The best payment solutions for personal trainers

As a personal trainer, you know how important it is to keep your focus on your clients, not on wrestling with clunky payment systems. The best payment solutions are nearly invisible — working seamlessly in the background and ensuring smooth transactions without interrupting your flow. With the proper setup, the right payment solution can streamline your online fitness business, improve client satisfaction, and make managing your income much easier.

In this article, we’ll explore how the right payment solutions can help you operate more efficiently, allowing you to focus on growth. We’ll also dive into some of the best options available today.

Benefits of collecting payments online for personal trainers

While securing cash flow is important, it’s not the only benefit that being able to collect online payments can deliver for personal trainers. Switching to online payments can also provide valuable insights about clients and help you enhance their experience. Here’s how:

• Convenience: Easy payment options, like credit cards and mobile wallets, encourage timely payments and simplify the payment process.
• Reduced admin work: Automated billing, subscriptions, and reminders mean less time spent on invoicing, allowing trainers to focus more on clients.
• Enhanced professionalism: A seamless, secure payment solution projects a trustworthy, professional image, strengthening client relationships.
• Valuable business insights: Data on income trends and client habits helps trainers make informed decisions on how to grow their business.

Solutions to help personal trainers collect payments online

There are a variety of online payment solutions that cater to personal trainers. Take a look at these five popular platforms.

1. Square

Square is a versatile, all-in-one payment system that’s as mobile as you are. With robust, built-in tools for invoicing, appointment scheduling, and even email marketing, Square goes beyond payment processing to offer a complete business management solution. It creates seamless client experiences while making financial tracking and organization much easier.

• Pricing and plans: Square offers a free plan (transaction fees still apply) with a mobile point-of-sale (POS) app and online store. Its paid plans, which start at $29 per month, offer more advanced features.
• Square transaction fees: Square charges 2.6 percent plus $0.10 per in-person transaction and 2.9 percent plus $0.30 for online payments.
• Security: Square is PCI-compliant and uses end-to-end encryption to protect customer data. It also offers fraud detection tools.

2. PayPal

PayPal is a household name, and its familiarity can be a plus for personal trainers looking to reassure clients with a trusted option. Its flexibility allows trainers to accept payments across the globe, making it ideal for those who also offer virtual training or online fitness programs. With features like one-click payments, invoicing, and integrations with various booking systems, PayPal simplifies the payment process for trainers and clients alike.

• Pricing and plans: PayPal doesn’t have a monthly fee for its basic service, making it a cost-effective option for trainers with small to medium-sized businesses.
• Transaction fees: PayPal’s fees vary according to the payment method used. For example, it charges 2.99 percent plus $0.49 per transaction for online credit or debit card payments, depending on the country; 2.29 percent plus a fixed fee for QR code payments; and 3.49 percent plus a fixed fee for PayPal Checkout.
• Security: PayPal offers advanced fraud protection, including encryption and 24-7 monitoring. It’s PCI-compliant, and it offers authentication through passkeys to keep accounts secure.

3. Stripe

Known for its developer-friendly platform, Stripe allows trainers to customize their payment process to meet specific business needs, including options for mobile apps, recurring subscriptions, and seamless website integration. It’s a scalable solution that allows trainers to start small and then expand their services or client base.

• Pricing and plans: Stripe has no setup or monthly fees, making it a flexible option for trainers. Additional options like invoicing and advanced reporting are offered through add-ons.
• Transaction fees: Stripe charges 2.9 percent plus $0.30 per transaction; there are additional fees for international payments.
• Security: Stripe is known for its top-tier security, with built-in encryption, multifactor authentication, and PCI compliance. It also offers tools to detect and block fraudulent transactions.

4. Mindbody

Mindbody is a powerful solution tailored specifically for fitness and wellness businesses that want an all-in-one payment, scheduling, and client management platform. With Mindbody, trainers can easily set up class-booking pages, manage recurring memberships, and offer online payment options — all from a single dashboard.

• Pricing and plans: Contact with Mindbody’s sales team to learn about pricing.
• Transaction fees: Mindbody charges 2.75 percent plus $0.10 per transaction for in-person payments through debit or credit cards and 3.5 percent plus $0.15 per transaction for non-card payment methods like mobile wallets.
• Security: Mindbody is PCI-compliant and employs data encryption, secure logins, and fraud detection to protect both client and trainer data.

5. Venmo for Business

Venmo for Business is an accessible, user-friendly option for trainers who work primarily with U.S.-based clients and want to add a social touch to payment interactions. Known for its popularity among younger clients, Venmo enables trainers to receive payments directly through the app, with an added option for clients to share their payment activity with their contacts. This feature can double as free advertising when happy clients promote their training sessions within their own networks.

• Pricing and plans: Venmo for Business offers easy setup and no monthly fees, making it an affordable option for trainers who work with clients in the United States. (Venmo is currently only available in the U.S.)
• Transaction fees: 3.49 percent plus $0.49 per transaction
• Security: Venmo complies with major financial regulations and uses encryption and data tokenization to protect user information. Venmo for Business accounts also have added fraud monitoring.

These payment solutions each offer unique features and pricing structures, allowing personal trainers to find the best fit for their needs.

Jotform: A powerful tool to help personal trainers collect payments seamlessly

Improve your customer’s experience by enhancing the payment process with dynamic forms. Jotform lets you create forms and apps that guide users through service selection, collect background information, gather feedback, and more. From online forms with payment integrations to custom apps, Jotform has the tools to empower you to create a professional payment process that saves time and reduces admin work.

Here are some key ways Jotform makes payment collection easier for personal trainers:

• Wide range of payment processors: Jotform features over 40 payment processor integrations — including Square, PayPal, and Stripe — so you can connect your preferred provider to Jotform’s payment forms, making it easy to start collecting payments online.
• Customizable payment forms: Jotform offers more than 250 payment form templates that you can customize to match your brand and specific services, from single sessions to subscription packages. You can share your forms directly via email, embed them on a website, or distribute them using QR codes, allowing clients to pay in seconds by simply scanning the code.
• No-code app builder: You can create a dedicated app where clients can register for courses or personal training sessions and pay directly through the app — no coding required. This creates a centralized, professional experience for both bookings and payments.
• Easy payment tracking with Jotform Tables: Jotform Tables allows you to track payments in real time, providing a clear overview of client transactions, outstanding balances, and payment history in one place.

These features give personal trainers a seamless, reliable way to collect payments and manage their businesses efficiently. Jotform is an adaptable, robust solution that can grow alongside your practice. Test drive it yourself.

Photo by Helcim Payments on Unsplash