To migrate coaching clients, audit the available exports, test one sample import, reconcile billing, brief clients and verify their first check-in before cancelling the old platform. Treat contact data, editable programs, historical archives and subscriptions as separate jobs. Being able to download a file does not prove the next app can import it.
This guide is published by Coachway. It is a planning checklist, not a guarantee that every platform can export every record or that every move takes the same number of days. For a specific switch, ask both providers to confirm the scope in writing. Still testing the replacement? Use the software trial scorecard first.
How do you migrate clients between coaching platforms?
You migrate clients between coaching platforms in five steps: inventory what must move (contacts, programs, history, payments), migrate a sample of two or three clients and test every screen before setting a switch date, reconcile payments separately from app access, send each client one message that tells them exactly what to do and when, and close the old account only after the checks pass. On Coachway the contact CSV import and the reusable program templates cover steps one and two; the five steps below are the order that avoids a double-billing month.
1. Make an inventory of what must move
Start with the active client list and the next week of delivery. Then separate what must be editable in the new app from what you only need to retain as a record. That distinction determines the rebuild work and prevents “we exported everything” from hiding a missing training history.
Scroll the table sideways to see all three columns.
| Record | Source check | Destination check |
|---|---|---|
| Client contacts | Open the CSV and check names, email addresses, phone numbers and assigned coach. | Match the imported count and spot-check the mapping. |
| Current training plans | Establish whether the export is editable data, a PDF or unavailable. | Rebuild where needed; check exercises, sets, units and schedule. |
| Nutrition plans and recipes | Confirm which fields, quantities and files can leave the old platform. | Check portions, units and client assignments in the destination. |
| Progress and check-in history | Ask which measurements, responses, photos and attachments are exportable. | Keep a permitted archive where import is unsupported; check date and client identity. |
| Messages and documents | Confirm export permissions and the format of available files. | Separate an archive from a live message thread; retain only what you need. |
| Billing records | Identify the processor account, subscription owner, paid-through date and next renewal. | Reconcile each old and new billing schedule before cutover. |
A concrete example: Trainerize's export documentation describes a basic contact CSV, workouts saved as PDFs and restrictions on exporting client history. It says those workout PDFs are not directly transferable programs. A coach leaving Trainerize should budget for that distinction, rather than assuming an importer will recreate everything.
Use the blank CSV tracker for one row per client. It records the migration status and billing checks without asking you to put passwords, card details or health notes into the worksheet. Keep exports in a restricted location appropriate for your client records.
2. Test a sample before setting the switch date
Begin with dummy data to check the mechanics. Then agree a small pilot with a willing client, using only the information needed for the test. Include a representative training plan and the nutrition or check-in workflow you actually sell.
- Check that each record belongs to the right client; matching names alone can hide a mapping error.
- Open the plan as a client on a phone. Verify sessions, exercise instructions, quantities and units.
- Check dates and time zones for scheduled work and reminders.
- Identify what was imported, manually rebuilt or retained only as an archive.
- Record the unresolved items, who owns them and when you will check again.
Estimate the remaining work from this sample and the complexity of your other clients. Choose a cutover window when you and the providers can answer questions. There is no universal best Tuesday or client-count formula. Move new signups directly to the new system only after that onboarding path has passed the same checks.
3. Reconcile payments separately from app access
Knowing that both apps use Stripe does not tell you which account owns an existing subscription, or whether the destination app can manage it. Ask for the account ownership and integration details before changing a live client's billing.
Stripe's account-copy service does not copy subscriptions or historical invoices. Its subscription migration toolkit handles a separate workflow with mapped customers, prices and billing dates. These are Stripe capabilities, not a promise that a coaching platform exposes them.
For each client, record the last payment, the period it covers, the old next renewal and the agreed first charge in the new setup. Include annual plans, pauses, credits and failed payments as exceptions. Get the providers to resolve those exceptions before you trigger changes.
