summary
5/5
Best for
E-commerce companies, SaaS companies, "high-risk businesses", & established small/medium businesses ($500,000+ in annual sales)
Specializes in
Easy Pay Direct has unique gateway software and banking solutions to optimize payments for eCommerce, SaaS, information products, supplements, and CBD amongst other verticals.
Pricing Summary
Setup Fee: $99
Monthly Fee: $24.95
Swipe Rate: 1.59% + $0.17
Keyed-in Rate: 2.39% + $0.29
Early Termination Fee: $0 (domestic accounts)
Contract Terms:
summary
5/5
Best for
Merchants in various industries, including e-commerce, restaurants and many types of retailers in need of payment processing services for multiple payment types.
Specializes in
Bank Associates Merchant Services specializes in Level 2 and Level 3 payment processing solutions through its own proprietary software. This company also offers chargeback defense and dispute assistance to help merchants keep their chargebacks as low as possible.
Pricing Summary
Setup Fee: N/A
Monthly Fee: N/A
Swipe Rate: Unknown
Keyed-in Rate: Unknown
Early Termination Fee: $595
Contract Terms:
summary
4.8/5
Best for
Small businesses
Specializes in
Online, retail, service industries
Pricing Summary
Setup Fee: $0
Monthly Fee: $20
Swipe Rate: Variable
Keyed-in Rate: Variable
Early Termination Fee: $0
Contract Terms:
Some patients have dental insurance yet many patients may not have coverage. This will result in them paying out of pocket on a fee per service schedule.
It is estimated that approximately 50% of employers do not offer dental coverage. The average cost of the most simple service like preventative care cleanings can exceed $100.
Of course, more involved procedures or surgeries can cost patients thousands of dollars. Even insured patients may be responsible for co-insurance, co-pays, or deductibles.
As a result, it is unlikely that a patient will be comfortable paying, or able to pay in cash.
By offering the ability to pay by credit card, your practice may be able to collect on the owed invoices quicker and at a higher rate of success.
By working with a payment processor your dental office can gain the ability to process:
Being in the dental industry, you likely will be dealing with protected Personal Health Information (PHI).
PHI can be any type of information that would allow someone to identify a client, such as name, address, social security numbers, or even insurance numbers.
Since any dental office can be a target for cybercrime, it is important to choose a payment processor that knows how to maintain HIPAA compliance. Certain practices such as sending receipts in insecure methods like email or text messages are not permitted to stay in HIPAA compliance.
If your payment processor is going to perform additional functions for you related to your clients beyond the scope of payment processing, you will likely need to enter into a business associate agreement. This will protect you and your business in the event there is ever a data breach or HIPAA violation.
HIPAA violations can result in substantial fines so choosing a payment processor experienced in HIPAA is critical.
Since you are dealing with sensitive medical information as well as customer payment information, you will want to choose a processor that takes extra steps to secure your customer information.
Every year, the Payment Security Standards Council, a payment industry regulatory advisory agency, sets guidance for minimum security standards and best practices.
These standards should be followed by businesses and payment processors alike.
If a business fulfills the requirements, they are said to be PCI Compliant.
Some examples of the types of measures required are:
Talk to your payment processor to see what methods they use to protect you and your clients.
After being able to comply with all rules and regulations, the next most important consideration for dental payment processing is cost.
Payment processors each structure their billing models differently but there are three that are commonly used:
Interchange fees are established by the card networks. The payment processor cannot change these rates. With this pricing model, the processor charges a percentage on each transaction plus a set small flat fee.
This model is preferable because charges for each transaction (interchange and processing) are laid out and your statement provides a highly detailed cost breakdown of payment processing.
This pricing structure allows a business owner to easily compare costs between payment processors.
One drawback might be that this level of detail is more than a business owner would like and could make analyzing a bill difficult.
This type of pricing structure applies a flat rate to every transaction, as the name suggests, with a small charge per transaction, usually less than a dollar.
One benefit of using this model is that it is very easy to understand and the cost of payment processing becomes very easy for a business owner to predict.
A disadvantage is that interchange fees can vary based on the types of transactions. If a transaction would have qualified for a lower interchange rate, the savings to your business will not be available.
This pricing method calculates costs based on the type of transaction.
There are typically three designations:
These designations are established using multiple criteria according to each payment processor’s standards. Some relate to how the card was processed. Was it physically swiped or keyed in?
These factors relate to the relative risk indicated to the processor of that transaction.
