The Everything Payment Terms Blog Post: How to Protect Your Coaching Business & Actually Get Paid

If you’ve been in the coaching industry for a while, you already know that getting paid isn’t always as simple as sending an invoice. Clients change their minds, dispute charges, request refunds at the last minute or worst of all ... simply ghost you.

That’s why your contract’s Payment Terms section is one of the most important parts of your coaching agreement. The more specific you are in anticipating different scenarios that may come up and addressing them in your contract, the better protected you’ll be. Your contract isn’t just a legal formality - it’s a tool to eliminate gray areas, set expectations, and protect your revenue.

At Destination Legal, where we provide attorney-drafted contract templates for coaches and course creators ensuring rock-solid legal protection without the hefty law firm price tag ... we know a few things about contract payment terms.

So by popular demand, in this post, we’re going to break down step by step how to create the ultimate list of payment terms to include in your coaching contract, retreat agreement or service-based contract template.

📌 Hey Coach - Ready to Level Up your Legal? Check out our Free Coaches Legal Checklist

Step 1: Reflect on Past Payment Issues in Your Business

If you are an experienced coach, the best place to start is by making a list of all the payment-related issues you’ve encountered since starting your business.

• Clients who asked for refunds outside of your policy
• Chargebacks or disputed payments
• Late or missed payments
• People trying to transfer their spot to someone else
• Confusion over what’s included in the price
• Unexpected costs that you had to cover

Step 2: Key Payment Terms to Include in Your Contract

1. Payment Amount & Structure

• The total cost of your program, retreat, or service
• Any initial deposit amount (if applicable)
• The remaining balance amount and when it’s due
• Payment plan options (if available) and any additional fees associated with them

2. Payment Deadlines

• Due date for full payment
• Payment schedule for installment plans (e.g., monthly, quarterly)
• Grace period for late payments (if any)

3. Accepted Payment Methods

• Credit/debit cards
• Bank transfers
• PayPal/Venmo
• Other third-party payment processors

4. Refund & Cancellation Policy

• Whether refunds are allowed (and under what conditions)
• Timeframes for refund eligibility
• Non-refundable deposit clause
• What happens if a client cancels participation

5. Chargebacks & Disputes

• That clients must attempt to resolve payment issues with you first
• What happens if a chargeback is filed without prior communication
• That clients will be responsible for any fees associated with disputed payments

6. Additional Fees & Costs

• Late payment penalties or interest fees
• Extra fees for room upgrades, excursions, or add-ons

7. Transfers & Substitutions

• Whether the participant can transfer their spot
• Deadlines and conditions for participant name changes
• Any administrative fees for processing transfers

8. Default & Termination

• What happens if a participant fails to make payments
• Your right to cancel participation due to non-payment

📌 Ready to protect your revenue? Check out our Free Coaches Legal Checklist

Step 3: Make Your Contract Work for You

Having a contract that outlines these details won’t just protect your business - it will also help weed out problem clients who might otherwise create issues down the road.

Step 4: Get a Legal Template (and a Quick Attorney Review if Needed)

We know that drafting a contract from scratch can be expensive - our customers who have looked at hiring a business contracts attorney to write a single contract have been quoted prices beginning at $3,000 to $5,000+ per contract.

That’s why we created affordable, attorney-drafted contract templates specifically for coaches, course creators, and retreat hosts, check out more at Destination Legal.