Guide
How to take payments without platform fees
You will always pay the processor — Stripe's or PayPal's published rate is the cost of accepting cards. What you can often remove is the extra percentage some platforms add on top for the privilege of routing your money. Here's how.
Know what you can and can't avoid
The processor fee is unavoidable — 2.9% + $0.30 on Stripe, 3.49% + $0.49 on PayPal goods & services is simply what card acceptance costs. The avoidable part is a separate platform percentage layered on top. The goal isn't zero fees; it's removing the second, optional layer.
Collect directly in your own account
The cleanest way to drop the platform cut is to take payment directly into your own Stripe account with a shareable checkout link, rather than through a platform that skims a percentage. The money lands in your account, you pay only Stripe's published rate, and no intermediary takes a slice of each transaction.
Keep the visibility you'd lose
Leaving a platform can mean losing the dashboard it gave you. CheckMargin connects read-only to your Stripe and PayPal and imports every payment automatically — so you keep a clear view of income, fees, and real take-home wherever you collect, without handing another middleman a cut. CheckMargin never processes payments or holds your money; it just shows you the numbers.
Frequently asked questions
Can I take coaching payments with no fees at all?
No — the payment processor's published fee (e.g. Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30) is the cost of accepting cards. What you can avoid is a platform's extra percentage on top by collecting directly in your own account.
How do I stop a platform taking a cut of each payment?
Collect payment directly into your own Stripe account with a checkout link, instead of routing it through a platform that adds a per-transaction percentage. You then pay only the processor's rate.