Do you need a payment processor? Probably not
If clients pay by transfer or cash, the money isn’t the problem. Knowing who paid for what is.
- A processor takes a cut of every session, and it still won’t tell you who trained past their pack.
- Set the rule once, at sign-up: memberships paid by the 1st for the month ahead, packs before session one, drop-ins on the day.
- Put it in your welcome message. Then a reminder is the rule talking, not you being awkward.
- Paid in cash? Write it down before they leave the room. Cash you didn’t note is the payment you’ll end up arguing about.
What to record for each client
The plan, the period it covers, paid or not, and the date the money landed.
| Plan | What it covers | Where it slips |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly membership | One month, e.g. 1–31 October | A transfer with no month on it |
| Session pack | The pack, until the last session | Sessions trained after the last one |
| Drop-in | The one session | A tab nobody added up |
Ask clients to put their name and the month in the transfer reference: “Omar Oct”. Record when it landed, not when you asked. When a client says “I paid you in October”, the date settles it in seconds. For everything else worth keeping per client: how to keep track of personal training clients without a spreadsheet.
Owed or expired: which is it?
Owed means they’ve trained, or their month has started, and they haven’t paid. Expired means the plan ran out and they haven’t trained since.
- Membership: owed from the day the month starts. They signed up for the month, not for sessions.
- Missed the whole month? Still owed. Offer to pause next month rather than waive this one.
- Pack: nothing is owed until they train past the last session. Every session after that is.
Deciding which plan to sell in the first place: session packs vs monthly memberships.
A pack that ran out is a sale to make. Not a debt to chase.
What to text in each case
First name, the amount, one clear ask. Send it once, on a weekday morning, not at 11pm.
Leave out “sorry to bother you”, “just a friendly reminder” and “whenever you can”. Each one tells them it can wait.
1They trained past their pack
- Looks like
- The 10-pack ended on the 3rd. She’s been in twice since and nobody said a word.
- Do this
- Say it face to face first, then text it so it’s in writing. Give two options.
Chloe, your 10-pack ran out on the 3rd and we’ve done 2 since. €80 by transfer, or shall I add them to the next pack?
2A month unpaid
- Looks like
- It’s the 5th. Everyone’s October is in except Omar’s.
- Do this
- Name the month. No answer in 3 days? Don’t text again: ask in person at his next session.
Omar, October’s €60 hasn’t come through yet. Can you send it today?
3Drop-ins not paid on the day
- Looks like
- “I’ll get you next time.” Three times.
- Do this
- Ask at the door. If they can’t pay, note it, and send the total before they book another class.
Ben, that’s 3 drop-ins at €15, so €45. Can you transfer it before Thursday’s class?
4Their pack ran out and they stopped coming
- Looks like
- Last session three weeks ago, and not a word since.
- Do this
- Don’t mention money. Offer the next block, with one reason to come back.
Nadia, your pack finished on the 4th. Same again, or 2 a week through December to get that 60 kg squat?
The 5-minute month-start check
On the 5th, once the month’s transfers have landed, before your first client: four lists, then the texts.
- 1Memberships: who has this month’s payment, with a date? Everyone else goes on the owed list.
- 2Packs: whose pack has run out? If they’ve trained since, those sessions are owed. If not, the pack has expired: offer a renewal.
- 3Drop-ins: any visit not paid on the day? Add them up per client.
- 4Next 7 days: whose membership renews, or pack is down to its last 2 sessions? Bring it up in person this week.
- 5Send the owed texts now. Mark each one paid, with the date, the day the money lands.
When a payment drags into a second month
Texts have stopped working. Talk to them in private, and don’t train a third month on credit.
- Before the session, not after: “Omar, September and October are still open, €120. What’s going on?” Then listen.
- Money tight? Offer a pause or fewer sessions.
- Agree one date and write it down. A date, not “soon”.
- Not going to chase it? Write it off on purpose and note why. Then it stops sitting in your head.
