How much should I charge for online coaching?

Work out your floor price first: your target income plus your costs and tax, divided by the number of clients you can coach well. Then set that price against comparable coaches and what you add on top, such as contest prep or a specialism.

Do I have to charge VAT on online coaching?

Only once you are registered for VAT. Registration becomes compulsory when your taxable turnover over the last 12 months goes over the VAT threshold. Check the current figure and the rules on gov.uk.

Should I offer a three-month minimum commitment?

It often helps: physical results take months, and a three-month commitment gives them time to show. Keep it clear and in writing, with exactly what is included.

Do I need insurance to coach online?

Professional indemnity and public liability insurance protect you if a client claims your advice caused them harm or loss. Many gyms and platforms ask for them. Compare policies aimed at fitness professionals and check they cover online coaching.

Guides › Pricing your coaching

How much should you charge for online coaching?

By Jérémy Altero · updated 31 October 2026 · 7 min read

The right price for online coaching comes from three numbers: the real time each client takes you every month, your costs (tax, National Insurance, tools, insurance), and the income you want to keep. Put them together and you get a floor price, which you then set against the market and the value you bring. Charging too little is the most common mistake, because it limits how many clients you can coach well.

What your client is really paying for

An online client is not buying a PDF programme: they can find one for free. They are buying coaching, meaning someone who adjusts their training and nutrition every week, answers their questions and keeps them on track. Your price should reflect that support, not the number of pages in the programme.

Step 1: measure your time per client

Add up everything one client takes you in a month: writing and adjusting the programme and the diet, reading and answering check-ins, messages, calls.

Measure it with your first clients rather than guessing: almost everyone underestimates the time spent on messages.

Step 2: set yourself up and list your costs

Most UK coaches start as a sole trader. If your gross trading income goes over the £1,000 trading allowance in a tax year, you need to register for Self Assessment, by 5 October after the end of that tax year (see “Tax-free allowances on property and trading income” on gov.uk). What your client pays is not what you keep, so list what goes out before you set a price.

Income Tax and National Insurance on your profits, paid through Self Assessment: check the current rates and thresholds on gov.uk (“Self-employed National Insurance rates”)
Payments on account: once your bill passes a certain level, HMRC asks for advance payments towards next year’s tax, due 31 January and 31 July (see “Payments on account” on gov.uk)
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: it is being phased in for sole traders above a qualifying income threshold, which drops each year. Check whether it applies to you on gov.uk
Insurance: professional indemnity and public liability cover. Check what your insurer and any gym you work in require
The ICO data protection fee: sole traders who handle personal data usually need to pay it, and client photos and injury history are personal data. Check on ico.org.uk
Your tools: coaching app, equipment, subscriptions, and your ongoing education

Step 3: work out your floor price

Start from the monthly income you want to keep, add your costs and money set aside for tax, then divide by the number of clients you can coach properly with the time measured in step 1. The result is your floor price: below it, you are either losing money or short-changing your clients.

An example to show the calculation: say one client takes you three hours a month and you can give sixty hours a month to coaching. You can then coach twenty clients, and your floor price is what those twenty clients need to pay to cover your target income and all your costs.

Set tax money aside every month as it comes in. A Self Assessment bill lands in one go, by 31 January after the tax year ends, and it is the surprise that catches out most new sole traders.

Step 4: keep an eye on the VAT threshold

You must register for VAT once your taxable turnover over the last 12 months goes over the VAT threshold, which is a rolling test and not based on the tax year. Check the current threshold on gov.uk (“Register for VAT”). If you are getting close, decide in advance whether your prices will include VAT or have it added on top, because it changes what you keep from every client.

Step 5: build your packages

Once you know your floor price, you can build clear packages.

A standard monthly package, with one check-in a week
A three-month commitment, often a little cheaper per month, which gives results time to show
Contest prep, priced higher: more check-ins, a peak week and support on show day
Written terms for every package: number of check-ins, response time, how clients can contact you

Mistakes to avoid

Matching the cheapest coach on Instagram without knowing your own floor price
Promising unlimited messages with no response time
Keeping the same price when the coaching gets more demanding (contest prep, medical goals)
Spending your tax money: it is not income until HMRC has had its share
Skipping qualifications and insurance: before you take paying clients, check what your insurer and the gyms you work with expect. CIMSPA, the UK sector’s professional body, lists recognised qualifications

With ALTERO

ALTERO helps you coach more clients without losing your evenings (summarised check-ins, voice replies, reusable templates), and your own branded space on the Pro plan supports a higher price. The cost follows your business: free for up to 2 athletes, €29 a month for up to 10, €79 a month for unlimited athletes. ALTERO bills in euros.

See ALTERO pricing