How do I connect Stripe so I can take payments from clients?
Verify your identity and connect a Stripe account from the Payments page so your storefront can take card payments.
Before you can sell anything, you need to verify your identity and connect a Stripe account. Both steps happen in the Payments area of the web dashboard.
- A paid Fitsly plan. Clicking Verify identity or Connect Stripe during a trial shows a "not available during your trial period" message.
- A web browser on the dashboard. The Payments menu is hidden in the coach mobile app.
- Owner access. The Payments menu is hidden for team members.
Verify your identity and connect Stripe
- Go to Payments. A setup banner walks you through the steps, starting with identity verification.
- Click Verify identity. You're taken to Stripe Identity, where you upload a driving licence or passport and take a live selfie. The selfie has to be captured live on a device camera, not a saved photo.
- Wait for Stripe to check your documents. The banner shows a processing state, and you get an email when it clears — usually within a few minutes, occasionally up to 24 hours. If verification fails, the banner shows the reason Stripe flagged and a Resubmit verification button.
- Once verified, the banner switches to Connect Stripe. Click it to open Stripe's account setup and enter your business and bank details.
- When you return, Fitsly confirms your status: ready to accept payments, still under review by Stripe, or incomplete — an incomplete account shows a Continue setup button to pick up where you left off.
Identity verification always comes first. You can't start the Stripe connection until it's done.
You get a new Stripe account
Connect Stripe always sets up a new Stripe account linked to Fitsly, under your Fitsly email. There's no option to link a Stripe account you already have. Payouts from this account are manual: money waits in your balance until you request it.
What the identity check involves
Identity verification is required of every coach who takes payments. The check is run by Stripe Identity, which asks for a driving licence or passport plus a selfie matched to it. The selfie has to be captured live on a device camera. Stripe handles your documents; Fitsly only records the outcome.
If Stripe rejects a submission, the banner shows the reason it flagged and a Resubmit verification button to try again.
Know when you can actually take payments
Checkout only works once your Stripe account can both take charges and receive payouts. A purchase goes through only when all of the following are true:
| Condition | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| You're identity-verified with an active Stripe account | Stripe won't process the charge otherwise |
| Your Fitsly account is in good standing | A lapsed account shows "Books closed" on your storefront |
| The package is Live & selling | A package that isn't live shows "Unavailable" |
| A client slot is free, if you set a cap | Capacity is re-checked at the moment of purchase |
Handle an "Action required" banner
Things to watch out for
- The setup banner stays until you're verified. It's the only place the setup steps live, so work from the Payments page rather than looking for a settings screen.
- Payouts are manual. Once clients start paying, the money sits in your balance until you request a payout — it never auto-deposits.
Quick answers
Can my team members manage payments?
No. The Payments menu — packages, subscriptions, refunds, payouts — is hidden for team members in the dashboard; only the account owner sees it.