Is Selling Online Courses On Beacons Profitable
Last updated: April 2026 ·affiliate disclosure
Most online course sellers on Beacons see net margins between 60% and 75% after all platform fees. This is higher than competitors like Teachable (which takes 5% + payment processing) or Udemy (which takes 50% or more), but only if you price your courses strategically and keep your student acquisition costs low. Beacons charges a flat 8% transaction fee on course sales, making it one of the cheaper options in the market.
Beacons Fees for online courses Sellers
Beacons charges two primary fees for course sales: an 8% transaction fee on every course purchase, plus standard payment processing fees of 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction (if you use Stripe). On a $97 course sale, you'd pay $7.76 in transaction fees (8%) plus $3.11 in payment processing, totaling $10.87 in fees. This leaves you with $86.13, or roughly 89% of the sale price before any other business costs like marketing, email tools, or content creation.
Profit Margin Benchmarks
Good margins on Beacons courses (65%+ net profit) require courses priced between $47 and $297 with minimal ad spend and organic traffic. Average performers see 55–65% margins by spending 15–25% of revenue on customer acquisition. Poor margins (under 40%) happen when you rely heavily on paid ads, offer heavy discounts, or price courses too low ($17–$27) where fixed fees eat into profits significantly. A $197 course with zero acquisition costs nets you roughly $175 after Beacons and payment fees.
Calculate your actual numbers
The margins above are averages. Your real profit depends on your specific price, costs, and volume.
Run Your Beacons Profit Calculation →Verdict: Is It Worth It?
Selling courses on Beacons is profitable if you can drive traffic without heavy paid ads and price your courses above $50. The 8% fee is genuinely competitive, but Beacons' weakness is its smaller audience—you're not getting built-in student traffic like Udemy. Worth it if you have an existing email list or social following; risky if you're counting on Beacons' platform to drive sales.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the exact Beacons course fees?
Beacons charges 8% on every course sale plus standard payment processing (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction via Stripe). On a $100 course, you pay $8 to Beacons and $3.20 to Stripe, leaving you with $88.80 before any other business expenses.
What are realistic profit margins for courses on Beacons?
Realistic net margins range from 50% to 75% depending on your acquisition costs. If you sell a $97 course with zero ad spend, your margin is roughly 89% after platform and payment fees. Once you factor in marketing, most sellers see 55–70% net margins.
Is selling courses on Beacons worth it compared to other platforms?
Beacons is worth it if you already have traffic. The 8% fee is cheaper than Teachable (5% + higher payment fees) or Kajabi (starting $119/month), but you get less built-in audience than Udemy (though Udemy takes 50%+). Use Beacons if you have an email list or social following.
How much should I price my course on Beacons to be profitable?
Price courses at $47 or higher to absorb the 10.9% in combined fees and maintain 70%+ margins. Courses priced under $30 struggle because fixed fees ($0.30) become a larger percentage of revenue. A $97 course is the sweet spot for most creators on Beacons.
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Sell Online Courses on other platforms — fee and margin breakdowns for the same product type.
| Platform | Calculator | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|
| Gumroad | Open calculator → | View full breakdown → |
| Payhip | Open calculator → | View full breakdown → |
| Stan Store | Open calculator → | View full breakdown → |
We monitor platform fees quarterly and email you when something affects your margins.