Payments · Info Products8 min readUpdated November 2, 2026

How to Start an Info Product Business Online

The launch checklist for an online course or coaching business, in order: company, offer, rules, site, billing model, payments and the first 90 days.

Nick Bonnassies, CMO at Tagada · checked against 16 sources

Article summary

TL;DR

Set up the company and bank account, define an offer that sells a skill rather than an income, publish the policies Visa requires, choose a billing model (one payment, plan or membership), then pick how you take payments. Processors review your offer, sales page and refund terms, so settling these first means fewer holds and reviews early on.

Stripe doesn't name courses or coaching, but prohibits "get rich quick" schemes and deceptive testimonials (read November 2, 2026).
The FTC warned more than 1,100 companies in 2021 that false money-making claims could lead to civil penalties; the maximum is $53,088 per violation since January 17, 2025.
Visa requires a contact, your country at checkout and a "click to accept" refund policy if you restrict refunds (October 24, 2026).
Course platforms add their own fees: 7.5% on Teachable Starter, 5% on Podia Mover, 0.5% to 2% on Kajabi with a third-party processor (November 2026).
When Stripe finds an unacceptable risk, it "will typically restrict or pause payouts" for 120 days (policy updated July 29, 2026).

Want to go further? Ask

On this page

This guide is part of our hub on info product payment processing. The general guide, for any business: merchant accounts for startups. The full launch and growth plan (offer, content, channels, scaling): how to start and scale an info product business.

The launch checklist, in order

Step	What to do	Why before payments
1. Company	LLC or corporation, EIN, business bank account	Processors underwrite the entity and pay out to its account
2. Offer	What the buyer gets: lessons, calls, community, duration	Underwriters read the sales page first
3. Promise	Sell the skill, not an income; no "done-for-you" client promises without legal advice	FTC2 3 and Stripe1 rules
4. Testimonials	Typical results only, or the generally expected result next to them	FTC endorsement rules4
5. Site and policies	Contact, country, address, refund and cancellation policy	Visa website rules5
6. Billing model	One payment, fixed plan or membership	Each has its own rules5 6 7
7. Delivery records	Logins, IP, lessons opened, calls attended	Your only proof in a dispute
8. Payments	Choose where you take payments and apply	Everything above is what they check

Fig. 1Eight steps, and what the processor checks at each

1. CompanyEntity and payout account
2. OfferThe sales page, read first
3. PromiseThe skill, not an income
4. TestimonialsTypical results only
5. Site and policiesContact, country, refunds
6. Billing modelEach has its own rules
7. Delivery recordsYour proof in a dispute
8. PaymentsEverything above is checked

By step 8, the processor reads everything you did before.

FTC 2021 notice, 16 CFR 437 and 255.2(b), Visa Core Rules (October 24, 2026), ROSCA, Regulation Z, Stripe.

Rules to settle before your first sale

Selling a course is legal. A few rules decide how you write and bill it.

Topic	The rule
Income claims	The FTC lists claims that buyers "will make a profit" or that "represented profits are typical" as unlawful (FTC 2021 notice)2
Done-for-you offers	Promising to provide "outlets, accounts, or customers" makes it a business opportunity, with a disclosure document "at least seven calendar days before" payment (16 CFR 437)3
Testimonials	An untypical result needs "the generally expected performance" next to it (16 CFR 255.2(b))4
Memberships	Terms before card details, express consent, simple cancellation (ROSCA)6
Payment plans	Agreement before storing the card; no interest on a Visa partial payment (Visa tables 5-19 and 5-20)5
Long plans	More than 4 installments by written agreement, more than 25 times a year: you may be a creditor (Regulation Z)7
EU buyers	14-day withdrawal right, lost on instant-access content only with express consent and acknowledgment (Directive 2011/83/EU, art. 16 m)8

Watch out

A footer line saying "results not typical" doesn't make an income claim compliant4. Some legal templates for course creators still suggest it.

Rules in detail: is it legal to sell info products and online courses online? and info product merchant account compliance.

Choose how you take payments

You have three ways to get paid. They differ in fees, control and who holds your customer data.

Option	How it works	Watch for
Course platform payments (Kajabi Payments, Teachable Payments)	The platform processes cards for you	Your cards and subscriptions sit inside the platform
Your own Stripe or PayPal account, connected to a platform or a checkout	You're the merchant; the provider can review or close the account	Stripe "may terminate this Agreement or close User's Stripe Account at any time"13
An underwritten processor or orchestration	Reviewed up front, sometimes with several processors	Longer application; reserves possible

Fig. 2Three ways to get paid for a course

Your course salesWho processes the card

Course platform paymentsCards and subscriptions sit inside the platform
Your own Stripe or PayPal accountYou're the merchant; the account can be reviewed or closed
Underwritten processor or orchestrationReviewed up front; reserves possible

The difference is who holds your cards and subscriptions.

Stripe Services Agreement, September 28, 2026.

