Here’s why you should focus on getting no-fee credit card processing for Invisalign monthly payments:

  • Invisalign, or clear aligners, probably form an increasing percentage of your total revenue. The global market for clear aligners reached $2.31 in 2019 and is expected to reach $5.58 billion by 2027. That’s an average growth rate of 18.7%!
  • You already pay credit card processing fees of 3-4% per transaction. That may not seem like much, but it’s actually costing you tens of thousands per year.

Starting to see how you could save?Since a large part of your success depends on you offering Invisalign to your patients, you should take a smart approach to monthly payments. After all, Invisalign aligns the teeth of your patients; shouldn’t the payment plans you offer align with your practice’s financial goals?So, let’s take a look at how you can get no-fee credit card processing and start saving thousands on patients’ monthly Invisalign payments.

How no-fee credit card processing can help your orthodontist practice

We know you’re busy helping patients improve their dental health and feel more confident. Thank you for all the hard work you do!However, while you’re hard at work aligning teeth, something is happening that’s costing your practice money: Credit card processing fees are hurting your practice’s profits. You may not be concerned about shelling out a few dollars on each payment. But take a step back...Think about all the time and money you’ve invested in becoming an orthodontist. According to Colgate, it can take 10 to 11 years to get fully certified and licensed. You have four years of undergraduate school, four years of dental school, and then two to three years of residency. And you’ve not only invested a lot of time getting to where you are today—you’ve also spent a lot of money. The average dental school debt exceeds $292,000, according to NerdWallet. On top of that, you invested money to start your orthodontic practice, which can cost anywhere from $350,000 to $500,000 (or more).Given the investments you’ve made, it doesn’t make sense to let money continue to fly out the window. You should have full clarity of every expense your practice has—including credit card processing fees. While you may think paying a 3-4% fee each time your patients make a payment isn’t a big deal, it adds up. In fact, credit card processing fees on your patients’ monthly Invisalign payments could cost your practice more than $10,000 per year. Paying attention now? That kind of money could certainly help your orthodontic practice. With $10,000 more each year, you could:

  • Save more for retirement
  • Spend more on marketing
  • Take a nicer vacation
  • Expand your practice

The point is this: 100% of the revenue you make from Invisalign monthly payments should go to you—not credit card payment processors.

What a better strategy for Invisalign monthly payments looks like

Let’s take a look at an example of two Invisalign monthly payment plans. Before we begin, for both examples, we’ll say you run an orthodontic practice that generates $1.4 million in annual revenue, which is a good deal above the industry average (nice job!). And we’ll say 50% of that revenue, or $700,000, comes from clear aligner therapy. We should also factor in that Invisalign, like braces, is covered by insurance. You can expect insurance companies to pay 50%, according to Oral-B. But considering not everyone has dental insurance, it’s possible only 20% of Invisalign revenue overall comes from health insurance company payments. The remaining $540,000 is paid out of pocket by your patients. Now, let’s assume that when your patients make Invisalign monthly payments, an average of 60% pay with credit cards. So, each year, your orthodontic practice accepts $324,000 in credit card payments. Got it? Let’s get to both examples…

Example 1: You pay credit card processing fees on that $324,000

Take a look at average credit card processing fees:

see how no fee credit card processing can help your business

Source

As you can see, you would pay a lot of fees throughout an Invisalign monthly payment plan. The average cost of Invisalign treatment is between $3,000 to $7,000. After insurance, your patient will probably have around a $200 to $250 monthly payment. If they swipe with a credit card, you could pay roughly 3–4% in fees each time. Calculate a 3.5% credit card transaction fee on $324,000, and what do you get? You get $11,340. That’s right. Each year, you pay $11,340 in credit card processing fees on Invisalign monthly payments. That’s unacceptable.

Example 2: You have no-fee credit card processing for that $324,000 of revenue

What if you didn’t have to pay credit card processing fees? What if you had free credit card processing? Well, that $11,340 would stay where it belongs: in your pocket! You’d be able to take home 100% of your revenue from Invisalign treatments and payment plans. Now, you may be thinking: That this sounds nice, but it isn’t possible. Fees are just a part of accepting credit cards.But here’s the thing: You actually don’t have to pay fees when your patients make Invisalign monthly payments with a credit card. You just have to follow two steps to get no-fee credit card processing.

Step 1: Get a better payment processor

How do you take home all your revenue from the Invisalign monthly payment plans you offer patients?The first step is to lower your credit card transaction fees. This means you’ll need to find the right payment processor for Invisalign monthly payments and other transactions at your orthodontic practice. Here’s how to do that:

Opt for pass-through pricing

When looking for a merchant service provider (MSP), check out their pricing structure before doing anything else. You want an MSP that offers pass-through pricing, as the charges are passed on to your orthodontic practice and are very clear. Note: Avoid tiered pricing. This pricing structure categorizes transactions into tiers, and you don’t have much clarity on how they do that. Often, you end up paying more than anticipated.

Know the fees

To get no-fee credit card processing, you have to know what fees you pay when patients make their Invisalign monthly payments. Here’s what you need to know.

  • The card-issuing bank, such as Bank of America, gets an interchange fee.
  • The payment network, such as Visa, gets a network fee.
  • The card-issuing brand, such as United Airlines, gets an assessment fee.
  • The MSP, such as Square, collects a processor markup to cover hardware and software costs, as well as other expenses.

When shopping for an MSP, eliminate the most expensive ones first.

Look at the MSP’s capabilities

To further narrow down your search for a quality payment processor, analyze the services each one offers. You’ll want an MSP that can not only handle your transactions smoothly, but also provide solid customer service. They should also support the following types of payments:

Furthermore, the payment processor should have excellent security systems. You want to ensure your patients’ financial and personal data is fully protected.

Negotiate!

You should now have narrowed down to three or four payment processors that offer the best value. Once you’ve done that, start negotiating. Wait, can you really do that?Yes! Well, while you can’t tell Visa you’d prefer to pay a little less, you can negotiate the MSP markup. Since medical practices like orthodontic practices bring in healthy revenues, you may find that MSPs are willing to cut 5–10% off their markup in order to win your business. Over the course of time, that can save you thousands of dollars. After negotiating, go with the payment processor that offers the best value (a good price plus high-quality services).

Step 2: Implement a credit surcharge program

We’re not quite done yet. Even with the best payment processor, you’ll still have transaction fees. So, how do you offset those to get no-fee credit card processing?The answer is a credit surcharge program. Here’s how it works:

  • A patient gets clear aligners, and they opt for an Invisalign monthly payment plan with your practice.
  • When the patient makes their Invisalign monthly payments, you give them a choice: Pay with cash or debit card and save money. Or, pay with a credit card and pay an extra amount to cover the transaction fees.

Thanks to the Dodd-Frank Act, a credit surcharge solution is completely legal. Your orthodontic practice can use this strategy to stop the impact of transaction fees on your bottom line. You just need to provide clear signage at the door and point of sale.

Ready for no-fee credit card processing?

Now, you may worry that a credit surcharge program would upset patients. But it won’t. With a surcharge program, you give patients the opportunity to save by paying with cash or a debit card. And you get no-fee credit card processing. It’s a win-win for everyone. At Nadapayments, our credit surcharge program adds 3.5% if your patients pay with a credit card. If they pay with cash, they save 3.5%. Even better, our surcharge solution can be set up in a day and integrates with your credit card installment plans. And everything you need to get started is free.No-fee credit card processing is within reach for your orthodontic practice. All you have to do is give us a call to get started. Dial +1 (929) 293-1800 or click the link below.

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