If you’re running a martial arts school, you already know that the hardest part of billing isn’t collecting money from happy students — it’s chasing the ones who haven’t paid, dealing with declined cards, and quietly absorbing thousands of dollars in credit card processing fees every year. Martial arts billing software should solve all of that. Most of it doesn’t. OnMat does.
Here’s a look at how OnMat handles billing from the moment a membership is set up to the moment money hits your account — automatically, professionally, and without you having to have a single awkward conversation.
The Hidden Cost Most School Owners Ignore
Let’s start with the number nobody talks about: credit card processing fees.
The average martial arts school processes $25,000 to $35,000 per month in membership payments. At a typical processing rate of 2.89%, that’s $722 to $1,012 per month — or up to $12,000 per year — quietly leaving your account before you ever see it.
OnMat’s billing software gives you the option to pass credit card processing fees along to your members. That single feature alone can put $8,600 to $12,000 back in your pocket every year. For most school owners, that’s more than enough to cover their entire software cost many times over.
Members who prefer to avoid the fee can pay by ACH bank draft at just 1% — which is a win for everyone.
Automated Billing That Runs Without You
Setting up recurring billing in OnMat takes minutes. Once a membership is active, payments process automatically on schedule — no manual invoicing, no reminders to yourself, no month-end scramble. OnMat supports credit cards, ACH bank drafts, and cash payments, giving your members flexibility while keeping your cash flow predictable.
Payments are processed through PayFactory with next-day funding on credit card transactions. No hidden fees, no PCI fees, no early termination fees.
Failed Payments — Handled Automatically
Declined cards happen. How your software handles them determines whether you collect that money or lose it.
When a payment fails in OnMat, the system automatically sends a series of customizable email reminders to the member. You control the language, the tone, and the timing of each email. Some school owners send a gentle first reminder, a firmer second notice, and a final warning before escalating. The content and schedule are entirely up to you.
But here’s where OnMat goes further than most martial arts billing software: if a member reaches your defined threshold of missed payments without resolving the balance, they get flagged at check-in. When they show up for class and try to check in, the system flags the overdue account — which naturally sends them to the front desk to resolve the issue. No confrontation from the instructor. No awkward moment on the mat. The software does the work.
Auto-Renew and Cost-of-Living Increases
One of the most underrated features in OnMat’s billing system is what happens when a membership expires.
Most schools lose revenue at renewal time — members fall through the cracks, packages expire without follow-up, and monthly income quietly drops. OnMat solves this with automatic membership renewal. When a package expires, the system can automatically roll it over to a monthly billing cycle or renew the same package — with an optional cost-of-living increase built in.
That means your billing keeps running even when you’re focused on teaching. And when it’s time for a rate adjustment, you don’t have to manually update every membership — the increase is built into the renewal automatically.
Belt Testing Fees — Collected Before They Walk Out the Door
Belt testing is one of the most common billing gaps in martial arts schools. Students test, they’re promoted, and somewhere between the celebration and the next class the testing fee gets forgotten, invoiced late, or never collected at all.
OnMat automates belt testing fee collection as part of the testing workflow. Fees are collected at the time of the test — not after, not “whenever you get a chance.” This keeps your testing revenue clean, consistent, and accounted for without any additional follow-up.
Sales Tax Reporting Without the Headache
If your school collects sales tax on memberships, merchandise, or testing fees, OnMat tracks it all and makes reporting straightforward. When tax time comes — or when you need to pull a report for your accountant — the data is there, organized, and exportable. No spreadsheet archaeology required.
What This Looks Like in Practice
Put it all together and here’s what a typical OnMat school experiences:
- Processing fees passed to members — $8,600 to $12,000 per year back in their pocket
- Automated failed payment recovery — fewer write-offs, less confrontation
- Check-in lockout for overdue accounts — members resolve balances without the owner chasing them
- Auto-renew with built-in rate increases — revenue doesn’t stop when packages expire
- Belt testing fees collected automatically — no revenue leakage at promotion time
- Clean sales tax reporting — one less thing to stress about at year end
Built by Martial Artists, for Martial Artists
OnMat was built by people who have run martial arts schools. We know that billing isn’t just about software — it’s about protecting your relationship with your students while running a business that actually pays you. The tools above were designed specifically for that balance.
If your current martial arts billing software is costing you money, creating extra work, or leaving revenue on the table, it’s time to see what OnMat can do.
Try OnMat free for 30 days. No credit card required. No setup fee. No contract.
Looking for more ways to run a smarter martial arts school? Explore OnMat’s full feature set or contact our team — we respond within 24 hours.