You offer a coaching program at €1,200, a training course at €900 or a custom project at €1,500. The client is convinced, but when it comes to the price, they hesitate: “It’s a bit expensive for me right now.” Very often, it isn’t the total price that holds them back, it’s having to pay it all at once.
Offering installment payments to your clients solves this problem. The same amount, split into 3, 4 or 6 installments, becomes affordable, and the sale goes through.
In this guide, you’ll see the 4 ways to offer installment payments, how to set up each of them, and why most solutions are built for online stores rather than for the coaches, trainers, therapists and freelancers who sell a service.
Installment payments: what exactly are we talking about?
Installment payments let your client pay the total amount of a purchase in several installments, for example 4 × €300 instead of €1,200 at once. You’ll also hear about split payments or payment plans: these terms mean the same thing.
It shouldn’t be confused with consumer credit, where a lender lends money to the client after reviewing an application and often charges interest, nor with deferred payment, where the client pays the full amount later, in one go.
The benefits of installment payments for you and your clients
- You remove the price objection. The client no longer compares €1,200 to their bank balance, but €300 a month to the value of your program.
- You sell your premium offers more easily. A complete program becomes as accessible as a single session.
- You help your client manage their cash flow. They commit without putting themselves in difficulty.
- You build client loyalty. A client who could pay at their own pace keeps a good impression of you and is more likely to come back.
The 4 ways to offer installment payments to your clients
There are 4 main ways to set up flexible payment terms for your clients. Each payment solution has its advantages and constraints: here is how each one works and how to set it up in practice.
Use a BNPL solution (Alma, Oney, Klarna)
BNPL (Buy Now, Pay Later) solutions are specialized payment providers. The client chooses to pay in installments at checkout, the provider pays you the full amount, then collects the installments from the client itself. In return, you pay a commission on each sale.
How to set it up:
- Apply for an account with the provider (Alma, Oney, Klarna…) and wait for your business and activity to be approved.
- Install the payment module on your website (WooCommerce, Shopify, PrestaShop…) or use the tools provided by the provider.
- Enable the plans you want, most often payment in 3 or 4 installments.
It’s a good solution for an online store with a shopping cart. It has the advantage of paying you all at once.
Enable Klarna or Alma from your Stripe account
If you already collect payments with Stripe, you can enable some installment payment methods directly from your Stripe dashboard, such as Klarna or Alma. They then appear as an extra option on your Stripe payment page.
How to set it up:
- In your Stripe dashboard, open the payment methods settings.
- Enable Klarna and/or Alma.
- Use a Stripe payment page (Checkout or Payment Link) on which these options are displayed.
It’s simple if you already use Stripe, but you stay within the limits set by Klarna or Alma: a limited number of installments (usually 2, 3 or 4), minimum and maximum amounts, and case-by-case approval of the client.
Manage the payments yourself (bank transfers, checks)
This is the “old-school” method: you agree on a payment schedule with your client, who then pays you each month by bank transfer or gives you several checks to cash on different dates.
How to set it up:
- Write the payment schedule (dates and amounts) into your quote, contract or terms of sale.
- Have the client sign the document.
- Track each installment in a spreadsheet and remind the client if they forget.
It’s free and you choose the number of installments freely. On the other hand, everything rests on you: tracking, reminders, late payments and the risk of unpaid invoices.
Use a tool that handles installment payments with Stripe, such as Stripy
The last option: a tool connected to your Stripe account that manages the payment plan for you. That’s what Stripy does. You create a payment link by entering the amount of each installment and the number of installments, you send it to your client, and they pay by card or by SEPA Direct Debit. The following installments are then charged automatically every month, and everything stops on its own once the last one is paid. There’s nothing to integrate into your website: Stripy works with your existing Stripe account.
Setup takes a few minutes: the steps are detailed below, with a video tutorial.
