October 2026 Release 2: Version 20261029.1
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This release introduces emailed walk-out receipts, secure delivery for membership and payment plan agreements, and a refreshed design across all Crown Connect emails. We’ve also improved reminders, membership management, and payment workflows based on your feedback.
Not a dental practice? Wherever you see “patient,” read “customer.”
Walk-out receipts and agreements can contain personal and health information. Crown Connect now sends these documents through a secure link instead of an email attachment. Regular payment receipts continue to be sent as before.
Email walk-out receipts (new)
You can now email walk-out receipts directly from Crown Connect. Patients receive a secure link to view or download their receipt.
Secure links for agreements
Membership and payment plan agreements now use the same secure delivery process.
Resend payment plan agreements (new)
You can now view and email a payment plan’s agreement anytime after the plan is set up. From the payment plan’s menu, choose View Agreement.
A simple verification step
The email lets the patient know a document is ready without including personal or health information. To access it, they open the link, request a one-time code by email, and enter that code to view or download the PDF.
Links expire after 7 days
If the patient needs access after the link expires, send the document again from Crown Connect.
An email address is required
Document links and verification codes are currently delivered by email. If a patient only has a mobile number on file, add an email address before sending.
Sending to another email address
You can enter a different address, such as a guarantor’s. Both the document link and verification code go to that address, so anyone with access to the inbox can open the document. Crown Connect reminds you to confirm the address belongs to the patient or their guarantor and check the spelling before sending.
Built-in security protections
Emails sent to your patients and team now share a clean, consistent design.
Your practice branding
Buttons and links use your practice’s color, and your logo displays at the appropriate size.
Easier to read on any screen
Updated layouts improve readability on mobile devices and in dark mode.
Clearer payment plan receipts
Receipts identify the payment cycles covered, such as “Applied To: Cycles 3–5,” instead of “Payment 7 of 7.”
Complete payment plan reminders
Upcoming payment reminders consistently display the scheduled payment date, amount, and card to be charged.
Clearer reminder settings
Under Settings > Memberships > Patient Reminders, Payment Reminders are sent before each monthly payment, including cash and check payments. Auto-Renew Membership Reminders are sent before yearly renewals. Reminder amounts reflect the amount due for that payment or renewal.
Renewal dates stay aligned
For yearly memberships scheduled to expire, changing the expiration date now also updates the renewal date and any scheduled plan change. This prevents a yearly renewal charge just before the membership ends.
Electronic authorization without a saved card
Send for Electronic Signature now supports cash and check memberships, including patients without a saved card.
Reminders appear in Change History immediately
Manually sent reminders, including past-due reminders, appear in the membership’s Change History right away. The “Changed By” column has also been renamed Initiated By.
A clearer review of plan-wide price changes
The review screen now accounts for every membership: those moving to the new price, those keeping their current price, and those you’ve excluded. You can also exclude memberships added after the change was scheduled.
Pay ahead from the past-due page
Patients choosing a custom payment amount can now pay up to their plan’s remaining balance, rather than being limited to the past-due amount.
Preserve payment history
On Crown Managed payment plans, cycles containing a voided or refunded payment can no longer be deleted. You can still edit the cycle’s amount or skip it while preserving its payment history.
Complete Open Dental payment plan agreements
Agreements now include the full payment schedule, showing the down payment and all subsequent payments.
More reliable Open Dental connectivity
If your office’s local Open Dental connection becomes unavailable, Crown Connect can switch to the eConnector in more situations to help maintain access.
Have feedback or questions? Reach us through the in-app chat or email [email protected].
Thank you for scheduling. If you have any questions, please contact us at 800-625-1670.
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.