Overview
Many academy platforms allow users to purchase courses directly through the website and gain immediate access to learning materials. Whether you are looking to complete mandatory training, improve your professional knowledge, or obtain a recognised certificate, purchasing a course is a straightforward process.
This guide explains how to purchase courses for yourself, what happens after purchase, how member pricing works, and where to access your courses once your order has been completed.
Before You Purchase a Course
Before purchasing a course, it is important to understand the different types of learning products that may be available on the platform.
Depending on the academy, you may find:
E-Learning Courses – Self-paced online courses that can be completed at any time.
Training Courses – Instructor-led sessions delivered online or in person.
Events – Conferences, workshops, seminars, and networking events.
This article focuses primarily on purchasing courses for your own learning and development.
Finding a Course
Courses are typically available through the academy's course catalogue, shop, or training section.
When browsing courses, you can usually view:
Course title
Course description
Learning objectives
Course duration
Certificate availability
Pricing information
Member and Non-Member rates (where applicable)
Before purchasing, take time to review the course details to ensure it meets your requirements.
Member and Non-Member Pricing
Many academy platforms offer discounted pricing to members.
When viewing a course, you may see pricing options such as:
Member Price
The member price is available to users with an active membership.
Members may benefit from:
Reduced course fees
Discounted training sessions
Lower event registration costs
Access to additional member resources
Non-Member Price
If you are not a member, you can still purchase courses, but the standard non-member price will apply.
If you regularly attend courses or events, becoming a member may provide significant savings over time.
Selecting the Correct Purchase Option
When purchasing a course for yourself, make sure you select the standard course option rather than a licence or gifting option.
For example:
Purchase for Yourself
Choose the standard course product when:
You intend to complete the course yourself.
You want the course assigned directly to your account.
You want immediate access after purchase.
Licence Products
Licence products are different.
These products are designed for:
Managers
Employers
Training coordinators
Organisations purchasing courses for other people
If you are purchasing a course for yourself, you generally do not need a licence product.
Adding a Course to Your Basket
Once you have selected the course you wish to purchase:
Open the course page.
Review the course information.
Select the appropriate pricing option if applicable.
Click Add to Basket or Add to Cart.
Review your basket.
At this stage, you can continue shopping or proceed directly to checkout.
Completing Checkout
To complete your purchase:
Open your basket.
Review your selected courses.
Proceed to checkout.
Enter your billing details.
Review your order summary.
Select your preferred payment method.
Complete payment.
Once payment has been processed successfully, your order will be confirmed.
You will normally receive an order confirmation email containing details of your purchase.
What Happens After Purchase?
After purchasing an e-learning course, access is usually granted automatically.
The course becomes linked to your account and is ready to begin immediately.
You do not need to wait for manual approval in most cases.
Once the purchase is complete:
The course appears in your course area.
Progress tracking becomes available.
Lessons and quizzes can be accessed.
Completion status is recorded automatically.
Accessing Your Purchased Course
After logging into your account:
Navigate to My Courses.
Locate the purchased course.
Select the course card or title.
Open the course.
Begin learning.
Your course dashboard will display all courses currently assigned to your account.
Depending on the academy, you may also see:
Completed courses
Courses in progress
Required refresher courses
Overdue refresher courses
This makes it easy to monitor your learning progress.
Platform Variations
Course purchasing may vary slightly between academies.
Some Academies
Allow users to purchase individual courses directly.
Automatically assign courses after purchase.
Provide immediate access to learning materials.
Other Academies
Require courses to be assigned by an administrator.
Restrict purchasing to specific user roles.
Offer organisation-managed access instead of self-enrolment.
If course purchasing is not available on your academy, contact your administrator or support team for guidance.
Summary
Purchasing a course for yourself is one of the quickest ways to begin learning on the platform. After selecting a course, completing checkout, and successfully processing payment, the course is normally assigned directly to your account.
You can then access the course from your learning dashboard, complete lessons and assessments at your own pace, track your progress, and receive a certificate upon successful completion.