All transactions are then assigned a tier with the rate for processing being reflective of that assignment.
Qualified is the lowest cost tier. Transactions are downgraded from qualified. This flexibility may offer some cost savings and will result in straightforward billing statements.
The true cost of processing is obscured, however, as the business owner will not be able to distinguish interchange fees from the processor fees.
Please bear in mind, these pricing models are some of the most common, but other models are available. Be sure to understand what fees and rates your transactions will be subject to.
Beyond payment processing, some processors offer software that complements your practice and allows you to operate more smoothly.
Since oftentimes dental bills are large, your customers may want to make payments in installments. Having a payment processor that can set up recurring billing will allow you to collect on outstanding bills at a greater rate of success.
If you do not collect all payments at the time of service, having a system that will automatically send payment reminders will save your staff valuable time and result in more revenue for your practice.
If you have an existing practice management system, most payment processing software will have the ability to integrate so patient charts are updated in real-time when payments come in.
If the payment processor is not able to integrate with your current system, they may be able to offer to migrate your practice data to compatible software.
Likewise, if you do not have an existing system at all, some processors can offer specialized dental industry-specific software that allows you to manage your practice as well as process payments.
Most processors can offer demos of any software that they use so you can test it out before you move forward.
This hands-on approach is recommended so you can see how the systems operate in real-time. This will give you the best idea of what to expect in practice.
Beyond these key features of a dental payment processor, you may want to consider some additional factors.
If you have a large practice or an office that processes large sums annually, you may qualify for a volume discount. This means that once your business exceeds a certain volume, you would receive a discount on the rate of processing.
Ask your payment processor if they offer any discounts and what the requirements are to qualify.
Some processors also may suggest solutions to reduce risk and rates by splitting up your processing account into multiple, smaller merchant accounts. This is a method called load balancing.
This helps the payment processor protect themselves from risks associated with processing large dollar amount credit card transactions. It also provides you with the assurance that if something happens and your funds are frozen due to excessive chargebacks, you will still have access to some of your money.
You do not want to implement a new payment processor to disrupt your business in any way. Before proceeding with a processor, be sure to find out what access you will have to customer service if you should need it.
Some processors offer 24/7 live help while others may only be available during traditional business hours. If your business does not operate after hours, it may not be essential to have support available then.
If something does go wrong, you will want to be able to reach someone quickly. Find out if there is a phone number, email, or chat feature available for your use.
Processors should be able to give you an idea of what to expect when setting up a system. You should consider how easy the payment processing system is to implement, and also ask if they offer training to staff to learn the system and in what format.
Another important consideration is a processor’s reputation in the industry.
An Internet search can sometimes yield reviews and shed light on how they are regarded by current or former customers.
You can also check with the Better Business Bureau to see if they have any active complaints against them.
Beyond that, the BBB might indicate how long they have been operating. You want to choose a processor that you are confident will be in business in the near future.
Choosing a dental payment processor can feel overwhelming. This business decision will impact your day-to-day operations and your bottom line significantly.
If you are searching for a dental credit card processor, you will want to make sure they have experience working with customers in the dental industry.
This will ensure that they are knowledgeable about HIPAA compliance and will be able to protect the privacy of your patient’s PHI.
Equally important is choosing a processor that is PCI compliant so that the sensitive data of your clients and business is protected.
Taking the time to understand the pricing model each processor offers is important because even small differences in rates and fees can translate to large sums of money over the year.
Payment processors should be upfront and transparent with their pricing models.
If you are using a payment processor, why not add value to your business with features that will streamline your operations?
Seeking a payment processor that can make your billing practices easier and result in saved time for your staff is an important consideration.
If you already have a practice management system in place, be sure the processor you choose can integrate into your existing system or be able to offer a suitable replacement.
Be aware that many payment processors offer volume discounts for accounts that may process large sums. Find out the details of features like this so you know exactly what to expect.
Finally, you want to choose a payment processor that will be available if something goes awry. Having payment processing disrupted can throw a wrench in your daily operations.
Seek a payment processor that can offer live assistance during your business hours and is easily reached.
Equally important is choosing a payment processor you can rely on staying in business for the foreseeable future and who has a reputable image. It is a hassle to have to change payment processors and takes up valuable time.
By being well informed of what characteristics to look for in a processor, hopefully, you will be able to select one that can meet your business needs while also offering the best rates.
If you invest the time to research and choose wisely, you will be establishing a business relationship that will benefit your business daily.
Be sure to check out our best credit card payment processors for dental practices: