CareCredit FAQs for Providers: What to Know for Your Practice or Business

Many people might postpone or forgo the health or wellness services they want or need because they don’t have the flexibility in their budget to pay for them. The CareCredit credit card can provide the financing solutions your patients or clients want or need so they can get care right away.

Knowing how CareCredit works is essential to understanding how it can benefit your patients or clients, as well as your practice or business. That’s why we compiled this list of CareCredit FAQs for health and wellness providers.

CareCredit Frequently Asked Questions

What is CareCredit?

CareCredit isn’t just another credit card — it is a health and wellness credit card with special financing that can be used for the whole family, including pets. Patients and clients appreciate and value CareCredit, and they can use it to return to their provider for ongoing care.

Cardholders who qualify and are approved for the CareCredit credit card can take advantage of special financing options within six, 12, 18 or 24 months on qualifying purchases of $200 or more.* CareCredit also offers longer-term reduced-APR financing for 24, 36 or 48 months on purchases of $1,000 or more, or 60 months on purchases of $2,500 or more.** These financing options can help give patients and clients a way to fit payments into their monthly budget.

What can CareCredit be used for?

CareCredit is accepted at over 270,000 locations nationwide and can be used to pay for a variety of treatments and services, including but not limited to:

• Animal and pet care
• Audiology
• Behavioral health
• Chiropractic care
• Cosmetic surgery (including reconstructive surgery and prescriptions)
• Day spa and salon (facials, massage, skin care treatments and haircut and coloring)
• Dental care
• Dermatology
• Med spa (facials, massage and skin care treatments)
• Non-invasive body treatments, including CoolSculpting^® and EmSculpt
• Non-surgical and minimally invasive cosmetic procedures (such as med spa treatments like injectables, chemical peels, body shaping and laser hair removal)
• Orthopedics
• Personal care retail products
• Physical therapy
• Vision care (ophthalmology and optometry)

Cardholders can use their CareCredit credit card again and again at health and wellness practices or businesses or online. They can also use it to help pay for deductibles, copays and other out-of-pocket expenses not covered by insurance, including weight loss surgery, chiropractic, sleep medicine and podiatry.

How can CareCredit help my patients or clients not defer or delay treatment due to concerns about cost?

Some health and wellness practices and businesses see changes in patient or client behavior, such as delaying treatment, asking for less expensive options or scheduling appointments less frequently. In fact, more than $144 billion in care has been financed with the CareCredit credit card since its inception.

CareCredit is a way for patients and clients to pay for the care they want or need. They can check if they prequalify for patient financing with no impact to their credit score and apply for CareCredit in your practice or business or from home — with immediate credit decisions. If approved, they can use their card right away.

Does CareCredit help with the problem of rising patient and client out-of-pocket costs and deductibles?

Cardholders can use their CareCredit credit card repeatedly at your practice or business to help pay for deductibles, copays and other out-of-pocket expenses not covered by insurance.*** It helps give patients and clients the peace of mind that they can get the care they want and need when they want and need it. The total average active CareCredit accounts is over 7.1 million.

Can my patients or clients use CareCredit to pay for packages or treatment plans that are used over a set period of time?

In a limited number of industries, your patients or clients can use one transaction with the CareCredit credit card to finance packages, bundled services and treatment plans that will be rendered within 90 days of the initial purchase. They can purchase the service in one transaction versus making three separate transactions. CareCredit cardholders can pay via your custom link and QR code or at carecredit.com on their own device.

How are CareCredit transactions processed?

CareCredit has a secure online system that gives health and wellness practices or businesses a way to process transactions online in the CareCredit Provider Center. With the CareCredit custom link, cardholders can also use their card to pay you online, and your practice or business will receive payment in two business days. Practices and businesses can also access daily funding and other key reports, making financial reconciliation a breeze.

Can I choose which patient financing options I want to offer?

Health and wellness providers can choose which options to offer, but six months of special financing is always available on purchases of $200 or more. Selected options must be consistently communicated to all patients or clients, without exception.

What are the CareCredit processing fees for providers?

Provider processing fees depend on the special financing options you offer in your practice or business. They are transparent and will not change based on the patient's or client's credit score. CareCredit does not charge providers annual or monthly fees.

How can CareCredit help my practice manage cash flow?

