HoneyBook charges a subscription plus payment-processing fees. For a wedding planner billing $150,000 a year on the Essentials annual plan, the illustrative 60% card / 40% ACH model below estimates a $588 subscription and roughly $3,743 in processing fees — a combined annual cost near $4,331. Actual cost depends on payment mix, transaction count, card type, and whether the business adds a separate permitted fee line item.
This post breaks down every HoneyBook fee, builds a transparent Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for three planner revenue levels, and shows one strategy — encouraging ACH payments or switching to a platform that lets you pass fees to clients — that can meaningfully reduce what you keep.
HoneyBook offers three tiers, all billed in addition to payment-processing fees (HoneyBook Pricing, checked July 23, 2026):
| Plan | Annual billing (per month) | Monthly billing | What's included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $29/mo ($348/yr) | $36/mo | Invoices, contracts, proposals, client portal, basic reports, 2 lead forms |
| Essentials | $49/mo ($588/yr) | $59/mo | Everything in Starter + automations, scheduler, QuickBooks, 2 team members, HoneyBook AI, SMS reminders |
| Premium | $109/mo ($1,308/yr) | $129/mo | Everything in Essentials + multiple brands, unlimited team members, priority support, advanced reporting |
Annual billing saves up to 18% at the prices reviewed on July 23, 2026. Choose a billing cadence and plan based on the features and commitment that fit your business.
Which plan fits a wedding planner? Starter includes core documents and payments. Essentials adds workflow automations, the scheduler, QuickBooks, two team members, HoneyBook AI, and SMS reminders; Premium adds multiple brands, unlimited team members, priority support, and advanced reporting. This guide uses Essentials at $588/year as an illustrative baseline, not a universal recommendation.
HoneyBook's current payment materials list the following rates (HoneyBook Pricing, checked July 23, 2026; confirmed against the HoneyBook payment software page and current Help guidance):
| Payment method | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Card — cardholder-entered (Visa/MC) | 2.9% + $0.25 per transaction | Client types card number on invoice |
| Card — on-file / autopay | 3.4% + $0.09 per transaction | Applies to saved cards, recurring invoices, payment plans |
| American Express / Discover | 3.4% + $0.09 per transaction | Same rate as card-on-file |
| ACH bank transfer | 1.5% of payment total | Current official fee table lists a percentage and does not state a maximum |
| Instant deposit (optional) | +1% on top of card rate | Optional faster deposit; additional fee stacks on the transaction fee |
| Annual revenue | HoneyBook subscription | HoneyBook processing fees | HoneyBook total |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $588 | ~$1,248 | ~$1,836 |
| $150,000 | $588 | ~$3,743 | ~$4,331 |
| $300,000 | $588 | ~$7,485 | ~$8,073 |
These figures are estimates based on published HoneyBook rates checked July 23, 2026. Actual fees vary with payment mix, card type, transaction size, fixed charges, and whether clients use a saved card or autopay. Verify current rates at honeybook.com/pricing.
If every client pays by ACH and none uses a card, the platform fee in this model drops significantly. It remains 1.5% of payment volume, and the current official fee table reviewed here does not list a maximum:
| Annual revenue | Subscription | Processing (100% ACH at 1.5%) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $588 | $750 | $1,338 |
| $150,000 | $588 | $2,250 | $2,838 |
| $300,000 | $588 | $4,500 | $5,088 |
Many reviews compare HoneyBook, Dubsado, and other platforms on subscription price alone. At $29–$109/month, HoneyBook is competitive. But for a planner billing $150,000 per year, the processing fees add 6–7× the subscription cost. The platform's monthly fee is the smaller number on your annual P&L.
This is not unique to HoneyBook — all integrated payment platforms charge processing fees. The key questions for planners are:
For the current rates reviewed here, HoneyBook answers: 1.5% ACH; 2.9% + $0.25 for cardholder-entered Visa/Mastercard; and 3.4% + $0.09 for Amex, Discover, and card-on-file payments. The official ACH table does not list a maximum. HoneyBook does not add a surcharge automatically, but its guidance permits a manual invoice fee line item where legally allowed.
One structural alternative for fee-conscious planners is Maroo's invoicing platform, built for wedding and event professionals. Maroo can disclose and pass configured processing fees to clients at checkout where permitted. In the comparison scenario below, that shifts the configured fee from the planner to the client instead of deducting it from the planner's payout.
For context, Maroo's client ACH fee is 1.25% on the Business plan and its card fee is 3.4%. Those configured fees can be passed to the client where permitted, or handled according to the business's chosen payment policy. Maroo also includes free ACH for contractor-to-contractor payouts (B2B ACH), which is separate from client payment processing.
Both platforms now support recurring invoices for ongoing retainers or repeat services. HoneyBook can share invoices on a weekly, monthly, or custom cadence, with controls to stop or resume the schedule; see its recurring-invoice guidance. Maroo creates a distinct invoice for each cycle so its status can be tracked independently, and future invoices can be canceled without removing invoices already generated; see the Invoices Help collection.
| HoneyBook Essentials | Maroo Business (configured fees passed where permitted) | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual subscription | $588/yr | $600/yr |
| Processing fees (your cost at $150k/yr) | ~$3,743 | ~$0 in this fee-passing scenario |
| Total annual cost | ~$4,331 | ~$600 |
| Can pass fees to clients? | Manual invoice line item; no automatic surcharge | Native fee-passing where permitted |
| Contractor payouts + 1099-NEC e-filing | Payroll sunset; no new onboarding | Connected payment + W-9/1099 workflow |
| Free ACH for B2B/contractor payments | Not in current core payments | Included |
Maroo pricing checked July 23, 2026 at maroo.us/pricing. Fee-passing availability and requirements can depend on jurisdiction, card-network rules, transaction type, and disclosure. Confirm the current checkout settings and legal guidance that apply to your business.