Platform fees come on top of card processing. As published on November 2, 2026:

Platform	Platform transaction fee	Card processing
Kajabi	2% (Basic), 1% (Growth), 0.5% (Pro) with a third-party processor	Kajabi Payments, US: 2.9% to 2.7% + $0.30 by plan9
Teachable	7.5% on Starter; 0% on Builder and Growth with Teachable Payments	"Standard payment processing fees may still apply"10
Podia	5% on Mover; none on Shaker and Earthquaker	Processor fees on top11

Fig. 3Platform transaction fee, before card processing

Teachable Starter7.5%
Podia Mover5%
Kajabi Basic, third-party processor2%
Kajabi Growth, third-party processor1%
Kajabi Pro, third-party processor0.5%

Source: Kajabi, Teachable and Podia pricing, read November 2, 2026

Card processing comes on top of every bar.

Kajabi, Teachable and Podia pricing pages, read November 2, 2026.

These numbers compare total cost; they're not a recommendation. Processing costs and reserves in detail: info product processing fees and reserves.

Your first 90 days of payments

New accounts get watched. Large, sudden payments on a new course account are a common trigger for a review, as founders report on Reddit's r/stripe.

Tell your processor what you sell, at the real price, including high-ticket programs and payment plans.
Start with your real price structure, not a test product that changes later.
Keep the sales page, checkout and terms consistent with what you declared.
Answer every refund request fast: a refund costs less than a dispute.
Log access from day one, so you can answer a "not received" or fraud dispute.
Watch your dispute ratio weekly. Visa and Mastercard flag US merchants at 1.5%15.

Six habits for a new course account. The processor still decides.

If Stripe decides an account carries unacceptable risk, it "will typically restrict or pause payouts to the User's bank account for 120 days" from its first email, then reviews the funds12. Plan cash for it. More: merchant accounts for new info product businesses.

Mistakes that close new accounts

Income hooks
On the sales page or in ads: "$10k months", "quit your job".
Fake urgency
On expensive programs: Stripe prohibits "high-pressure upselling"1.
Hidden memberships
Added to a course purchase: Stripe prohibits "negative option membership clubs" with unclear pricing1.
No refund policy at checkout
Or a "no chargeback" clause: Visa forbids requiring a buyer "to waive the right to dispute"5.
Selling something other than what you declared
Such as adding a done-for-you service later.

Tagada follows Visa and Mastercard rules and the laws that apply to payments.

How Tagada helps

Checkout and an underwritten processor from your first course

TagadaPay lists "Info products", "Coaching" and "Online courses" among its industries: "You sell software, courses, info products, coaching, or any service delivered online." "If you sell something real, we will get you paid."14

One application: "One KYC. One signed package. We distribute it across our processor network and follow up so you don't have to." "Most merchants are live under 24 hours."14 Each file is still underwritten, with "enhanced review for regulated verticals".
A checkout built for courses: one-click upsells, order bumps, A/B tests, Apple Pay and Google Pay, subscriptions and memberships on the same funnel.
"Your PCI-tokenized cards, your customer profiles, your subscription data, all portable."14
"Native 3DS2, device intelligence, and rules engine: approve real customers, block the rest."14
Pricing: "From 2.9% + $0.29", "No setup fees, no monthly minimums"; "High-risk verticals and edge cases are priced case by case."14
"24/7 human support on Slack Connect"14.

Apply today · Go live in under 24 hours

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Checkout and an underwritten processor from your first course

Updated on November 2, 2026

Nick Bonnassies

CMO at Tagada

CMO at Tagada. Before Tagada, Nick built direct-to-consumer brands that generated over $115M in sales, raised over $25M in crowdfunding and sold two of them. He also works as a fractional CMO on marketing operations and AI systems.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an LLC to sell online courses?

Not by law in most states: a sole proprietor can sell courses. Processors underwrite the business, though, and a company with its own EIN and bank account separates your personal assets and simplifies the application. Ask an accountant about taxes in your state.

What payment processor should I use for online courses?

It depends on your offer. A course platform's built-in payments are simplest at launch. Your own Stripe account gives you control but can be reviewed or closed. High-ticket coaching, payment plans and memberships often fit an underwritten processor. Compare platform fees, which run up to 7.5% on entry plans.

Is selling online courses legal?

Yes. The limits are on the promise: the FTC targets false or typical-sounding earnings claims, and offers that promise to provide customers fall under the Business Opportunity Rule. Sell the skill and the format, and bill memberships under ROSCA's rules.

Why did Stripe hold my first course payments?

New accounts with large, sudden payments often trigger a review. If Stripe finds an unacceptable risk, it typically pauses payouts for 120 days. Declaring your real prices and offers, and keeping a clear refund policy, reduces the chance.

Can I offer payment plans from day one?

Yes, under Visa's installment rules: a separate agreement with the total, schedule and refund policy before storing the card, and no interest. Keep plans at 4 payments or fewer unless a lawyer has checked Regulation Z.

Sources

Checked November 2, 2026

TagadaPay

Apply for course payments once the file is ready

Tell us what you sell and how you sell it. Each application is underwritten, and approval is not guaranteed.

Apply for processing See pricing

01Tell us what you sell and how
02Underwriting reviews your business
03Process through TagadaPay alongside your other processors