PayPal Overview
PayPal lesson payments are not live yet. Connect Stripe today to accept payments online. This guide describes how PayPal will work when it launches.
Voilà will let tutors connect a PayPal Business account so students can pay for lessons, packages, and recurring sessions. Tutors are the merchant of record. Voilà takes zero commission on 1:1 lesson payments. Group lessons have a 15% platform fee per seat — the same as Stripe.
You can connect Stripe or PayPal, never both. Stripe is recommended where Stripe Connect is available (about 41 countries). PayPal is the fallback when Stripe Connect is not offered (PayPal reaches about 200 countries). Switching means disconnecting the current provider first.
PayPal is for lesson payments only. Your Voilà platform fee and student AI Insights stay on the existing checkout. See Subscription & Billing.
How It Works
- Tutor connects PayPal — Complete onboarding to link your PayPal Business account. See Setup.
- Student books a lesson — They save a PayPal wallet or card (card does not require a PayPal login).
- Tutor confirms or declines — Once you accept, the lesson is scheduled. If you decline (or the request expires), the student is not charged.
- Payment captured — The student is charged once the free cancellation window closes (for example, 24 hours before the lesson).
- Tutor receives funds — After capture, PayPal moves the earnings to your PayPal balance on your usual payout schedule.
Payment Modes
Each student relationship can use a different payment mode:
| Mode | How it works |
|---|---|
| PayPal | Student pays through PayPal at booking. This is the default when you have PayPal connected. |
| External | Payment happens outside Voilà (bank transfer, cash, etc.). You track it manually. |
| No payment | No payment is collected. Useful for friends, family, or trial arrangements. |
Set the payment mode per-student in their relationship settings or per-group.
What Voilà Charges vs What You Earn
| Feature | Cost | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| Lesson Payments | Your lesson price (minus PayPal fees) | Student pays you |
| Group seats | 15% platform fee per seat | Taken from the seat payment |
| Platform Tools | Per-lesson fee for recording and AI tools | Tutor pays Voilà |
Voilà takes zero commission on 1:1 lessons. You keep 100% of those earnings minus standard PayPal processing fees (set by PayPal, not Voilà).
Key Features
- Session packages — Sell multi-session bundles at a set price. See Payments.
- Booking requests — Students request a time slot; you confirm or decline.
- Recurring payments — Automatic billing on a schedule. See Payments.
- Group lessons — Per-seat or sponsor payment, same as Stripe. See Group Lessons.
- Smart refunds — Tutor cancel or in-policy student cancel refunds automatically.
- Earnings dashboard — Gross earnings, PayPal fees, net income. See Earnings.
- Dispute support — You respond in PayPal as merchant of record. See Disputes.
Related
- Setup — connect your PayPal Business account
- Payments — bookings, packages, and recurring payments
- Earnings & Payouts — view and manage your earnings
- Disputes & Chargebacks — your responsibilities as merchant of record
- Stripe Connect Overview — the recommended provider today
- Subscription & Billing — platform usage fees (separate from earnings)