Veterinary practices handle payments during some of the most emotional moments their clients experience. A pet owner may be picking up a healthy pet after a routine visit, dealing with an unexpected emergency, or saying goodbye to a longtime companion.
The payment process should not make those moments more difficult.
At the same time, veterinary practices need to collect payment efficiently, manage payment acceptance costs, and protect revenue. Credit cards remain important, particularly when pet owners need access to available credit for unexpected care. But they do not have to be the only convenient digital payment option.
ACH with open banking gives veterinary practices another way to accept payments directly from a client's bank account while creating a more convenient payment experience for clients and staff.
Make Payment Part of the Care Experience
The client experience doesn't end when the veterinarian leaves the exam room.
Imagine a pet owner waiting to take home a dog after surgery. Instead of requiring the client to stand at the front desk while staff process payment, the practice can send a secure payment link by text or email. The client can authorize an ACH payment from a phone while remaining with the pet.
The same approach can help during end-of-life care. Staff can handle payment discreetly without unnecessarily bringing a grieving pet owner to a busy reception counter.
Payment links can also help with routine situations. A client can pay before arriving to pick up a pet, authorize payment remotely when someone else is handling pickup, or pay a deposit before a procedure.
Moving some payments beyond the front desk can create a more thoughtful client experience while making payment collection easier for busy staff.
Give Clients a Simple Way to Pay from Their Bank Accounts
ACH has long allowed businesses to collect payments directly from bank accounts. Open banking improves the customer-facing experience.
CrossCheck's Pay-by-Link uses open banking technology powered by Plaid. The veterinary practice sends a secure payment request by text or email. The client selects their financial institution, securely connects a bank account, and authorizes the payment.
Real-time account verification confirms account information without requiring the client or practice staff to manually enter routing and account numbers.
This gives veterinary practices another digital payment option for clients who want to pay directly from their bank accounts, whether they are at the practice or paying remotely.
Manage the Cost of High-Dollar Veterinary Payments
Veterinary care can involve substantial expenses, particularly for emergency treatment, surgery, diagnostics, dental procedures, and ongoing care.
As transaction amounts increase, payment acceptance costs become more significant for the practice.
Credit cards provide valuable flexibility when a client needs access to revolving credit. But when a client has funds available in a bank account, guaranteed ACH can cost veterinary practices considerably less to accept than credit cards.
If a practice absorbs its credit card processing costs, those expenses reduce the economics of the transaction. If the practice instead imposes a compliant credit card surcharge, the additional cost shifts to the client.
ACH provides another option. The practice can potentially lower its payment acceptance costs while giving clients a convenient way to pay directly from their bank accounts without a credit card surcharge.
The goal isn't to eliminate credit cards. It's to offer the right payment options for different clients and circumstances.
Add Protection to ACH Payments
Standard ACH payments can still be returned for reasons such as insufficient funds. That can create additional work for a veterinary practice after services have already been provided.
Guaranteed ACH adds another layer of protection.
With CrossCheck, eligible ACH transactions receive guarantee protection against covered returned payments. This allows practices to offer a digital bank-payment option while reducing the risk associated with eligible returns.
Open banking verification and guarantee protection serve different purposes. Verification confirms account information before the transaction, while the guarantee provides protection against eligible returned payments.
Together, they give veterinary practices a convenient way to accept bank payments with added protection.
Make Veterinary Payments Easier for Clients and Practices
A good veterinary payment experience should support the relationship between the practice and the client, not interrupt it.
Credit cards, checks, and ACH can each serve different needs. Credit cards give clients access to revolving credit. Checks remain familiar to many clients. ACH with open banking provides a digital option for clients who want to pay directly from a bank account.
For veterinary practices, offering guaranteed ACH alongside cards and checks can help manage payment acceptance costs, support remote payments, and protect revenue. For clients, it provides another convenient way to handle payment so they can focus on what matters most: caring for their pet.
Explore CrossCheck's payment solutions for veterinary practices.
Frequently Asked Questions About ACH Payments for Veterinary Practices
Can Veterinary Practices Accept ACH Payments?
Yes. Veterinary practices can accept ACH payments directly from clients' bank accounts for eligible transactions, including treatment bills, procedures, and other veterinary expenses.
Can a Veterinary Practice Send Clients an ACH Payment Link?
Yes. CrossCheck's Pay-by-Link allows veterinary practices to send secure ACH payment requests by text or email. Clients can connect their bank accounts and authorize payment from a phone, tablet, or computer.
How Does Open Banking Help with Veterinary Payments?
Open banking allows clients to securely connect their bank accounts rather than manually entering routing and account numbers. CrossCheck's Pay-by-Link uses Plaid-powered open banking technology to verify account information in real time.
Why Would a Veterinary Practice Offer Guaranteed ACH?
Guaranteed ACH provides another digital payment option that can cost considerably less to accept than credit cards while providing protection against eligible returned payments. It can be particularly useful for high-dollar and remote veterinary payments.