Moolah is partnered with Dental Success Network and provides dental credit card processing. One common difficulty across the industry at the current moment is difficulty meeting the needs of retired patients. Older-age individuals have proven to be some of the best dental patients. They understand the importance of dental care and are appreciative of the care that is currently available. However, every day thousands of older-aged individuals retire and often lose their dental coverage. When looking for dental coverage, many retired patients are surprised to find that most coverage from Medicare excludes almost all dental work, leaving them to search elsewhere for coverage. Many of the plans they will find are either unaffordable or confusing, often with many exclusions, leaving them with few reasonable options for dental care. While many retired individuals may choose to try insurance or discount plans, these plans often fail to work well for patients and/or dental providers.
Dental membership plans are a great solution for retired individuals as well as dentists. Dental membership plans can help dentists and patients work together to find the best, most cost-effective treatment options while moving away from insurer interference. Membership plans can give dentists more control: you get to choose subscription price, options, fees, and exclusions. Dentists and patients are in charge of deciding the type of care, as well as when to use it. And payments can be made directly to your practice so you don’t need to worry about reimbursement or claim denial.
Membership plans give dentists more freedom and allow you to find ways to meet the needs of your patients. As a dental care provider, you can create your own plan, taking into consideration the specific needs of your practice and patients. For instance, you can create a membership plan with a preventative care component that utilizes monthly payments for fixed incomes in order to meet the needs of your retired patients. With membership plans, you can give retired patients the care they need in an affordable way that works for your patients as well as your practice.
When creating a membership plan, there are considerations to make. Start by considering the needs of a variety of patients, including older-aged and retired patients as well as children. Consider what types of services and specialists your patients might need, and what discounts you want to provide. Consider ease of signing up, and make sure your patients can sign up for a plan from any device. Consider ways to promote your plan, including email, print, social media, and referral. Consider payment options, making sure to provide a monthly payment option. Make it easy for your patients to pay. Make sure you offer credit card payment as an option. Moolah provides dental credit card processing, so we might be able to help you with taking your patient’s payments. The Dental Success Network can be a great resource when considering this type of payment; and when considering credit card processing for your practice, think of Moolah.
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A credit card surcharge is an additional fee added to a transaction when a patient chooses to pay with a credit card. The surcharge is intended to help offset the cost of credit card processing and applies only to eligible credit card transactions.
No. Debit card transactions may not be surcharged under any circumstances, even if the debit card is processed as a credit transaction or entered manually.
Yes. Credit card surcharges may not exceed the merchant’s actual cost of accepting credit cards and are capped at a maximum of 3% of the total transaction amount, in accordance with card-network rules and applicable law.
Yes. Card networks require clear and transparent disclosure of any credit card surcharge. Practices must notify patients through appropriate signage at the practice entrance, point of sale, and anywhere payments are accepted. If payments are accepted online, the surcharge must also be clearly disclosed on the practice’s website.
Yes. Some U.S. states and territories prohibit or restrict credit card surcharging. Practices are responsible for understanding and complying with their state’s specific requirements before implementing a surcharge.
No. While Moolah provides tools and general guidance to support credit card surcharging, compliance with all applicable laws and card-network rules is the responsibility of the merchant. Moolah does not provide legal advice and assumes no liability for a merchant’s compliance.
Most major credit card networks permit surcharging when done in accordance with their rules, but additional requirements or restrictions may apply. Practices should ensure they have completed all required network notifications and disclosures prior to enabling surcharging.
Failure to comply with surcharging rules may result in card-network fines, required refunds, or other enforcement actions. Practices should ensure they fully understand all applicable requirements before applying a surcharge.
Flex does not currently offer built-in support for credit card surcharging. If a practice chooses to enroll in a surcharge plan, payments would need to be processed through Moolah’s payment platform, which is designed to support surcharging and integrates directly with Open Dental.
If you are considering introducing a credit card surcharge for your patients, it is important to understand that there are specific rules and regulations that must be followed when enrolling in and operating under a surcharge plan.
This article provides a general overview of common surcharging requirements. This content is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It is the responsibility of each merchant to review, understand, and comply with all applicable laws, card-network rules, and regulatory requirements, including notification timeframes, signage requirements, surcharge percentage limits, and jurisdictions where surcharging is prohibited.
If you are unsure about the laws or regulations applicable to your practice, you should consult with qualified legal counsel. Moolah assumes no liability for a merchant’s compliance or non-compliance with credit card surcharging rules or regulations.
Transparent Communication
Card networks, including Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express, require merchants to clearly and transparently disclose when a credit card surcharge is applied.
Practices must clearly notify patients of a credit card surcharge through appropriate signage placed at the practice entrance, at the point of sale or terminal, and anywhere payments are accepted. If payments are accepted online, surcharge disclosures must also be clearly visible on the practice’s website. All disclosures must inform patients that the surcharge applies only to credit card transactions.
Surcharge Limits
Credit card surcharges must comply with both card-network rules and applicable law. The surcharge amount may not exceed the merchant’s actual cost of accepting credit cards and may not exceed 3% of the total transaction amount.
Card-network rules cap credit card surcharges at 3%, meaning that if a merchant’s processing costs exceed this amount, the excess portion cannot be passed on to the patient.
Network and State Restrictions
The major credit card networks, such as Visa and Mastercard, impose specific requirements related to surcharge limits, advance notification, and disclosure.
In addition, several U.S. states and territories regulate or prohibit credit card surcharging. At the time of writing, credit card surcharging is prohibited in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and Puerto Rico. Other states, including Colorado, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, and New York, impose restrictions on surcharge amounts or require specific disclosures.
If your practice operates in a state that restricts or prohibits credit card surcharging, you must fully understand and comply with those requirements before implementing a surcharge.
Debit card transactions may never be surcharged, even if the debit card is processed as a credit transaction.
Applicability
Credit card surcharges may be applied only to credit card transactions. Other payment types, including debit cards and alternative payment methods, are not eligible for surcharging.
Regulatory Compliance
Merchants are responsible for maintaining ongoing compliance with all applicable card-network and legal requirements. This includes meeting advance notification obligations, using compliant signage and disclosures, adhering to surcharge percentage limits, and respecting jurisdiction-specific restrictions.
By following these guidelines, dental practices can implement credit card surcharging in a way that aligns with card-network rules and promotes transparency with patients. Clear and upfront communication helps maintain patient trust and supports a positive payment experience.