Your practice receives payment within two business days when a patient or client uses their CareCredit health and wellness credit card to pay for out-of-pocket expenses not covered by insurance. CareCredit also helps you get paid for post-care bills after insurance adjudication, so your staff spends less of their valuable time collecting outstanding accounts receivable.

How can my patients or clients apply for CareCredit?

Health and wellness providers who accept the CareCredit credit card get a custom link that delivers a digital, self-guided payment experience that patients and clients appreciate. Patients and clients click on your custom link or scan your custom QR code to learn about patient financing, see if they prequalify (with no impact to their credit score) and apply. They receive an instant credit decision and, if approved, can use their account to pay the same day.

What other benefits does CareCredit offer my practice or business?

CareCredit offers free tools and resources on flexible financing, including custom links and QR codes, ready-to-use digital assets, payment calculators and more, making it easy for your team to discuss patient and client cost concerns. Plus, you’ll get dedicated support from our Practice Development Team. You’ll also receive a free listing in the Provider Locator on carecredit.com, which receives more than 2.9 million total average unique visitors per month.¹

Are my patients or clients really interested in promotional financing?

Every day, more than 19,000 patients and clients across all income levels apply for the CareCredit credit card — that's an average of over 800 applications^† per hour.

CareCredit cardholders collectively have access to an estimated $40 billion in available credit, allowing them to spend on the care or services they need or want. The average initial purchase amount for patients opening a CareCredit credit card varies across health and wellness categories:

What financing options are available to my patients or clients?

CareCredit has special financing offers to help give patients and clients a convenient way to pay:

• Our No Interest If Paid in Full option allows for 6, 12, 18 or 24 months of promotional financing on qualifying purchases of $200 or more. Interest will be charged from the purchase date if the promotional balance is not paid in full by the end of the promotional period.*
• Reduced APR with fixed monthly payment offers are:**
  • 24 months with a 17.90% APR on purchases of $1,000 or more
  • 36 months with an 18.90% APR on purchases of $1,000 or more
  • 48 months with a 19.90% APR on purchases of $1,000 or more
  • 60 months with a 20.90% APR on purchases of $2,500 or more

Standard account terms apply to purchases that don’t qualify for promotional financing options:

• 32.99% APR applies to new accounts on purchases of less than $200 at certain retailers and from the purchase date on a No Interest if Paid in Full Within Promotional Period financing option if the promotional balance is not paid in full by the end of the promotional period. Existing cardholders should see their credit card agreement for their applicable terms. Purchases are subject to credit approval and minimum monthly payments are required. See carecredit.com for more details.

Can cardholders use their CareCredit credit card to pay their presurgical deposits or post-care bills when they’re not in my practice or business?

Patients and clients can use their CareCredit credit card to pay their presurgical deposit online using your custom link up to 30 days before the procedure date. This allows you to accept payment 24/7 without asking the patient or client to come back into the office. Payment is fast, easy and secure, and you will be paid within two business days.

Post-care, CareCredit provides a contactless, self-guided way for cardholders to pay their bills by scanning a health and wellness provider’s personalized QR code or clicking on a custom link.

Are current cardholders satisfied with CareCredit?

Almost half of CareCredit cardholders (45%) who made a purchase during 2023 came back to the same provider or retailer for additional purchases during the same year.

What if patients or clients don’t pay their CareCredit balance?

Regardless of whether a patient or client defaults, you receive payment in just two business days. CareCredit is non-recourse, which means that if a patient or client does not pay, it’s not your responsibility.^†† The financial relationship is between CareCredit and the cardholder.

Offering Flexible Financing at Your Practice

If you are looking for a way to connect your patients or clients with flexible financing that empowers them to pay for the care they want and need, consider offering CareCredit as a financing solution. CareCredit allows cardholders to pay for out-of-pocket health and wellness expenses over time while helping enhance the payments process for your practice or business.

When you accept CareCredit, patients or clients can see if they prequalify with no impact to their credit score, and those who apply, if approved, can take advantage of special financing on qualifying purchases.*** Additionally, you will be paid directly within two business days.

Learn more about the CareCredit credit card as a financing solution or start the provider enrollment process by filling out this form.

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The CareCredit health and wellness credit card helps improve the payment experience for patients and clients, and your financial performance.

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