How to Invoice as a Life Coach
A step-by-step guide for coaches who work with individuals: how to bill single sessions, bundles and memberships, and how to keep each client's invoices simple.
When a client pays a life coach out of their own pocket, the invoice should be short and plain: what they booked, when, and what they owe. The main billing choice is timing: whether the client pays per session, buys a bundle of sessions, or pays a monthly amount.
This guide follows those choices in order, then covers group programs, rescheduling terms and getting paid. Tax on coaching services is a question for your accountant.
Worked example (sample figures): a client buys a monthly membership of four sessions at $130.00 each, so 4 × $130.00 = $520.00 a month. In the second month they book one extra session at $150.00. The second month's invoices total $520.00 + $150.00 = $670.00. Use your own prices; these are only an illustration.
Step-by-step invoicing guide
- 1
Choose how clients pay you
Decide between three ways of selling: one session at a time, a bundle bought in advance, or a monthly membership. Put the choice, the price and what's included in writing before the first session.
- 2
Bill single sessions before they happen
For a one-off session, send the invoice when the client books, with the session date on it. Billed's invoice software page says: "Set a due date on each invoice so your client knows when to pay."
- 3
Sell bundles on one invoice
For a bundle, invoice the whole bundle at the start and name the number of sessions it covers. If the client pays it in parts: Billed's help article on payment schedules says: "A payment schedule lets you add a payment plan to the invoices." Its steps include: "Fill out the payment amount and due date of each payment."
- 4
Run memberships on a schedule
For a monthly membership, bill the same amount on a fixed date every month. Billed's invoice software page says: "For clients you bill on a schedule, set up a recurring profile once." It adds: "Choose the billing frequency (daily, weekly, monthly or yearly) and how many invoices to send, or keep sending until you stop."
- 5
Give each person in a group their own invoice
For a group program, invoice each participant separately, so each person sees only what they owe. Billed's invoice software page says you can "save the products and services you sell so you can pull them into an invoice instead of retyping them".
- 6
Write down your rescheduling terms
Set a notice period for moving a session, and decide what happens to one the client skips. Billed's help article on creating an invoice describes an Additional Notes section and says: "You can also add any terms and conditions in this section."
- 7
Take payment and follow up
Billed's mobile app page says: "Invoices carry a pay button when Stripe or PayPal is connected, so clients can pay by card the minute they receive it." Billed's help article on partial payments says: "You can let your clients pay the partial amount through this option." Billed's help article on payment reminders says: "You can set a schedule of payment reminders before and after the invoice's due date." and "You can send up to three reminders."
Tips for life coach invoicing
- Keep invoice wording plain: show the date, the session and the amount.
- Name your bundle and membership the same way on your website, your booking page and your invoices.
- Send a membership invoice a few days before each month starts.
- Bill an extra session separately, so it doesn't look like a price change.
- Number invoices in sequence. Billed's help article on creating an invoice says: "Each new invoice number will be one number greater than the previous invoice number."
Common invoicing mistakes to avoid
- Holding sessions before a single-session invoice is paid, then chasing the money afterwards.
- Selling a bundle without saying when its sessions must be used.
- Sending one combined invoice to a group, which can leave each person unsure of their share.
- Changing a membership price without telling the client before the next invoice.
- Having no written rescheduling terms when a client misses a session.
How this works in Billed
Monthly Memberships
Billed's invoice software page says: "For clients you bill on a schedule, set up a recurring profile once." It adds: "Choose the billing frequency (daily, weekly, monthly or yearly) and how many invoices to send, or keep sending until you stop."
Bundles Paid in Parts
Billed's help article on payment schedules says: "A payment schedule lets you add a payment plan to the invoices." Its steps include: "Fill out the payment amount and due date of each payment." The same article says "the sum of all the payments should be equal to the total balance of the invoice."
Saved Sessions and Programs
Billed's invoice software page says you can "save the products and services you sell so you can pull them into an invoice instead of retyping them".
Card, Check or Cash
Billed's mobile app page says: "Invoices carry a pay button when Stripe or PayPal is connected, so clients can pay by card the minute they receive it." Its invoice software page says: "When a client pays by check or cash, record it as an offline payment so all your income is in one place."
Payment Reminders
Billed's help article on payment reminders says: "You can set a schedule of payment reminders before and after the invoice's due date." and "You can send up to three reminders."
Frequently asked questions
Start Invoicing With Billed
Set up your account and send your first invoice with Billed.
At a glance
- Single session: one invoice at booking, with the session date.
- Bundle: one invoice for the whole bundle, paid upfront or in parts.
- Membership: a fixed amount on a fixed date every month.
- Group program: one invoice per participant.
When this isn't for you
This guide covers coaches who bill individual clients. If an employer pays for the coaching, follow the employer's supplier and invoice process first.