How to take payments as a personal trainer
6 min read · Updated 19 October 2026
Most PTs start with cash and bank transfers, then lose track of who has paid. Pick one or two ways to get paid, tell every client the same thing, and write every payment down against the client.
The five ways to get paid
Cash
- How it works
- Handed over at the session
- Best for
- Clients who prefer it. Write it down the same day
Bank transfer
- How it works
- Client pays your account with a reference
- Best for
- Packs and one-off sessions
Card payment link
- How it works
- You send a link, they pay on their phone
- Best for
- Anything owed, and new clients
Card on file
- How it works
- Their card is saved and charged when the next pack or month is due
- Best for
- Clients who renew again and again
Direct Debit
- How it works
- Taken from their bank account each month
- Best for
- Monthly plans in the UK
What each one costs you
- Cash and bank transfers cost nothing to take. The cost is your time: chasing, checking your bank app and matching names to payments.
- Card payments carry a card fee. Stripe's published rate for standard UK cards is 1.5% + 20p a payment. Premium and international cards cost more.
- Direct Debit has its own, usually lower, fee. Check your payment provider's pricing page.
- Booking software may add its own fee. Coachfront is free to use and takes 1% on payments clients make online. Cash and transfers you record yourself cost nothing.
Take money before the session
Asking for payment when you book stops most no-shows. For a new client, take a deposit or the full price to hold the time. For regulars, sell a pack or a monthly plan paid up front, so each session simply comes off what they've paid for.
If you train someone first and get paid after, send the payment link the same day, while the session is fresh.
Write every payment down against the client
Whatever way they pay, record it against the client and the pack it was for. When a client asks how many sessions they have left, you should be able to answer in seconds, and they should be able to see it too.
Give each client a payment reference for bank transfers, such as their name and PACK. It makes matching transfers much quicker.
Chase money kindly and quickly
- Send one short message with the amount and a link: "Hi Sam, here's the link for today's session. Thanks!"
- If it's still owed a week later, send it once more.
- Don't book the next session until the last one is paid, unless you've agreed otherwise.
A simple setup that works
Card or Direct Debit for packs and monthly plans, a payment link for anything owed, and cash or transfers recorded the same day. In Coachfront, clients pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, you send pay links from the Today screen, and cash takes one tap to record. You can set it up free and try it with one client first.
Sources, checked on 19 October 2026
Quick answers
- What's the best way for a personal trainer to take payments?
- Card or Direct Debit for packs and monthly plans, paid before the sessions, plus a payment link for anything owed. Record cash and transfers against the client the same day.
- Should I charge clients before or after the session?
- Before. Take a deposit or the full price when they book, or sell a pack or plan paid up front. It cuts no-shows and chasing.
- How much are card fees for personal trainers?
- Stripe's published rate for standard UK cards is 1.5% + 20p a payment. Premium and international cards cost more.