An academy platform usually costs you in three ways: a subscription for using the software, sometimes a one-time setup fee, and a platform fee taken as a share of the sales made through it. Payment gateway charges sit on top and are normally separate from the platform. How and when the money reaches your bank, known as settlement, matters as much as the headline price, because it shapes your cash flow and your bookkeeping.
The cost components, one by one
When you compare platforms, break every offer down into the same parts so you are comparing like with like:
- Subscription. A fixed monthly or annual charge for the software itself. It is predictable, which makes it easy to budget for.
- Setup or onboarding fee. A one-time charge some plans include for configuration, branding or assisted setup. Ask exactly what it covers.
- Platform fee. A share of each sale made through the platform. It scales with your revenue, so it costs little when you are small and more as you grow.
- Payment gateway charges. The gateway's own fee for processing each transaction. This applies whichever platform you use, because the gateway, not the platform, moves the money.
- Add-ons and outside costs. Your domain name, video storage if you host your own files, and any email or marketing tools you still pay for separately.
No single component tells you the full story. A low subscription with a high platform fee can cost more for a busy academy than the reverse, and the opposite can be true for someone just starting out.
Why the platform fee exists
Owners sometimes see a platform fee as a hidden tax. It is more useful to see it as a pricing choice. A fee tied to sales lets a platform keep its fixed subscription lower, so a new coach is not paying heavily before they have students. The trade-off is that your costs rise as your online sales rise.
Be wary of any offer that claims to cost nothing on sales without explaining how the provider is paid. Every platform has running costs, and they are recovered somewhere, whether through the subscription, a higher setup fee, extra charges for features, or limits that push you onto a larger plan. Clear pricing that shows each part is easier to plan around than a headline that hides them.
Settlement: how the money reaches you
Settlement is the route money takes from the student's payment to your bank account. There are two common models:
- The platform collects and you request payouts. Payments land with the platform, the platform fee is deducted, and you request a payout of your balance to your bank. This is simple to start with, because you do not need to set up and manage your own gateway account.
- Direct settlement into your own gateway account. Payments go straight into a gateway account in your institute's name, and the platform's charges are handled under a separate agreement. Larger institutes often prefer this for control, faster access to funds and cleaner accounting.
Neither model is better in every case. A solo coach may value the simplicity of payouts, while an institute with its own finance team may want money in its own account from day one.
Refunds, disputes and reporting
Costs are not only about the price list. Ask how refunds are handled: when a student is refunded, does the platform fee and your payout balance adjust automatically, or does someone have to correct the figures by hand? Accurate reports depend on refunds reversing the related entries. Also check whether you can export revenue, payment and invoice reports for your accountant, and whether the records clearly separate gateway charges, platform fees and your net income.
Compare total cost, not the headline price
The fairest comparison is the total cost of running your academy, not the cheapest line on a pricing page. A platform that looks more expensive may replace a separate website builder, an email tool, a video hosting plan and a lead tracker you would otherwise pay for and maintain. Time counts too: every hour spent copying data between tools is an hour not spent teaching.
Useful questions to put to any provider:
- What does each plan include, and what is charged separately?
- Is there a setup fee, and what exactly does it cover?
- How is the platform fee calculated, and on which sales does it apply?
- Who holds the money, and how long does settlement or a payout take?
- How are refunds reflected in fees and reports?
- Can I export my student and payment data if I leave?
Where MBSGuru fits
MBSGuru offers Starter, Academy and Enterprise plans. Each has a subscription, some include a one-time setup fee, and a platform fee applies to course sales made through the site. On Starter and Academy the platform collects payments and you request payouts to your bank, while Enterprise is contract based with direct settlement into your own gateway account. Current figures are on the pricing page, and larger institutes can talk to us about Enterprise.
