Kajabi shifts to payments-first model

Kajabi is moving from being a flat software subscription into a tighter payments plus software system, which raises revenue per creator while making the platform harder to leave. When a creator uses Kajabi for checkout, email, community, courses, and now financing, Kajabi sees the sales flow, can price payment processing more aggressively, and can sell extra capabilities like branded apps or advanced product features without forcing every customer onto the same bundle.

• The practical change is that Kajabi now rewards creators for keeping payments inside the product. New January 2026 tiers include lower Kajabi Payments fees, and creators in supported regions who keep using outside processors can face an added fee. That turns payments from an optional utility into a core part of the operating model.
  1 sacra
• The add on structure lets Kajabi serve bigger creator businesses without dropping downmarket on base price. A coach or course seller can buy premium features like cohort tools, API access, or a branded app only when needed, while Kajabi still keeps the core promise of running website, marketing, delivery, and checkout from one dashboard.
  1 sacra
• This matches the broader creator software playbook. Circle expanded from community into courses, events, and payments. ConvertKit moved from email into landing pages and commerce. Stan bundles storefront, email, scheduling, and payments. The shared goal is to become the system where creator revenue actually happens, because that is where retention and monetization are strongest.
  2 sacra 3 sacra 4 sacra

The next step is deeper financial infrastructure built on top of owned payments volume. Kajabi Capital already extends funding from inside the dashboard, and more of the creator stack will likely be priced around how much commerce Kajabi handles directly. That pushes the market toward a small set of platforms that do not just host content, but run the cash register for creator businesses.