Example: app move on the 10th, renewal on the 25th
A client moving apps on September 10 may already have paid for coaching through September 24. Starting a fresh monthly charge on September 10 could bill them twice for overlapping service. Confirm whether the existing subscription continues, a replacement begins at the next renewal, or an agreed adjustment is required. The app invitation date does not determine the billing date.
Coordinate the stop and start of recurring billing with both providers. Confirm client access independently: ending a paid product can also affect access, depending on the platform. Retain the relevant billing records and cancellation confirmations. Do not tell clients to re-enter payment details until you know whether that step is needed.
4. Send a message that tells each client what to do
Keep the message specific to the agreed plan. Replace every bracket below and remove any line that does not apply. If billing differs by client, send the right version to each person.
Hi [name], we are moving your coaching to [new app] on [date].
Please use [invitation link] to sign in, then check that you can see [your next training week / your nutrition plan]. Your first check-in there is on [date].
Your next payment is [amount] on [date]. [You do not need to change anything / Please complete the separate secure payment step by date].
[Explain which history will appear in the new app and what will remain in an archive.]
If anything is missing or you cannot sign in, reply to me here. Please confirm once you can open your plan.
Track confirmations rather than assuming a sent invitation means a successful login. Follow up with anyone who has not opened their plan before the next scheduled session. Use a familiar communication channel so a login problem does not also remove their way to reach you.
5. Close the old account after the checks pass
Run the first check-in cycle in the new app. Confirm you received the answers and that the client can see your reply and updated plan. Resolve missing files and billing exceptions while you still have access to the source system.
- Every active client can sign in or has an agreed individual fallback.
- Current plans and the next check-in are correct.
- Required exports and archives have been checked, not merely downloaded.
- Old and new billing schedules have been reconciled.
- Cancellation timing and the effect on old account access are confirmed.
Then cancel according to the old provider's terms and keep the confirmation. Set a follow-up to check the next relevant billing dates. If a required check fails, pause the affected client's move and resolve it; a calendar deadline is not proof that a migration is ready.
Planning a move to Coachway?
Bring a sample export and this tracker to the team. Ask us to confirm which records can become editable content, what needs rebuilding, what remains an archive and how your current billing will be handled. Agree that scope before inviting clients. The Coachway product tour shows the destination workflow; your sample establishes the migration work.
Coaching platform migration questions
How long does a coaching platform migration take?
Build the timeline from a sample migration, not your client count alone. Export permissions, editable imports, program rebuilding, billing ownership and client availability all affect the work. Set a switch date after the sample passes, then allow an overlap long enough to verify access and the first check-in cycle.
Can I transfer workout programs and client history?
It depends on the source export and the destination import. A contact CSV does not contain a training history, and a workout PDF is not necessarily an editable program. Ask both providers to confirm the supported fields and test a sample before promising clients that their history will appear in the new app.
Will connecting the same Stripe account move my subscriptions?
Do not assume so. First establish which account owns the subscriptions and whether the new platform can use those existing records. Stripe customer and payment-data copying does not itself copy subscriptions. Agree the billing plan with both providers and check the old and new charge schedules for every client.
Should I keep both coaching platforms running during the switch?
Keep the access you need until clients can sign in, see the right plan and complete a check-in, and billing has been reconciled. App access may overlap; duplicate billing should not. Confirm old renewal and cancellation terms before choosing the overlap period.
When can I cancel the old platform?
After you have checked client access, active plans, the first check-in cycle, the required archives and every billing exception. Confirm whether cancellation removes access immediately or at the end of the paid period. Keep the cancellation confirmation and verify that unintended renewals are stopped.
How do you migrate clients between coaching platforms?
In five steps: inventory what must move (contacts, programs, history, payments), migrate a sample of two or three clients and test every screen before setting a switch date, reconcile payments separately from app access, send each client one message that says exactly what to do and when, and close the old account only after the checks pass. Build the timeline from the sample, not from the client count.
