Your discovery call went really well. The client is ready to start, and then they ask: “Great, how do I pay you?” If you haven’t worked out how to take payments as a coach yet, that’s the moment a good call gets a bit wobbly.
Here’s the thing: getting paid online is mostly a handful of small decisions. Link or invoice? Before the first session or after? Then there’s the question of which tool actually collects the money.
Let’s go through them one at a time, so you’ve got an answer ready before your next call.
How do coaches take payments online?
Coaches take payments online by connecting a payment processor, such as Stripe or PayPal, to wherever clients buy from them. Your client pays by card, the money lands in your own processor account, and from there it’s paid out to your bank.
That connection usually takes one of three shapes:
- Straight from the processor: you send a payment link or an invoice from Stripe or PayPal.
- Through your scheduler: a booking tool such as Calendly charges the client when they book.
- Through a coaching platform: one checkout covers the package, your contract and the payment, which still lands in your own Stripe or PayPal account.
Whichever route you pick, the processor charges a fee on card payments. If you’re keeping an eye on costs as you get started, see our guide to the cheapest way to launch a coaching business.
What do I need before I can take my first payment?
Less than you might think. You don’t need a website to get paid, but you do need:
- A priced offer. Know exactly what you’re selling and what it costs. If you’re stuck on the number, read how to price your coaching services.
- A payment processor account. Sign up with Stripe or PayPal and connect the bank account you want payouts to land in.
- A separate home for business money. Keeping coaching income out of your personal account makes bookkeeping (and tax time) far less painful.
- Written terms. Put your cancellation and refund rules in a contract the client signs before paying. Our coaching contract template is a good place to start.
- Somewhere for clients to pay. A link in an email works. So does a booking page that takes payment.
Should I use a payment link, an invoice, a payment plan or a subscription?
These four get lumped together a lot, but each one suits a different kind of offer:
| If you’re selling… | Use | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|
| A single session, or a package paid up front at one fixed price | Payment link | One payment, and nothing new to create for each client |
| Work where the amount changes per client, or a company is paying | Invoice | You set the amount each time, and the payer gets a record |
| A bigger package a client can’t pay for all at once | Payment plan | A fixed total split into installments that end once it’s paid |
| Ongoing coaching with no set end date | Subscription | A regular charge until one of you cancels |
| A free discovery call | No payment | Just a booking link; save the card details for the paid work |
For fixed packages, a payment link is hard to beat: one link per package, and the client clicks and pays.
When you need an invoice
Invoices make sense when the amount isn’t fixed, like a corporate client buying a custom program. If an employer is footing the bill, their accounts team may ask for one anyway.
Our guide on how to write an invoice includes a free template, and our roundup of billing software for coaches compares the tools built for invoicing.
Payment plan or subscription?
Both charge the client’s card on a schedule. The difference is the finish line: a payment plan splits a fixed total into installments and stops once it’s paid, while a subscription keeps going until it’s canceled.
Quick tip: offer a payment plan alongside pay-in-full, not instead of it. Clients who’d rather pay once still can, and the ones who need to spread the cost have a way to say yes.
It’s also worth checking which of these your tool supports with your processor. In Paperbell, payment plans, subscriptions and coupon codes work with Stripe only. If you connect PayPal instead, you’re limited to one-time payments.
When should the client pay: at booking or after the first session?
Before the first session, ideally at sign-up, with your contract signed before (or as) they pay. That way you’re never chasing money for work you’ve already done, and a “yes, probably” becomes an actual decision.
Here’s the order that keeps things tidy:
- The client chooses a package.
- They sign your contract.
- They pay.
- They book their first session and fill in your intake form.
With separate tools, you run that sequence by hand: the contract goes out through an e-signature tool, then the payment link, then the booking link, and you check that each step actually happened.
In Paperbell, the client can’t finish buying a package until they’ve signed your contract, so the agreement and the payment arrive together. (Gifted packages are the exception: they skip checkout, and the signing step along with it.) If you attach an intake survey and set it to trigger on purchase, your client sees it as soon as they’ve paid.
There are exceptions, of course. A free discovery call needs no payment, and a company paying by invoice may have its own payment schedule. Otherwise, agree on the terms and collect the money before you deliver the work.
Which tool should a new coach use to take payments?
For a brand-new coach who just needs to get paid, a Stripe payment link or a PayPal invoice is the quickest start. Want clients to sign your contract and pay in the same checkout before their first session? Paperbell is built for that, and it collects payment through your own Stripe or PayPal account.
And if you mostly bill a different amount to each client, go with an invoicing tool instead, because Paperbell doesn’t create invoices.
Here are the four routes, from simplest to most complete.
Stripe (Payment Links and Invoicing)
Stripe gives you two ways to get paid without any other software. Payment Links create a checkout page for a one-time payment or a subscription that you can share anywhere.
Stripe Invoicing sends invoices for one-time or recurring amounts, as an emailed link or a PDF, and can remind clients automatically when one is due or overdue.
Best for: A new coach with one or two clients who wants to start getting paid this week.
The catch: A link only collects money. Booking the session and getting your contract signed happen somewhere else, and keeping all three matched up is on you.
PayPal
PayPal Invoicing lets you create, send and track invoices from your computer or phone. You can also set up recurring invoices with automatic reminders and sync with QuickBooks or Xero. And your client doesn’t need a PayPal account to pay you.
