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Buyer's Guide
The real question isn't “how do I accept payments” — it's “how do I stop chasing them.” Most tutors start with Venmo, switch to invoicing, and still end up texting parents about overdue bills. There's a better way.
Most tutors go through these stages. Each one solves the previous problem but creates a new one.
No records, no reminders, parents forget their checkbook
Convenient, but no automation — you still text parents and track payments manually
Professional, but you're still waiting for parents to open the email and click pay
No problem. Parent saves a card once, payment is collected automatically after every session.
The takeaway: Each step up solves the chasing problem a little more. Autopay solves it completely. The question is whether your tool supports it — most don't.
They're great for splitting dinner. They're not great for running a tutoring practice.
“Emily's Mom — $60” in your Venmo history doesn't tell you which session it was for, whether it was the right amount, or if there are still unpaid sessions. Tax time becomes a guessing game.
Every payment requires a manual request. With 10 students doing weekly sessions, that's 40+ Venmo requests per month that you type out individually. Miss one and the payment silently disappears.
When a parent forgets, YOU have to send the reminder. “Hey, just checking on last Tuesday's session...” — that conversation strains the relationship every time.
Parents send $50 instead of $60. Or they pay for two sessions in one lump sum with no note. Now you're reconciling amounts in your head instead of a system that tracks it automatically.
Payment Options Compared
From texting a Venmo request to fully automated autopay — here's how each option handles money.
Free for tutors. $1 parent service fee per invoice
How payment works
Credit/debit card via Stripe. Parents save a card once and autopay handles the rest.
Processing: 2.9% + $0.30 (Stripe standard)
Best for: Tutors who want payments collected without thinking about it
$14.95/mo
How payment works
Credit/debit card via Stripe. Tutors create and send invoices; parents pay online.
Processing: 2.9% + $0.30 (Stripe standard)
Best for: Solo tutors wanting invoicing with online payment
$16.49/mo + $0.32/lesson
How payment works
Credit/debit card via Stripe. Invoices generated per lesson or in bulk.
Processing: 2.9% + $0.30 (Stripe standard)
Best for: Multi-tutor businesses that invoice per lesson
No monthly fee (processing fees only)
How payment works
Payment links or manual invoices. No tutoring features — pure payment processing.
Processing: 2.9% + $0.30
Best for: Tutors comfortable building their own invoicing workflow
25% commission + 9% student fee
How payment works
Marketplace handles payment. Parents pay Wyzant; Wyzant pays you (minus 25%).
Processing: Included in 25% commission
Best for: Tutors who need students and accept the cost
Free
How payment works
Peer-to-peer transfer. You text the parent, they send money — or forget.
Processing: Free (personal) / 1.9% + $0.10 (Venmo business)
Best for: 1-2 students, cash-only, no recordkeeping needs
Processing fees are unavoidable. Platform fees vary wildly. Here's what you actually pay on a $60 session.
| Feature | TutorTab | TutorBird | Wyzant | Venmo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Processing fee | $2.14** | $2.04 | $0* | $0 |
| Platform fee | $1.00** | $14.95/mo | $15.00 (25%) | $0 |
| You receive | $60.00 | $57.96 | $45.00 | $60.00 |
| Autopay | Yes | No | No | No |
| Auto reminders | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Session tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
* Wyzant processing fees are included in the 25% commission. The parent also pays a 9% surcharge.
** TutorTab is free for tutors. The $1 service fee and the processing fee are added to the parent's invoice, so you receive your full rate.
TutorBird “you receive” shown per-session; their $14.95/mo is paid regardless of volume.
Without autopay
Session ends
Gets an email with an invoice (or a Venmo request)
Means to pay later, forgets
Gets a reminder (or an awkward text from you)
Opens the email again, clicks pay
Enters card number
Payment goes through... 5-7 days after the session
With autopay
Session ends
Gets a receipt in their email
That's it. The parent saved a card once during onboarding. Every session after that is automatic. They get a receipt, you get paid — no friction, no follow-up, no relationship strain.
Calculator
Enter your sessions and rate to compare the total cost of each platform — not just processing fees, but monthly fees too.
Enter your numbers to compare real monthly costs. TutorTab is free for tutors — a small service fee is added to parent invoices instead.
Monthly revenue: $720
TutorTab
$0.00
free for tutors
TutorBird
$14.95
/month
Teachworks
$20.33
/month
Wyzant
$180.00
/month
You only have 1-2 students and prefer cash. If your entire practice is two families who pay cash after each lesson, you don't need payment software. Keep it simple.
You need payment processing for non-tutoring work. If tutoring is one of several services you bill for, a general-purpose invoicing tool like Stripe direct or Wave gives you more flexibility. TutorTab only handles tutoring sessions.
You run a multi-tutor agency. If you employ tutors and need to manage payroll, commissions, and client billing centrally, Teachworks or TutorCruncher handle multi-tutor payment workflows. TutorTab is built for independent tutors.
Pricing
No subscriptions. No monthly minimums. A fee applies only when a payment goes through TutorTab, and the parent pays it.
$1
per paid invoice
2.9% + 30¢
processing, paid by the parent, card or bank
$0
cost to tutors
How it works
Scheduling, reminders, and invoicing are always free. When we process a payment, a $1 service fee and the card processing fee are added to the parent's invoice. You keep 100% of your rate.
Example
You bill $50? Parent pays ~$52.84 ($50 + $1 service fee + ~$1.84 processing). You receive $50.
You keep 100% of your session price. The service fee is added to the parent's invoice. Payments collected outside TutorTab (cash, Venmo, etc.) are never charged.
No monthly fees. No setup cost. Only pay when you get paid.
FAQ
Autopay collects payment automatically after every confirmed session. No invoices, no reminders, no awkward conversations.
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