TrueCoach’s 5% payment fee, and how to keep 95% of what you earn
If your coaching software takes a percentage of every payment, that is a tax on your growth. Here is what a 5% payment fee actually costs over a year, and how a flat, all-in 5% with card costs included compares.
Key takeaways
- A percentage fee on every payment grows with your income: the more you earn, the more it takes.
- A 5% fee on $3,000/month is $1,800 a year, before the base subscription and card processing.
- "0% commission" tools look cheaper but usually make you bring your own processor and pay extra for nutrition or a branded app.
- No Excuses charges a flat 5% with card costs already included: you keep 95%, everything bundled.
What a payment fee really means
Per its public pricing (2026), TrueCoach charges a fee on every client payment processed through the platform, on top of the monthly subscription, and on top of the card-processing fee. It is small per transaction, which is exactly why it is easy to miss. Across a year of a full roster it adds up.
The math on a real coaching income
| You bill clients | 5% payment fee | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| $1,000 / month | $50 / month | $600 |
| $2,000 / month | $100 / month | $1,200 |
| $3,000 / month | $150 / month | $1,800 |
Illustrative, based on a 5% payment fee on processed payments. This is on top of the base subscription and card-processing fees.
That is money leaving before you have paid for anything else. And because it is a percentage, it scales the wrong way: the better you do, the bigger the cut.
Flat fee vs. fee-on-top vs. "0% commission"
- Fee-on-top (e.g. TrueCoach): Subscription + a percentage of every payment + card processing, stacked.
- 0% commission (BYO processor): No platform cut, but you connect your own Stripe or PayPal and pay their ~2.9% + fixed fee, and you often pay separately for nutrition or a branded app.
- Flat, all-in (No Excuses): A single flat 5% with card costs already included, and nutrition, training, your catalog and payments all bundled. You keep 95%.
Compare the all-in cost, not the headline
"0% commission" sounds unbeatable, but once you add your own processor fees and the add-ons you have to pay for separately, the real total is often higher than a flat, everything-included 5%. Always compare the all-in number.
Keep 95%, in one app
The honest differentiator is not just the 5%. Plenty of tools advertise low or zero commission. It is that the 5% is all-in, card costs included, with your whole business in one place, and payouts that land in your own currency in the UK, the Netherlands and South Africa.
No Excuses gives coaches the whole business in one app (clients, plans, an offerings catalog and in-app payments), and you keep 95%.
See the coach platformFrequently asked
Does No Excuses take a percentage of payments?+
Yes, a flat 5%, but card-processing costs are already included in it, so the 5% is the whole fee, not a cut on top of a separate processor charge. You keep 95%.
Is 0% commission software cheaper?+
Not always. With 0% commission you bring your own payment processor and pay its fees (typically around 2.9% plus a fixed amount), and you often pay separately for nutrition or a branded app. Compare the all-in cost.
How do No Excuses payouts work?+
Clients pay in-app and you are paid out locally (GBP in the UK, EUR in the Netherlands and ZAR in South Africa), with an invoice carrying the correct VAT.