Adding a payment button to your website will speed up payments and make it easier for the patient!
First things first, when a patient clicks the “Pay Now” option on your website, it’s going to redirect them to a payment gateway. What is a payment gateway? It is an integration that connects your website to your merchant processor. It’s the simplest, most cost effective and secure way of giving your patients the ability to pay their statement immediately.
These days, online payments have not only grown in popularity, they are the most preferred payment option for consumers. A 2020 survey conducted by Fiserv, a global leader in financial services technology, found that 59% of consumers prefer to pay their bills online.
Making online bill pay easy is a critical factor in getting patients to pay statements. Some EHR (Electronic Health Records) and healthcare software providers utilize a username/password
portal, allowing patients to login to make a payment. While appealing in theory, it actually slows down the payment process, frustrates patients, and leads to a negative experience and bills going unpaid. Patients want a quick and simple way to pay. With so many passwords to remember, patients want a simple point and click option. The healthcare clinic is notified via email, and the payment will be included in existing batch reports.
As the use of checks has declined over the years, the biggest benefit of providing quick, online payments is the ability to pay 24/7. From home, a coffee shop, or while travelling, patients can have a billed paid in minutes, without having to find a check, envelope or a stamp. Not to mention, the funds are automatically deposited in to your clinic’s bank account.
While a larger segment of older Americans still pay bills through the mail, in–person and by check, overall trends are shifting dramatically toward online and mobile bill payment. You need a frictionless payment process and then encourage your patients to use it.