How to Set Up Online Booking for Personal Trainers
Complete setup guide for personal trainers: services, packages, memberships, reminders, and payments — with honest notes on what Bella doesn't do
In this guide
This guide walks personal trainers through setting up Bella Booking as their scheduling and payments platform. Whether you're a solo PT training clients at parks, a gym, or their homes, or a small PT team sharing a studio — this covers the complete setup from services through to payments.
An upfront note: Bella Booking handles scheduling, client management, packages, and payments. It does NOT handle workout programming, exercise libraries, or group class booking. If those are critical to your business, you'll need additional tools. This guide is for PTs who want their scheduling and business admin handled cleanly, regardless of how they deliver programming.
What Bella does and doesn't do for PTs
What Bella provides
- •Online booking page where clients self-schedule sessions around your availability
- •Prepaid session packages with automatic redemption tracking
- •Memberships with recurring Stripe billing (Professional plan)
- •Client CRM with notes, booking history, and document storage
- •Digital intake forms for PAR-Q, waivers, and health questionnaires
- •Automated SMS and email reminders
- •Stripe payment processing — no commission on bookings
- •Cancellation policies with deposit protection
- •Multiple team members with individual schedules (for PT teams)
What Bella does NOT provide
- •Workout programming or exercise prescription
- •Exercise library with video demonstrations
- •Rep/set/load tracking or training logs
- •Body composition tracking or progress photos (beyond document uploads)
- •Group class booking with attendee limits
- •Nutrition planning or meal tracking
- •Integration with wearables (Apple Watch, Fitbit, Garmin)
- •Client-facing mobile app for workout delivery (uses mobile-optimised PWA for booking)
Most successful independent PTs separate their tools: one for business (scheduling, payments, CRM) and one for coaching (programming, tracking). Bella handles the business side; apps like TrueCoach, TrainHeroic, or even a shared Google Sheet handle the coaching side.
Step 1: Create your services
Start by listing every service you offer, with duration and price. Most PTs have a simple service menu:
| Service | Duration | Price (example) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-on-1 PT Session | 60 min | $80 | Your standard individual session |
| 30-Minute Express Session | 30 min | $50 | Shorter session for quick workouts or check-ins |
| Partner Training (2 people) | 60 min | $120 | Two clients training together |
| Initial Consultation | 30 min | Free or $30 | Assessment and goal-setting for new clients |
For each service, configure the duration (what the client sees), any processing time (e.g., 5 min for setup/pack-down), and buffer time after (e.g., 10 min travel time between clients if you're mobile).
Using service variants for new vs returning clients
If your first session is different from follow-ups (longer assessment, goal-setting, movement screening), use service variants with client eligibility. Create an "Initial Session" variant visible to first-time clients and a "Regular Session" variant for returning clients. The system handles the distinction automatically.
Mobile PT with travel buffer
Service: "1-on-1 PT Session" — 60 min duration, 0 min processing time, 15 min buffer after (travel to next client). Total calendar block: 75 min. Client sees and pays for 60 min. Your schedule naturally spaces out for travel.
Step 2: Set up session packages
Packages are where most of your revenue should come from. Individual pay-per-session clients are unpredictable — package buyers are committed. Offer two to three tiers:
| Package | Sessions | Per session | Total | Saving | Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 5 | $72 | $360 | 10% | 2 months |
| Standard | 10 | $68 | $680 | 15% | 3 months |
| Committed | 20 | $64 | $1,280 | 20% | 5 months |
- 1Create each package in Bella with name, total price, and session count
- 2Assign which services can be redeemed (e.g., "1-on-1 PT Session")
- 3Set expiry periods — generous enough for realistic attendance but not indefinite
- 4Enable online purchase so clients can buy from your booking page
- 5Write descriptions emphasising the per-session saving
For new clients, offer a discounted "taster" package (e.g., 3 sessions for the price of 2.5) to lower the barrier to commitment. Once they experience the value, upgrading to a larger package at renewal is natural.
Check your local consumer protection laws regarding prepaid service expiry. In Australia, the ACCC has guidelines about reasonable expiry periods and refund obligations. Set terms clearly at the point of sale.
Step 3: Consider memberships for regulars
For clients who train consistently (2-3 times per week, long-term), Bella's Memberships feature (Professional plan) offers recurring automatic billing. Instead of repurchasing packages every few weeks, the client subscribes and is billed monthly via Stripe.
Packages vs memberships
| Packages | Memberships | |
|---|---|---|
| Payment | One-time upfront | Recurring monthly via Stripe |
| Sessions | Fixed number (e.g., 10) | Allocation per billing period (e.g., 8/month) |
| Best for | New clients, short commitments | Long-term regulars, predictable income |
| Client commitment | Single purchase | Ongoing until cancelled |
| Your cash flow | Lumpy (large payments occasionally) | Steady (predictable monthly revenue) |
A common approach: start new clients on packages to prove value, then offer a membership transition after their second or third package purchase when they've demonstrated consistent attendance.
