How much of your collections disappear into card fees?
Crowns, implants and aligners are often paid on one card. The bigger the case, the bigger the fee. Upload one statement and see every fee, the junk fees, and what you’d pay on cash discount.
Upload a PDF or type in two numbers. No cost, no obligation.
- Early termination fee waived in writing
- $69/mo platform fee per terminal
Four places your practice loses money to card fees.
Your statement doesn’t show one total. The fees are split across rates, per-sale charges and monthly fees. That makes the real cost easy to miss.
Big cases, big fees
Card fees are a percentage of the sale. So an implant or full-arch case carries a much bigger fee than a cleaning. Your lab and material costs don’t shrink to make room for it.
HSA and FSA cards
These health spending cards run as debit or prepaid cards. They often have their own rates. That’s one reason your statement shows several rates, not the one you were quoted.
Payments made away from the desk
Payment links, cards on file and phone payments usually cost more than a tap at the front desk. If you run in-house payment plans, you may have a lot of them.
Fees that aren’t in your rate
Monthly minimums, statement fees, PCI (card security) fees and batch fees sit outside your quoted rate. So do the extra charges on rewards cards. Together, they’re often the gap between your quote and your bill.
Your rate is not what you pay.
Your “effective rate” is what you really pay: every fee, divided by your card sales. It’s the fairest way to compare processors. Here it is on a real practice’s statement.
How to find your real rate
Add up every fee on your monthly statement. Divide by your card sales. That’s it.
That’s $2,698 in one month. Over a year, it’s about $32,380.
| Base processing fees | $1,756.47 |
| “Qualification” surcharges | $377.82 |
| Card network fees | $192.46 |
| Compliance fees | $156.00 |
| PCI non-compliance penalties | $123.44 |
| Other add-on fees | $59.75 |
| Per-sale, batch and AVS fees | $32.42 |
| Total for the month | $2,698.36 |
A Los Angeles pain-management practice. Real statement, name removed. $717 of the total was junk fees: charges worth questioning.
Your fees, minus what cash discount costs. That’s the savings.
On cash discount, the card price covers processing. You pay a $69/mo platform fee per terminal. So your savings are what you pay in fees today, minus what cash discount costs: about $89.75 a month with one terminal, including processor pass-through costs.
It’s the total fees line on your statement. Not sure? Use the helper below.
A guess works. The free analyzer finds the exact number from your statement.
Your percentage is your own math: your fees minus what cash discount costs with one terminal, $89.75 a month (the $69/mo platform fee plus processor pass-through costs). Each extra terminal adds $69 a month. Under $10,000 a month in card sales, you see the plain dollar math. Already on cash discount? We can lower your program rate instead. This is a simple estimate, not a quote. Your real numbers depend on your statement and program terms.
| Monthly card payments from patients | $60,000 |
| Example effective rate, all fees counted | 3.0% |
| Card fees in this example | $1,800 / mo |
| Over a year | $21,600 |
| On cash discount, one terminal (platform fee + processor pass-through) | $89.75 / mo |
| The difference in this example | $1,710 / mo |
| Over a year (95.0% of the fees) | $20,523 |
Made-up numbers to show the math. Not a quote, an estimate for your practice, or a promise of savings. Your results depend on your card mix, case sizes, how patients pay, state rules and program terms.
Prefer one price for every patient?
Traditional pricing is available too. You keep paying the card fee yourself, on a clear, itemized plan. The statement review can still find the junk fees. If a review found a rate 0.4 points lower on the example above, that would be $240 a month, or $2,880 a year.
Let the card price cover the card fee.
Three plain steps. Patients can still pay any way they like, including HSA and FSA cards.
Your prices become card prices
Your fees are listed as the card price. Patients who pay by card pay the posted price.
Cash gets a lower price
Patients who pay with cash or check get a discount and pay the cash price. The receipt shows both prices.
Signs show both prices
Signs at the front desk and on the terminal show the cash price before patients pay. The rules require them. We set them up with you before you go live.
See your own numbers in about a minute.
Upload a recent statement to the free analyzer. You see every fee, the junk fees, your effective rate and what you’d pay on cash discount. Nothing changes unless you decide to switch.
Rather we run the numbers for you?
Tell us your monthly card sales. We’ll email your numbers within one business day. No call needed.
Thanks, we’ve got it.
We’ll email your numbers within one business day. Want them faster? Run the free analyzer.
Your front desk never stops taking cards.
Your current processor keeps running until the new terminal is set up and a test sale goes through.
- 1 minute
Check your statement
Upload it to the free analyzer, or send it to us. You see every fee and your real rate.
- 15 minutes
A short phone call
Pick a time. We call you at your number, walk you through your numbers and answer your questions.
- 5–10 minutes
A quick application
Fill it out by phone or online. The agreement waives the early termination fee, in writing.
- About 3 days
Your terminal ships
We help you set up the signs. No downtime: you take cards the whole way through.
What practices ask before they switch.
Will switching stop us from taking cards at the front desk?
No. Your current processor keeps running until the new terminal is set up and a test sale goes through. Your team takes cards the same way: tap, chip or swipe. There is never a day when you can’t take a card.
What is an effective rate, and why does it matter?
It’s all your card fees for the month added up, then divided by your card sales. It’s usually higher than your quoted rate. That’s because it counts per-sale, monthly and PCI fees. It also counts the higher rates on keyed-in and rewards cards. It’s the one number that lets you compare processors fairly.
Can patients still pay with HSA and FSA cards?
Yes. HSA and FSA cards run on the terminal like other debit and prepaid cards. With a cash discount program, they count as card payments, so they pay the card price. Patients who pay by cash or check get the cash price.
How does a cash discount program work at a dental practice?
Your fees are listed as the card price. Patients who pay with cash or check get a discount and pay the cash price. It’s a discount for paying cash, not a surcharge added to your fees. Both prices are shown at the front desk and on the receipt. Those signs and notices are required, and we set them up with you before you go live. The card fee is paid from the card price, not from your practice revenue. Want one price for every patient? Traditional pricing is available.
How do you work out my savings?
Your savings are your current monthly card fees minus what cash discount costs you: a $69/mo platform fee per terminal, plus processor pass-through costs. With one terminal that is about $89.75 a month. If you pay $1,800 a month in fees, that is $1,710 saved, or 95.0%. Each extra terminal adds $69 a month. Already on cash discount? We can lower your program rate, for example from 4% to 3.5%, quoted on the call. The free analyzer shows your own numbers.
Can patients pay for treatment plans when they’re not in the office?
Yes. You can text or email a payment link. Or, with the patient’s permission, keep a card on file for scheduled payments. These payments usually cost more than a tapped card. That’s why they’re worth checking on your statement.
Is there a contract or a termination fee?
There is a merchant agreement. We use the version that waives the early termination fee. Your exact terms are written into the proposal you get after the statement review. You see them before you sign anything.
What do you need from us to get started?
Just one recent processing statement. Upload it to our free analyzer, or bring it to a 15-minute call. You’ll get a written side-by-side comparison. Nothing changes unless you decide to switch.
Find out what your practice really pays to take cards.
See every fee, the junk ones, and what cash discount would cost your practice: a $69/mo platform fee per terminal.