Comparison of the 4 solutions
| BNPL solution (Alma, Oney, Klarna) | Klarna or Alma via Stripe | Managed yourself | Stripy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of installments | Usually 3 or 4 | Usually 2, 3 or 4 | Free choice | Free choice, you decide |
| Industries accepted | Depends on the provider’s policy | Depends on Klarna’s or Alma’s rules | All | All |
| Website needed | Usually (e-commerce module) | A Stripe payment page | No | No, a simple link is enough |
| Client can be declined | Yes, after review by the provider | Yes, after review by the provider | No | No, no credit check |
| When you get paid | All at once, at the sale | All at once, at the sale | At each installment | At each installment, on your Stripe account |
| Installment tracking | Handled by the provider | Handled by Klarna or Alma | Manual | Automatic, with a dashboard |
| Cost | Commission on each sale | Stripe fees specific to this payment method | Free, but time and risk | Depends on the plan (free or subscription) |
Selling a service? The limits of standard solutions (and how Stripy solves them)
When you’re a fitness coach, dietitian, business coach, freelance trainer or personal development coach, your reality isn’t e-commerce. Here are the limits and drawbacks you run into most often, and how Stripy addresses them.
Solutions built for e-commerce, not for services
BNPL solutions and payment plugins are built for merchants selling products online: they assume your client buys on a website by adding a product to a cart. But a coaching program or a service is rarely sold that way: you close the deal during a discovery call, a meeting or a message exchange. You don’t always have a website, let alone an online store.
With Stripy, you don’t need a website. You create a payment link in a few seconds and send it to your client by email, text, WhatsApp or direct message, right after your conversation.
Limited to 3 or 4 installments and to certain amounts
Most BNPL solutions offer payment in 3 or 4 installments, with a minimum and maximum amount per purchase. When a longer plan exists, it usually goes through credit, with fees for the client and a review of their application. For a 6-month coaching program or a €2,000 training course, this framework quickly becomes too rigid.
With Stripy, you decide: you set the amount of each installment and the number of installments to match your offer, for example one installment per month for the whole length of your program.
Your industry may be declined
Split payment providers choose which activities they accept. Take Sophie, who offers personal development training. She signs up with a split payment solution, prepares her sales pages… then receives an email a few days later: her field of activity isn’t accepted after all. She turns to other providers, but those that accept her don’t go beyond 4 monthly installments, while her program lasts 6 months. In the meantime, she keeps managing installment payments herself, at her own risk.
With Stripy, there are no restrictions based on your industry. Coach, therapist, trainer, artist or craftsperson: if you can collect payments with Stripe, you can offer installment payments to your clients.
Your client may be declined at checkout
With a BNPL solution, the provider assesses each client before accepting the split payment. If your client isn’t approved, they’re stuck at checkout, even though they had said yes. For you, it’s a sale lost at the last moment, and an awkward situation for them.
With Stripy, there’s no credit check. Your client simply pays by card or by SEPA Direct Debit.
Managing the schedule by hand takes time and leads to oversights
Managing payments yourself works with two or three clients. Beyond that, you need to keep a spreadsheet, check every transfer, chase late payers and handle checks. The time you spend on it is time you don’t spend with your clients.
With Stripy, the payment schedule runs itself: your client is charged automatically every month, you track the progress of all your payments from a dashboard, and the charges stop automatically once all installments are paid.
How to offer installment payments to my clients with Stripy?
Here’s how to offer installment payments to your clients with Stripy, in a few minutes. The video below shows you each step.
Step 1: create your Stripy account and connect (or create) your Stripe account
Create your account on Stripy, then connect your Stripe account. If you don’t have one yet, you can create it during this step. Stripy runs on Stripe: your clients’ payments go straight to your Stripe account.
Step 2: create your installment payment link
Create a new payment link and enter:
- the amount of each installment,
- the number of installments.
For example, for a €900 training course, you can create a link for 3 × €300. For a 6-month program, 6 × €200. You adapt the split to each offer, or even to each client.
Step 3: send the link to your client
Copy the link and send it to your client through the channel of your choice: email, text, WhatsApp, Instagram message, or directly on your sales page. Your client opens the link, chooses their payment method (card or SEPA Direct Debit, depending on those enabled on your Stripe account) and pays their first installment directly on the payment page.