The illustrative $3,731 annual difference at $150,000 in revenue is driven by the payment-fee assumption, not the subscription price: the HoneyBook example has the planner absorb processing fees, while the Maroo example passes configured fees to clients where permitted. Actual results depend on payment mix, transaction count, card type, and the business's fee policy.
If you want to stay on HoneyBook, four levers can help you manage the fee burden:
1. Offer ACH as the lower-cost option. The 1.5% ACH rate is below the 2.9%–3.4% card rates. On a $5,000 payment, the current listed fees are about $145–$170 by card versus $75 by ACH. Present the available methods accurately and let the client choose among the options enabled for the invoice.
2. Understand card-method economics. Cardholder-entered Visa and Mastercard payments are listed at 2.9% + $0.25, while card-on-file, Amex, and Discover payments are listed at 3.4% + $0.09. Balance the fee difference against client convenience and a consistent payment workflow rather than changing an agreed payment method solely for cost.
3. Consider the $500k/year Premium discount. HoneyBook states that businesses processing over $500,000 annually on the Premium plan may be eligible for discounted card rates. If you're at that volume, contact HoneyBook's support to ask about custom pricing (HoneyBook Pricing).
4. Compare manual and native fee recovery. HoneyBook does not add processing fees to a client's total automatically; its current guidance describes a manual invoice line item where permitted. Maroo offers native fee-passing at checkout where permitted. Compare the disclosure, compliance, and client-experience implications before choosing a setup.
HoneyBook is a polished, well-supported platform with a large template library, genuine AI tools, recurring invoices, and a guided setup that can get planners productive quickly. Its payment fees are within the range of integrated processors. The practical distinction for this comparison is workflow: HoneyBook supports a manually added fee line where permitted, while Maroo offers native fee-passing controls at checkout.
For a planner doing $50,000/year, the total cost of ~$1,836 is manageable — roughly 3.7% of revenue. At $150,000, it climbs to ~$4,331, or 2.9% of revenue. At $300,000, it reaches ~$8,073.
The right answer depends on your volumes, how much you value HoneyBook's UX and template library, and how you want to handle client payment methods and fee disclosure. For a broader product-by-product view, read Maroo vs. HoneyBook.
Maroo started as an invoicing and payments platform for wedding and event businesses and is adding connected capabilities at a fast pace. Its free Starter plan supports businesses invoicing under $5,000 per month, and Business is $50 per month; both can pass configured processing fees at checkout where permitted. Maroo's contractor-payment workflow connects free B2B ACH, W-9 collection and reporting, and current 1099-NEC filing and download tools. HoneyBook Payroll was sunset in 2026 and is no longer onboarding new members.
Use the current plan and processing rates above to run a scenario with your own revenue, transaction count, payment mix, and fee policy.
Yes. HoneyBook charges a processing fee on client payments made through the platform. Cardholder-entered Visa and Mastercard payments are listed at 2.9% + $0.25; Amex, Discover, and card-on-file payments are 3.4% + $0.09; and ACH is 1.5% of payment total. The current official ACH table reviewed here does not list a maximum. HoneyBook does not add a surcharge automatically, though its guidance allows a manual invoice fee line item where permitted. Source: HoneyBook Pricing, checked July 23, 2026.
It depends on revenue, payment mix, card type, and transaction count. On the Essentials annual plan ($588/yr), the illustrative model in this article estimates that a planner billing $150,000/year with a 60% card / 40% ACH mix absorbs approximately $3,743 in processing fees, for a combined annual cost of roughly $4,331. At $300,000 in revenue, the same model reaches approximately $8,073. The estimates use rates checked July 23, 2026 and a $2,000 average transaction size.
Offering ACH can reduce the processing rate: 1.5% is below the listed card rates, and on a $5,000 payment the difference is roughly $70–$95. HoneyBook does not add processing fees to the client total automatically, but current guidance permits a manually calculated invoice fee line item where allowed. Businesses that prefer a native checkout control can compare Maroo's fee-passing workflow, subject to applicable rules and disclosure requirements.
For a new planner billing under $50,000/year, HoneyBook Starter ($348/yr on annual billing) is a capable entry point with polished client-facing documents, an active template library, and guided setup. Processing fees in the article's $50,000 scenarios range from roughly $750 to $1,248 depending on payment mix. Essentials adds automations, scheduling, QuickBooks, expanded team access, AI, and SMS reminders for $588 per year, while processing fees scale with payment volume on every plan.
Yes. Starter includes invoices, contracts, proposals, a client portal, basic reports, and two lead forms. Essentials adds workflow automations, the scheduler, QuickBooks, two team members, HoneyBook AI, and SMS reminders for $588 per year on annual billing. Choose based on the workflow features you need rather than an assumed event-count threshold, and compare current details at honeybook.com/pricing.
At $300,000 in annual revenue on the Essentials plan, your estimated total cost is ~$8,073/year (subscription + processing fees on a 60/40 card/ACH mix). That is 2.7% of gross revenue. If you switch to 100% ACH, the total drops to ~$5,088. HoneyBook notes that Premium plan subscribers processing over $500,000/year may be eligible for discounted card rates — contact their support team if you reach that threshold.
