In dentistry, just like with other healthcare services, getting payments paid and paid on time can sometimes be challenging. Today, however, there are several strategies dentists can use to improve the payment experience – getting paid and getting paid on time. Sometimes, it is just a matter of being upfront with clients about costs, and other times it is about using the right dental payment processing platform.
1. Be Upfront About Costs
In healthcare, for patients, sometimes unexpected costs are not received well. And, when this happens, some customers might be impacted negatively and feel as if they were misled.
Unfortunately, these situations can lead to patients refusing to pay their bills. At which point, dental offices might have to resort to hiring a collection agency.
One way to mitigate and reduce these types of events is for dentists to explain costs to their clients on the front end. This way, patients can clearly understand exactly what they are being charged for and not be surprised when they get that bill in the mail.
2. Offer Multiple Payment Options
With various customers, there will always be varying preferences on how to pay bills for dental services or anything else.
Some customers still like more traditional methods of payments like writing checks. However, these days, most consumers prefer to pay using an electronic payment method. This is where an optimal dental payment processing platform can come in handy.
Offering payment methods with debit cards, credit cards, ACH and HSA can provide dental customers with more than one way to pay – payment flexibility. And today, there is dental payment processing software that allows consumers to use any of these payment methods from one payment platform and on any device.
3. Allow Payment Plans
Bills for dentistry can be expensive, but having nice teeth makes it all worth it.
Offering payment plans can be one way to help customers make payments they feel comfortable about paying – payment plans that work with their monthly budgets.
Today, payment platforms like PaymentVision’s PayWeb360 and others offer automatic payment functionality so that consumers can make automated recurring payments. In some situations, getting smaller but consistent payments can be more efficient for receiving full payment of dental services.
4. Offer Price Breaks on Early Payments in Full
Additionally, offering discounts for in-full cash payments can be an incentive for many dental customers to pay their total bill at once.
Furthermore, this not only helps dental practices get paid on time and in full, but it also helps customers save money in interest along with a cash-payment discount.
Recap: Improving the Dental Payment Processing Experience
Historically, medical bills of any sort can be quite expensive. Customers who receive dental bills that include expenses they do not understand can sometimes lead to non-payment. Luckily though, there are strategies that dental offices can use on the front end to increase the likelihood of getting paid in full and on time.
Sometimes, simply being upfront and transparent about dental costs – helping a client understand expenses – can improve payments received.
Also, offering payment plans can be great for getting customers to commit to paying their dental bills regularly over a period of time. And today, there are dental payment processing platforms that will work on any device and allow end-users to set up recurring payments.
And finally, another great strategy is to incentivize making early payments by giving discounts for payments made in full. A practice that can benefit both the dental office and the client.
If you are interested in learning more about how one of our payment platforms, like PayWeb360, could benefit your dental practice, let’s chat.
PayWeb360 payment technology is one of our many payment technology products that will work on any device, allows multiple payment methods, automatic payments, and statistically increases payment completion rates.
