Paid WiFi

Paid WiFi is a guest WiFi model where users pay for internet access - by time block, data allowance, speed tier, or number of devices - through a checkout built into the captive portal. Instead of (or alongside) a free sign-in, the splash page presents plans, takes card payment, and the network releases the device for the purchased session.

How it works

1. The guest connects and the captive portal shows the available plans.
2. Payment is taken by a gateway such as Stripe, whose domains must sit inside the walled garden so checkout works before the guest is online.
3. The session's duration, speed and device limits are enforced by the access point or controller, often via RADIUS attributes.
4. The guest can usually re-purchase or top up when the session expires.

Common pricing models

• Time-based - an hour, a day, a week; the simplest model for hotels and holiday parks.
• Freemium tiers - free basic WiFi with an email sign-in, paid upgrade for streaming-grade speed; this keeps the marketing capture and adds revenue.
• Per-device or group passes - suited to families at campsites or delegates at events.

Free or paid: which makes sense?

For high-street hospitality - pubs, cafes, restaurants - free portal WiFi almost always earns more as a marketing channel than it could as a paid service, and charging suppresses usage and goodwill. Paid WiFi earns its keep where stays are long and demand is heavy: hotels, holiday parks, marinas, campsites and conferences, especially for premium bandwidth tiers on satellite or rural connections. Platforms such as CaptiFi support Stripe-powered paid plans alongside free capture on the same portal, so venues can run the freemium model rather than choosing one or the other - see pricing.