The practical guide: Card payment in occupational therapy and speech therapy practices in Switzerland

In occupational therapy and speech therapy practices, parents often pay instead of the patients themselves – a circumstance that fundamentally influences the payment workflow. The deductible of 10% and the franchise are typically collected directly, private services in full. Terminal, Tap to Pay on Android or Payment Link via WhatsApp to the parents are the three practical solutions for Swiss solo practices.

This guide explains which amounts are collected directly in occupational therapy and speech therapy practices, what the parents-as-payers context means for the payment solution, and which setup makes the most sense for small therapy practices.

1. Who pays what in occupational therapy and speech therapy practices?

Occupational therapy and speech therapy are subject to KVG upon medical prescription and are billed via compulsory basic health insurance. This means: Health insurance covers the majority of the costs – but not everything. Adults bear the annual franchise (at least CHF 300) and the 10% deductible after deducting the franchise; for children, there is no franchise, only the 10% deductible (maximum CHF 350 per year).

The situation is special for children: Children up to 18 years do not pay a franchise. For children under 18 years, only the 10% deductible applies – which results in around CHF 8 per session for an occupational therapy session at a health insurance rate of CHF 80. For adults (e.g. in adult occupational therapy after a stroke), the franchise applies.

The crucial point for the payment solution: In pediatric practices, the parents are almost always the paying individuals. The child is the patient, the father or mother pays. This means: A terminal in front of the child is impractical, a Payment Link via WhatsApp to the parents is more elegant and also works when the parents are not even present at the session.

2. The parents-as-payers context: What this means for the payment solution

When parents bring their child to occupational therapy or speech therapy, three scenarios are typical: Parent waits in the waiting room and pays upon pickup, parent brings child and leaves again, so does not pay on-site, or the child arrives alone (older school children) and the parents are not at the practice at all.

In the second and third scenarios, a terminal is useless. The Payment Link via WhatsApp or email after the session is the only practical solution: The therapist sends a link to the parent after the session, and they pay conveniently from the sofa in the evening. This also works when the amount is only determined after the session – for instance, if the session was shorter or additional services were added.

For practices with a reception and parents who regularly wait: Terminal or Tap to Pay on Android. For practices without a reception or with a mobile therapist: exclusively Payment Link and Tap to Pay Android for home visits.

3. Terminal, Tap to Pay or Payment Link: What suits the occupational/speech therapy practice?

POS terminal at reception

Card terminals make sense for practices with a reception area and parents who wait or pick up. The N910 Pro, Nexgo N6 or N86 are available for CHF 25/month rent – in the InStore plan without a monthly fee. Accepts cards, TWINT, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay.

Tap to Pay on Android

Turns an NFC-enabled Android smartphone (Android 8.1+) into a terminal without hardware. Ideal for practices without a reception – the therapist collects payment directly in the treatment room or during a home visit. iPhone not supported. Tap to Pay is included in every Payrexx plan – for pure on-site payments in the free InStore plan (cards 1.65% + CHF 0.15, TWINT 1.30%). With the Better Fees add-on (CHF 9/month), the same fees apply as on the card reader: Debit 0.95% + CHF 0.15, Credit 1.25% + CHF 0.15, TWINT 1.25%.

Payment Link via WhatsApp to parents

The Paylink is created in the Payrexx Dashboard and sent to the parent via SMS or WhatsApp after the session. The amount can be set individually after the session. All payment methods available. Included in all plans, including Free. Standard online fees: TWINT 1.25% + CHF 0.18, Visa/MC 1.65% + CHF 0.18 (as of: October 2026).

4. Group therapy: Standardised billing for multiple children

Occupational and speech therapy practices frequently offer group therapies – such as language support groups or sensorimotor groups for 3–5 children simultaneously. Billing per child is the same as in individual therapy, but parents of different children must be contacted and billed separately.

Practical solution: Create a Payrexx Page with the fixed group therapy amount per child. All parents receive the same URL in the appointment confirmation or via WhatsApp. Each parent pays individually. In the Dashboard, the therapist sees who has paid and can follow up on outstanding amounts. This is more efficient than creating 5 individual Payment Links.

5. Accounting: Separate KVG billing and direct payments

Insurance billing runs through the practice software and is separated from direct payment. Payrexx only records direct payments from parents. For accounting, a standard booking description is recommended: e.g. 'Occupational therapy patient share [month]' or 'Speech therapy private share [code]'. All transactions can be exported as CSV.

Occupational therapy and speech therapy are VAT-exempt if the service is provided therapeutically and upon medical prescription (Art. 21 para. 2 no. 3 MWSTG). Private services without KVG coverage may be subject to VAT depending on the situation – clarify with your fiduciary.

6. Overview of costs

* Terminal rental CHF 25/month. As of: October 2026. For small amounts (CHF 8–15 patient share), Tap to Pay via the InStore plan makes more sense than Payment Link, as the fixed fee of CHF 0.30 carries significant percentage weight on small amounts.

7. Checklist: Setting up card payments in occupational and speech therapy practices

• Clarify which amounts you collect directly: Deductible 10%, franchise share, private services

• Decide which scenario prevails: Parents present (terminal/Tap to Pay) or absent (Payment Link)

• For home visits and school therapy: Install the Payrexx Tap to Pay app on your Android device

• For absent parents: Prepare a Payment Link template in the Dashboard

• Activate TWINT – standard in Switzerland, also suitable for small amounts

• For group therapy: Create a Payrexx Page with a fixed group rate per child

• Define a booking description convention: Patient share vs. private service

• Clarify VAT liability for private services with your fiduciary

Payrexx offers occupational and speech therapy practices Tap to Pay, Payment Links, and Payrexx Pages from a single account – with TWINT, debit card, and credit card. The InStore plan (on-site) and the Free plan (Payment Links) provide small practices with a complete setup with no monthly fee.