Terms and conditions for a coaching programme sold online

An online coaching programme mixes recorded content, live calls and a community, and is sold on a page that promises change. The terms have to capture the consumer's consent for the content and express request for the calls, keep the promise within what can be delivered, handle instalments without providing credit, offer a refund policy that is fair rather than absolute, and govern the group. I draft those terms for a fixed fee of £995, delivered in five working days.

Who this is for

Coaches, mentors and programme creators in England and Wales selling group coaching programmes, masterminds and hybrid courses with live elements to consumers and business owners through their own website or a course platform.

What matters in coaching programme terms

What the programme includes

The terms should define the programme by its recorded modules, the number and format of live calls, the period it runs, the support and community included, and what happens if the coach cannot deliver a call (rescheduling or a recording). A programme is what the terms describe, and the sales page should promise the same.

Consent, express request and cancellation

Two different cancellation rules apply to one purchase. The recorded modules are digital content, and under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 the participant keeps a fourteen-day right to cancel unless, under regulation 37, they have expressly agreed to immediate access and accepted that the right is lost. The live calls are a service, and under regulation 36 the right lasts until the calls begin at the participant's express request, after which a participant who cancels inside the fourteen days pays a fair share for the calls already held. The checkout has to collect both the consent and the request, and the terms should spell out what comes back to a participant who cancels in each case.

Results, claims and testimonials

Coaching is delivered with reasonable care and skill, and the terms should say that outcomes depend on the participant, that no income, business or personal result is guaranteed, and that testimonials are genuine and not typical results. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 makes misleading claims directly enforceable and bans fake reviews under Schedule 20, and the sales page is where they are made. Coaching is not therapy or financial, legal or medical advice, and the terms should say so.

Instalments, refunds and fairness

An instalment plan does not reduce the price: every instalment is owed, and the terms should let the coach pause access while one is outstanding. There is a regulatory point too. Letting a consumer pay for something they have already received can be lending in the eyes of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, and unless the arrangement falls within an exemption, usually article 60F of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) Order 2001 for no more than twelve instalments within twelve months with no interest or charges, it needs authorisation, so the plan should be designed around that before it goes on the sales page. On refunds, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 asks whether the policy is fair: a money-back guarantee with stated conditions is fine, a flat refusal in every case is not, and a participant who did not get what was described has rights whatever the policy says.

Community, confidentiality and data

Group calls and communities need rules: confidentiality of what other participants share, respectful conduct, no recording by participants, no promotion without permission, and a right to remove a participant for serious breach without refund. Recordings of calls are the coach's under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and are shared with participants for personal use. Participant data and any recordings are governed by the privacy notice, and marketing follows the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003.

What it costs

Customer or supplier terms and conditions, £995. One set of terms, customer-facing or supplier-facing, drafted for your business. Five working days.

Review of your existing terms, £495. You already have terms and want them checked and brought up to date. Returned marked up with my amendments and an explanation of the changes. Three working days.

Buying online forms the engagement on payment. The scope is what the terms and conditions drafting page describes, you accept the Terms of Service at checkout, and I email you within four working hours to get started. If you would rather ask something first, email me.

What you get

• A full set of bespoke terms drafted for your business, reflecting the legal requirements that apply to your business and sector
• A note in plain English explaining the terms I have drafted for you
• Liability, payment, termination and IP provisions that protect your position and are drafted to withstand scrutiny from the other side
• Guidance on how to incorporate the terms properly
• Your questions and comments answered by email or phone
• One round of amendments to finalise the terms ready for use

What is not included

• Negotiating your terms with individual customers (I am happy to quote for this as an additional service if required)
• Sector-specific regulatory compliance beyond the contract terms themselves
• Website privacy notice and cookie compliance, which I quote separately
• Terms governed by the law of another country
• Tax advice

Questions I am often asked

Our sales page says participants can double their income. Is that a problem?

If it is presented as a result the programme delivers, yes: it is a claim about outcomes that cannot be guaranteed and is enforceable as misleading if untrue. Present genuine examples as examples, and say that results depend on the participant.

A participant wants out after two calls. What do they get back?

If the live sessions started at their express request within fourteen days, a refund less a proportionate amount for sessions delivered. After the cancellation period, your stated refund policy applies, and it should be fair rather than absolute.

Can we offer a pay-in-three plan?

You can, but a plan that lets a consumer pay after receiving the programme can be regulated credit unless an exemption applies, and how it is structured matters. Take advice before offering it.

Related guidance and services

• Terms and conditions drafting, £995, the service this page describes
• Contract review, £495
• Terms and conditions for an online course
• Terms and conditions for a business coach

This page is general guidance for businesses in England and Wales, not advice on your own circumstances. Last reviewed: September 2026. Email geoffrey@caesar.co.uk.