Step 4: track payments from your dashboard
Each month, the next installment is charged automatically. From your Stripy dashboard, you can see where each client stands: installments paid, installments remaining, progress. If an installment fails, both you and your client are notified by email. Once the last installment is paid, the payment stops on its own. You have nothing to do.
They offer installment payments to their clients with Stripy
Coaches, trainers, practitioners: they sell services between €700 and €1,500, often in person or on a call. They send the payment link during or right after a meeting, a discovery call or a trial session, at the moment the client has made their decision.
The examples below are inspired by real Stripy users. First names and offer details have been changed.
Camille, dietitian-nutritionist: a 6-month program paid month by month
Camille offers personalized nutrition coaching by video call: a meal plan, practical guides, recipes and regular messaging with her clients. Her 3-month program costs around €750, the 6-month one around €1,300.
After a free first assessment, she sends the payment link by email. For the 6-month program, she chose one installment per month, around 6 × €220: her clients pay at the same pace as the coaching. As a result, the longer program, the most effective one for her clients, is no longer reserved for those who can pay €1,300 upfront.
Karim, business coach: a €1,500 program sold after a call
Karim helps freelancers find more clients. His program combines an online course, group coaching sessions and one-to-one follow-up for 3 months, for around €1,500.
He sells his program during a discovery video call. When the prospect is ready to start, he creates a link for 3 × €500 or 6 × €250 depending on their budget and sends it in the call chat. The client pays their first installment before even hanging up. For Karim, it’s the end of “I’ll think about it” when the price comes up.
Élodie, personal development coach: a 4-month program paid in 4 installments
Élodie helps women regain self-confidence, in her practice or by video call. Her one-to-one program lasts 4 months and costs around €1,200.
At the end of the discovery session, she presents her offer and sends the payment link by text: 4 × €300, one installment per month of coaching. She no longer needs to track each client’s transfers or chase them: the charges happen on their own and she can see each client’s progress in her dashboard.
FAQ: your questions about installment payments
Do I need a website to offer installment payments?
Not necessarily. BNPL solutions are usually installed on an online store, but with a tool like Stripy, a simple payment link is enough. You send it by email, text or message, and your client pays from their phone or computer.
Stripe doesn't offer installment payments natively: what can I do?
Stripe handles one-time payments and subscriptions very well, but it has no simple option to split a payment into a number of installments you choose freely. You can enable Klarna or Alma from Stripe, with their limits (usually 2 to 4 installments), or use a tool like Stripy, which creates the payment schedule on your Stripe account and stops it automatically after the last installment. We cover this in detail in our article on installment payments with Stripe.
What happens if my client misses an installment?
With Stripy, if an installment fails (expired card, insufficient funds…), you and your client receive an email notification. Stripe then keeps retrying the charge automatically. Your client can update their payment details or pay the installment directly from a payment page. You don't have to chase them yourself.
Can my client pay by SEPA Direct Debit instead of by card?
Yes. Stripy uses the payment methods enabled on your Stripe account. If SEPA Direct Debit is enabled there, your client can use it to pay their installments, in addition to card payments.
How do I invoice a service paid in installments?
Generally, you issue an invoice for the total amount of the service and set out the payment schedule (dates and amounts of the installments) in the payment terms. The rules can vary depending on your legal status and business: have your approach checked by your accountant.
How much does Stripy cost?
Stripy offers a free plan with no subscription, and subscription plans for higher volumes. All prices are listed on the Stripy home page.
Conclusion: offering installment payments to my clients, simply
Offering installment payments to your clients is one of the simplest ways to sell your most complete offers without lowering your prices. To choose the right solution, remember three points:
- BNPL solutions (Alma, Oney, Klarna) work well for an online store selling in 3 or 4 installments.
- If you sell a service, often directly and without an online store, you need a flexible solution: a link to send, installments you choose, no industry restrictions.
- With Stripy, you offer installment payments in a few minutes, with your Stripe account, and the payment schedule runs itself.