How to Sell an Online Course From Instagram With 0% Platform Fee

Many course platforms take a cut of every sale, and on a ₹4,999 course that adds up fast across a launch. The alternative is to host the course where you like and sell it through a checkout page that charges 0% platform fee. Viralyze provides that checkout, the Auto-DM that delivers it from reels, and the analytics that tell you which reel is selling.

This article covers listing the course, launching it, handling questions, and reading the numbers.

What does 0% platform fee actually mean?

It means the price the student pays is the amount credited to you, before standard payment processing. There is no commission on sales and no per-student charge; the subscription is a flat monthly or yearly amount regardless of how many courses you sell.

Payments run through an RBI-authorised aggregator by UPI, card or net banking, and payouts go to your bank weekly. Prices are set in INR, and international students pay by card.

How do I list a course for sale?

Add it as an online course product with its own checkout page. In the Viralyze app:

1. Open Shop and add a product. Choose online course. 2. Write the description: outcome, number of modules, duration, who it is for. 3. Set the price. For a course with a launch offer, you can use a promo code. 4. Save. The course has a checkout page at a shre.pro link. 5. Add it to your link-in-bio page and to an Auto-DM on your launch reel.

After payment the student has access to the course. Every buyer is added to your contacts list with a source tag.

How do I sell it from reels?

Teach one lesson from the course in the reel, then ask for a keyword. The Auto-DM carries the checkout page, so the student moves from "I learned something" to "I bought the rest" without leaving Instagram.

A concrete example: a Canva designer selling "Reels Thumbnails That Get Clicks", six modules at ₹1,999. Reel: "Three thumbnail mistakes that kill your reach, and the fix for the first one. Comment THUMB for the full course." Keywords: "THUMB", "course", "thumbnail". DM: "Here is the full six-module course, ₹1,999, lifetime access. Pay by UPI and start today." Public reply: "Sent you the link 💌", rotated so the thread looks alive.

How do I handle questions before people buy?

From the Inbox, where every reply to the Auto-DM arrives with the original comment attached. Most pre-purchase questions are "Is it live or recorded?", "Is there support?" and "Hindi mein hai?". Answer them within Instagram's 24-hour window, or put the answers in the course description so fewer people need to ask.

On the Pro plan, AI replies in English, Hindi and Hinglish can handle common questions. Giftin Wilson (@giftin_fitness) reports that Auto-DM doubled course sales in a month, which is the sort of result that comes from answering every comment quickly rather than from any trick.

How do I know which reel sells the course?

Each automation has a funnel: comments, matched, delivered, clicked, signed up. The home screen in Viralyze adds revenue over 7, 30 or 90 days and top reels by DMs.

Compare the signed-up number across reels, not the views. A reel that teaches a complete small lesson usually sells better than a reel that only promises one, and the funnel will show you that in your own numbers.

Frequently asked questions

**Do I need to host the course videos on Viralyze?** Viralyze handles the listing, checkout and payment; deliver the course content wherever you prefer and point students to it after purchase.

**Can I run a launch discount without changing the price?** Yes. Promo codes are supported, so you can share a code in the reel caption or DM for a limited period and remove it afterwards.

**Is there a limit on how many students I can sell to?** No. Pricing is flat with no per-contact charge, so a course that sells 50 seats costs you the same subscription as one that sells 5,000.

Start your 7-day free trial of Viralyze, no card needed, and put your course on sale at 0% platform fee.