Direct debit for personal trainers: UK options compared

What is direct debit in the UK?

Direct debit is a way for a business to collect money from a customer's bank account with the customer's permission. In the UK it runs on Bacs, the scheme that moves payments between UK banks. Your client signs up once by giving their bank details and agreeing to a mandate. After that, you can collect the amounts you agreed, on the dates you agreed, without asking for a card or a transfer each time.

For a personal trainer, that fits recurring work: a monthly coaching fee, a fixed number of sessions per month, or an instalment plan for a larger package. Direct debits in the UK are covered by the Direct Debit Guarantee, which is a scheme-wide promise from UK banks and building societies. That is one reason some clients feel comfortable with it.

Direct debit is not an instant payment, and a collection can fail if the client's account has no money in it. Providers show failed payments so you can follow up. Check each provider's help pages for set-up and collection timings.

Most self-employed trainers do not run direct debit themselves. They use a payment provider that already has the Bacs access and handles the mandate form, collection and reminders. Rules on who can sign up differ by provider, so read their terms first.

Direct debit companies for personal trainers

Two providers come up most often when trainers search for direct debit. Both are general payment companies, not fitness specialists, and neither is a FitDesk product.

GoCardless

GoCardless is a UK company focused on bank-to-bank payments, including Bacs Direct Debit. On its pricing page (checked 3 October 2026) it lists three plans for UK domestic payments:

• Standard: 1% + 20p per transaction, capped at £4.
• Advanced: 1.25% + 20p per transaction, capped at £5.
• Pro: 1.4% + 20p per transaction, capped at £5.60.

GoCardless states that prices exclude VAT, that there are no setup or monthly costs for most users, and that some add-ons are charged monthly. It also states that it charges VAT on its transaction fees to UK merchants. Ask your accountant how that applies to you. Source: gocardless.com/pricing.

Stripe Bacs Direct Debit

Stripe is known for card payments, but it also offers Bacs Direct Debit. On its UK local payment methods page (checked 3 October 2026) Stripe lists Bacs Direct Debit at 1% per payment, with a minimum fee of 20p and a £4 cap, and lists £5 for disputed payments. Stripe's standard UK card rate on its main pricing page is 1.5% + 20p for standard UK cards and 2.8% + 20p for premium UK cards. Source: stripe.com/gb/pricing and stripe.com/gb/pricing/local-payment-methods.

Using Stripe for direct debit means you set it up in your own Stripe account, and how you build the sign-up flow and the recurring schedule depends on how you use Stripe. Read Stripe's own documentation before you promise clients direct debit.

Other providers

Other UK direct debit providers and bank services exist. We have not checked their fees, so this guide does not list them. If you compare providers, look at the transaction fee, any monthly fee, how failed payments are handled, how long set-up takes, and whether the provider works with your accounting software.

Other ways to take monthly payments

Standing order

A standing order is an instruction the client gives to their own bank to pay you a fixed amount on a set date. You cannot collect it yourself, change the amount, or see a failure before the date passes. If you raise your price, the client has to change their instruction. It works for a small number of clients on a fixed fee.

Card on file (saved card)

Here the client saves a card and you charge it each month. Stripe and other card providers support this. Clients like it because it is quick and familiar, and card payments settle fast. The downsides are card fees, expired cards, and failed payments that need a follow-up. You also need the client's clear permission to charge the card again. FitDesk does not offer saved card billing.

Manual bank payment

The client sends money from their banking app each time, using your account details and a reference. There is usually no payment provider fee, and it is simple. It depends on the client remembering, so reminders and tracking fall to you.

Cash

Some trainers still take cash for in-person sessions. It has no processing fee, but it is harder to track and does not suit remote clients or monthly packages. Keep records for your own tax return.

Pros and cons at a glance

What the fees look like on a £60 session

This is a worked example, not a quote. It uses the provider rates above, checked 3 October 2026, for a £60 payment from a UK client, before VAT where VAT applies.

What FitDesk supports today

FitDesk is a platform for personal trainers with no monthly fee: bookings, clients, workouts and payments. FitDesk does not support direct debit. There is no Bacs Direct Debit option in FitDesk, and FitDesk does not offer automatic recurring billing. If you need automatic monthly collection today, you would need a separate provider outside FitDesk.

Here is what FitDesk does support, as described on fitdesk.co.uk on 3 October 2026:

• Card payments through Stripe. You connect your own Stripe account, clients pay by card, and money is paid out to your own bank account on Stripe's payout schedule. FitDesk does not hold your funds. Read more on card payments for personal trainers with Stripe.
• Invoices and packages. You can raise an invoice for a session, a package or a custom amount, and the client gets a payment link by email.
• Cash. You can record cash payments in the app. Cash has no FitDesk fee.

Fees. FitDesk has no monthly fee. 0.7% on Stripe card payments through FitDesk, minimum 1p per card payment. Stripe's own fees still apply. Cash has no FitDesk fee.

If you want clients to pay monthly today, you can sell paid packages or issue invoices each month and clients pay by card. That is not the same as an automatic direct debit, because each payment starts with the client. See personal trainer software UK for what else FitDesk covers, and the PT pricing calculator to work out your own fees.

How to choose

• A few clients on a fixed monthly fee: a standing order or manual bank payment may be enough, if you are happy to chase late payments.
• Many clients on regular monthly fees: a direct debit provider may save admin time, once you have compared fees, set-up and failed payment handling.
• Clients who prefer to pay when they book: card payments through Stripe are quick, and you see payments straight away.
• A mix of in-person and online clients: most trainers use more than one method.

Whatever you choose, tell clients in writing how and when they will be charged, and check your terms. Consider asking your accountant how fees are treated in your accounts. This is general information, not financial or legal advice. For more on getting paid, read how UK personal trainers get paid faster.

Sources

• GoCardless pricing, UK: gocardless.com/pricing (last checked 3 October 2026)
• Stripe pricing, UK: stripe.com/gb/pricing (last checked 3 October 2026)
• Stripe local payment methods pricing, UK: stripe.com/gb/pricing/local-payment-methods (last checked 3 October 2026)
• FitDesk: fitdesk.co.uk, /faq and /stripe-for-personal-trainers (last checked 3 October 2026)