Best for: Coaches whose clients already know PayPal, or who want invoices that sync with their bookkeeping software.
The catch: PayPal can box you in if you later move to a coaching platform. In Paperbell, for instance, PayPal handles one-time payments only, while payment plans, subscriptions and coupon codes need Stripe.
Calendly connected to Stripe or PayPal
Already sending people a Calendly link? Connect Stripe or PayPal and Calendly collects payment when someone schedules a meeting. Its help center also explains how to send invoices, which requires Stripe.
Best for: Coaches who sell single sessions and already book them through Calendly.
The catch: Contract signing isn’t one of Calendly’s features, so your agreement lives somewhere else. Refunds also have to be processed manually.
Paperbell
Paperbell is a coaching platform built around a checkout where the client signs your contract and pays for their package in the same step. The money goes to the Stripe or PayPal account you connect (you pick one of the two).
You can sell a package as a one-time payment, a subscription or a payment plan (weekly, every two weeks, monthly, every two months or every three months), and offer pay-in-full next to a plan. Plans, subscriptions and coupon codes need Stripe. Clients can see their purchase history in their client portal, and there’s more detail on our online payment tool page.
Best for: Coaches selling sessions and packages who want contract, payment and booking handled together instead of across three tools.
The catch: Paperbell doesn’t create invoices. If you regularly bill a different amount to each client, its own help docs say it may not be the best fit. Refunds are also issued in Stripe or PayPal rather than inside Paperbell.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Stripe (Payment Links, Invoicing) | Getting paid quickly with one or two clients | Payment only: booking and contracts live elsewhere |
| PayPal | Clients who already use PayPal; invoices that sync with QuickBooks or Xero | One-time payments only if you connect it to Paperbell |
| Calendly + Stripe or PayPal | Single sessions booked through Calendly | Contracts handled separately; refunds processed manually |
| Paperbell | Packages with contract, payment and booking together | No invoices; refunds issued in Stripe or PayPal |
If invoices sit at the center of how you bill, HoneyBook is an invoicing-first alternative built for service businesses in general rather than coaches. Its invoicing page lists deposits, installment plans, autopay and reminders.
We’ve compared HoneyBook vs Paperbell and Calendly vs Paperbell in detail. For the bigger picture, see our picks for the best coaching software for new coaches or our guide to getting scheduling, payments and contracts in one tool.
How do I handle refunds, taxes and different currencies?
Refunds
Refunds go back through whichever processor took the payment, and Stripe’s help center explains how to refund a customer. In Paperbell, you issue refunds in Stripe or PayPal, and Calendly refunds are processed manually.
The bigger job is deciding your refund policy before anyone pays, and putting it in your contract and terms.
Sales tax and VAT
Whether you need to charge sales tax or VAT (value-added tax) on coaching depends on where you are, where your clients are and how your business is set up. That one’s a question for an accountant who knows your situation.
Paperbell doesn’t collect sales tax or VAT automatically. Its help docs suggest building any tax into your package price and saying so in the description, or sending an amended receipt.
Clients in other countries
In Paperbell, you choose your currency in your payment settings, with options including US dollars, euros and British pounds, and you can even create packages in different currencies. Stripe or PayPal then processes the payment in that currency, and how it reaches your bank depends on your processor and bank account, so check those settings too.
What mistakes should new coaches avoid when taking payments?
Most payment headaches start as habits that feel harmless when you only have a client or two:
- Starting sessions before you’re paid. “They’ll pay after the first session” can turn into a string of awkward follow-up emails.
- Skipping the written terms. Without a signed agreement, a refund request or a no-show becomes a negotiation.
- Taking money with no record. A bank transfer with no receipt is hard to track at tax time and harder to sort out in a dispute.
- Ignoring failed cards. On a payment plan or subscription, a card will sometimes be declined, so find out how your tool handles it. (Stripe Invoicing, for example, can retry failed payments automatically with a feature it calls Smart Retries.)
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I use to take payments if I only have one or two clients?
Start simple: a Stripe payment link or a PayPal invoice covers your first packages. Once you’re matching up contracts, payments and bookings for several clients by hand, a coaching platform like Paperbell puts the contract and payment in one checkout.
Can I take payments without a website?
Yes. Stripe says its Payment Links can be shared by email, text message or any other channel, or turned into a QR code. In Paperbell, each package has its own link you can send to a client directly.
Can I offer payment plans if I use PayPal?
Not in Paperbell, where payment plans need Stripe. PayPal’s own invoicing works differently: PayPal says clients can choose PayPal Pay Later to pay your invoice in installments. That’s an option the client picks when they pay.
Do my clients need a PayPal account to pay me through PayPal?
No. PayPal’s invoicing page says your customer doesn’t need a PayPal account, and if you connect PayPal to Paperbell, clients can pay with a card.
Can I offer a free discovery call without taking payment?
Yes. In Paperbell, you create a one-session package priced at zero, and you can still attach a contract or an intake survey to it.
Does the money go to me or to the platform?
To you. Paperbell runs payments through the Stripe or PayPal account you connect, so the money lands in your account, not Paperbell’s.
So, how will your next client pay you?
Now you’ve got an answer for that “how do I pay you?” moment: match the payment type to your offer, and get the contract signed and the money in before the first session.
Want contracts, payments and bookings handled together for every package you sell? That’s what Paperbell does, and the money goes to your own Stripe or PayPal account. Try Paperbell for free.
