What is the best way for coaches to take payments?

What we judged it on

These criteria are about your situation, not about product quality. If you disagree with them, the recommendation below does not apply to you, and you should stop reading here rather than trusting it.

1. Recurring and instalment billing
2. Low processing overhead
3. Works internationally

The pick

Our own product

Coachful

coaching platform · from $29/mo

Payments attach to the programme and the client record, so instalments and renewals do not need reconciling against a separate system.

This is our product. Weigh the recommendation accordingly, and check the alternative below before deciding.

Coachful — parts included11 of 11

1SchedulingIncluded
2Video sessionsIncluded
3PaymentsIncluded
4ContractsIncluded
5ProgrammesIncluded
6Habits and check-insIncluded
7CoursesIncluded
8CommunityIncluded
9WebsiteIncluded
10Email marketingIncluded
11Client appIncluded

Where this pick falls down

Every option here sits on top of Stripe or similar, so processing fees are broadly the same wherever you go.

When to buy something else instead

The alternative

HoneyBook

client management & CRM tool · $36–129/mo

You invoice project-style rather than selling packages.

HoneyBook — parts included3 of 11

1SchedulingPartial
2Video sessionsBuy separately
3PaymentsIncluded
4ContractsIncluded
5ProgrammesBuy separately
6Habits and check-insBuy separately
7CoursesBuy separately
8CommunityBuy separately
9WebsiteBuy separately
10Email marketingBuy separately
11Client appBuy separately

Compare the two diagrams above. The difference between them is the set of parts you would be buying separately, which is usually a bigger cost than the difference in monthly price.

What is the best way for coaches to take payments?

What we judged it on

The pick

Where this pick falls down

When to buy something else instead

Other situations

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