, payments, and profile live.
Here's how to get one and how to get into it.

{% video title="Signing in to your account" todo="record" /%}

## How accounts are created

There's no separate sign-up form — **your account is created automatically
when you reserve your first rental** at checkout. If you've ordered from us
(or accepted a quote), you already have an account under the email you used.

If you try to visit a sign-up page, we'll simply send you to the
[catalog](/products) — renting something is how you join.

## Signing in

1. Go to the [sign-in page](/auth/sign-in) — or open
   [your account](/account), which sends you there if you're signed out.
2. You'll see **"Sign in to your account."** Enter your email address.
3. Pick how to prove it's you:
   - **Email code** — we email you a one-time sign-in code. Enter the code
     on the page and you're in. No password needed, ever.
   - **Password** — if you've set a password, you can sign in with it
     directly.
4. You land on your account home.

{% screenshot alt="The sign-in page with email code and password options" caption="Sign in with an emailed code or your password" todo="capture" /%}

{% callout type="info" title="No password? No problem." %}
The email code works for everyone, every time — you never need a password
to use your account. If you'd like one anyway, you can set it from your
account: open **Edit profile** and look for the **Password** section.
{% /callout %}

## Staying signed in

Once you sign in, you stay signed in on that browser until you sign out —
no need to enter a code every visit. On a shared or public computer, sign
out when you're done.

## Common hiccups

- **The code email never arrived.** Give it a minute, check your spam
  folder, and make sure you typed the email you used at checkout. Then use
  **Send a new code**.
- **"That code doesn't look right."** Codes are single-use and expire
  quickly. Request a fresh one and enter it soon after it arrives.
- **Wrong password.** Try the email code instead — it always works — or
  reset your password: see
  [Resetting your password](/docs/your-account/resetting-your-password).
- **Different email?** Your account is tied to the email you rented with.
  If you're not sure which one that is, check which inbox got your receipts
  or booking confirmations — or [contact us](/contact) and we'll sort it
  out.

## Signing out

From [your account](/account), scroll to the **Profile & payment** section
and use the **Sign out** button.

[Sign in to your account](/auth/sign-in){button}