Step 4: Configure online booking
Online booking eliminates the back-and-forth messaging that eats into your time. Clients see your real-time availability and book themselves in.
- 1Set your available hours — the days and times you're willing to take clients
- 2Block out lunch breaks, existing commitments, and personal training time
- 3Set minimum notice period (e.g., 4 hours — prevents last-minute bookings you can't prepare for)
- 4Set maximum advance booking window (e.g., 2 weeks ahead — keeps your schedule manageable)
- 5Customise your booking page with your name, photo, and training style description
- 6Choose which services and packages are visible online
- 7Test the booking flow from a client's perspective
Sharing your booking link
- •Instagram bio — your most important link for client acquisition
- •Your website (if you have one) — embed or link prominently
- •WhatsApp/text to enquiries: "Here's my booking link — grab a time that suits"
- •Google Business Profile — add as your booking URL
- •Business cards / flyers — include a QR code linking to your booking page
The biggest time-saving isn't the booking itself — it's eliminating the messaging. Instead of 5 messages back and forth to find a time, clients just pick one. You save 10-15 minutes per new booking.
Step 5: Set up reminders and communications
Automated reminders dramatically reduce no-shows and late cancellations. For personal training, where sessions are often early morning or after work, reminders are essential.
Recommended reminder schedule for PTs
| Timing | Channel | Content |
|---|---|---|
| On booking | Confirmation with date, time, location, and what to bring | |
| 24 hours before | SMS | Quick reminder: "PT session tomorrow at 6:30am at [location]" |
| 2 hours before | SMS | Final nudge for morning sessions (optional for afternoon) |
Customise your confirmation email with practical details: what to wear, what to bring (water, towel), where to meet, and parking instructions if relevant. This reduces pre-session questions.
For intake forms (PAR-Q, health questionnaire), attach them to your initial consultation service. New clients receive the form link with their booking confirmation and complete it before arriving — saving you the first 10 minutes of the session.
Step 6: Payments and cancellation policy
No-shows and late cancellations cost PTs disproportionately — you can't sell that time slot to someone else at short notice. A clear policy protects your income.
Recommended approach
- •**Package clients:** Sessions are prepaid, so the incentive to attend is built in. A no-show still costs a session from the package — communicate this clearly at purchase.
- •**Individual session clients:** Require a deposit at booking ($20-30 or 25% of session price). Retained if they cancel with less than 12-24 hours notice.
- •**New clients (first session):** A small deposit ($20-30) secures the booking and confirms they're serious. Frame it as "applied to your session fee".
Set your cancellation policy in Bella and it's displayed at booking. The system handles enforcement — you don't need to chase clients for no-show fees manually.
Communicating your policy
Be upfront and matter-of-fact. Most clients respect a reasonable policy when it's communicated clearly. Include it on your booking page and in your confirmation email. The key message: "I reserve this time exclusively for you — a deposit secures your spot and is applied to your session fee."
What you'll still need separately
After setting up Bella, here are the things you'll need to handle with other tools (or manually):
| Need | Options |
|---|---|
| Workout programming | TrueCoach, TrainHeroic, Google Sheets, custom app |
| Exercise demonstrations | YouTube library, coaching app, or film your own |
| Progress tracking (lifts, body comp) | Coaching app, spreadsheet, or client's own tracking |
| Group classes | Dedicated class booking software (Mindbody, Momence) or manual management |
| Nutrition guidance | MyFitnessPal referrals, nutrition coaching app, or referral to dietitian |
| Client communication (beyond reminders) | WhatsApp, SMS, or coaching platform messaging |
The split is clean: Bella handles the business operations (when, where, how much, who shows up) and your coaching tools handle the training delivery (what exercises, how much weight, progression). Most PTs find this separation works better than trying to force everything into one platform.
If you currently manage everything via text messages and a notes app, Bella alone is a significant upgrade even without a coaching platform. Start with scheduling and payments, then add coaching tools later if programming delivery becomes a bottleneck.
Key takeaways
- ✓Set up services with buffer time to account for travel (mobile PTs) or equipment setup/pack-down
- ✓Packages should be your primary revenue model — offer 2-3 tiers with meaningful per-session discounts
- ✓Consider memberships (Professional plan) for long-term regulars who train 2+ times per week
- ✓Online booking eliminates scheduling admin — share the link everywhere clients might enquire
- ✓Deposits on individual sessions protect against no-shows; package sessions are inherently prepaid
- ✓Bella handles scheduling, payments, and CRM — use separate tools for workout programming if needed
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Australian-owned business. Sydney-based support team.
Last updated: 2026-05-17