Learn more about three critical areas you should be concerned about when selecting a payment processing provider.
Updated 7/9/2020
Credit card processing is a complex service involving multiple moving parts, emerging technologies, payment networks, regulatory bodies and financial institutions. Like any service involving that level of complexity, credit card processors often vary in quality.
When evaluating potential merchant service providers, ask questions about these three critical areas where the quality of payment processing matters most to your dental practice:
- Fair and transparent rate structure
- Strong uptime record
- Access to helpful customer support
- Integrated and time-saving features
Ask for Transparent Rate Structures
Credit card processing can be complex, but the cost of that service should be clear and straightforward. The rates and fees you’ll pay depend on many factors, starting with the interchange category applicable to your business.
Interchange pricing varies based on the risk factors of card holders and card types. Though payment processors charge their own rates and fees on top of interchange, the cost of interchange is set by the card brands and is the same for all processors.
There are hundreds of Interchange Rates and it varies by card types:
- Credit and Debit
- Card Present vs. Card Not Present
- Rewards, Business, Electronic Interchange Reimbursement Fee
When it comes to your money, transparency is essential. Ask for clear, concise and complete explanations of rates and fees from any credit card processor you may consider.
Look for Proof of Reliable Uptime
Payment system outages are tough on businesses. A credit card processing outage means your business is as good as shut down. It’s not just the downtime itself that hurts. It is the time and cost associated with collecting payment after the fact.
Credit card processing outages are rare, but all complicated interdependent systems are vulnerable to downtime. Ask about a credit card processor’s uptime history and the steps they’ve taken to minimize service interruptions. Reliable processors have solutions to help dental practices stay operational during a network outage, as well as redundant servers to reduce their own risk of going down.
Customer Support Can Make or Break Your Day
As a business owner, you know that troubleshooting and maintenance is part of dealing with almost any complex system. Dealing with technology and managing complex systems is part of modern life. How essential service providers respond to those difficulties can make a big difference to you, and your bottom line.
When things go wrong you need to be able to count on support from real people who know how payments work, how they can go wrong and how to resolve them. You need to be able to speak to someone right away when you call—whether it’s in the middle of the night, or even on a busy holiday. Not all credit card processors offer 24/7 live customer support. If taking in-office/time-of-service credit card payments from your patients is mission critical, make sure that any processing company you consider offers the level of service your business demands. Leading payment processors keep track of their call waiting times and resolution scores, so be sure to ask about them as well.
Take Advantage of Integrated Features
Henry Schein One partners exclusively with Worldpay for Dentrix Pay to ensure your office has the best possible experience for collecting card payments. With Worldpay, you will get:
- Acceptance of all patient payment methods
- Fair and transparent rate structure
- Reliable, secure credit card and debit card processing
- Redundant backup to protect your business if a network goes down
- Live 24/7 phone and email support–even on holidays
- Advanced troubleshooting and actionable alerts to help you quickly resolve payment issues
Learn More
Watch the Dentrix Pay Overview Video to see how Dentrix Pay works and read Introducing Integrated Payments with Dentrix Pay to learn more about how to process credit cards in Dentrix.
Read Recurring Payments: A Win for You and Your Practice to learn more about how to set up automatic credit card payments on patient payment agreements.
By Bruce Herbert, Senior Product Marketing Manager of RCM eServices at Henry Schein One, and the Worldpay Editorial Team
