Stripe Connect Overview
Voila uses Stripe Connect (Standard) to process payments between students and tutors. Tutors are the merchant of record — Voila does not take any commission on lesson payments.
How It Works
- Tutor connects Stripe — Complete onboarding to link your Stripe account. See Setup.
- Student books a lesson — When a student requests a booking, their payment is authorized (held, not charged).
- Tutor confirms or declines — If you confirm, the payment is captured and transferred to your Stripe account. If you decline or the request expires, the hold is released and the student is not charged.
- Tutor receives funds — Stripe deposits earnings to your bank account on the standard Stripe payout schedule.
Payment Modes
Each student relationship can use a different payment mode:
| Mode | How it works |
|---|---|
| Stripe | Student pays through Stripe at booking. This is the default when you have Stripe connected. |
| External | Payment happens outside Voila (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 Voila Charges vs What You Earn
Voila charges are completely separate from your lesson earnings:
| System | Purpose | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription & Billing | Platform fee for recording and AI tools (per-session) | You pay Voila |
| Stripe Connect (this section) | Lesson payments from students | Students pay you |
Voila takes zero commission on Stripe Connect payments. The only deductions are standard Stripe processing fees (set by Stripe, not Voila).
Key Features
- Session packages — Sell multi-session bundles at a set price. Students buy once; you consume sessions as lessons happen. See Payments.
- Booking requests — Students request a time slot; you confirm or decline. Payment is held until confirmation.
- Recurring payments — Set up recurring lesson schedules with automatic billing. See Payments.
- Automatic refunds — If you cancel a lesson or decline a booking, the student is refunded automatically.
- Earnings dashboard — View gross earnings, Stripe fees, net income, and transaction history. See Earnings.
Related
- Setup — connect your Stripe account
- Payments — how bookings, packages, and recurring payments work
- Earnings & Payouts — view and manage your earnings
- Subscription & Billing — platform usage fees (separate from earnings)