How it works: Mobile payment for occupational and speech therapists during home visits and school therapy in Switzerland

Occupational and speech therapists who treat children at home or at school can accept payments directly on site using the Payrexx Tap to Pay app on an Android smartphone – without a terminal, without additional devices, and without detours. Payment links sent to parents via WhatsApp complete the setup for all situations without direct contact.

This guide shows you the optimal payment workflow for home visits, school therapy sessions, and mobile occupational/speech therapy assignments – with verified fees and specific backup scenarios.

1. Why home visits and school therapy pose special requirements

Mobile occupational therapy and school speech therapy are common in Switzerland: therapists travel to schools, special education schools, daycares, or to patients' homes. In terms of payment processing, this creates a specific situation: parents are usually not on site – they have dropped the child off at school or are waiting for the therapist at home. A terminal makes no sense because there is no one there who could pay.

The solution is two-tiered: Tap to Pay on Android for the rare cases where parents are on site (e.g. home visits where the mother is at home), and payment links via WhatsApp for all other situations. The therapist informs the parents via message after the session and includes the payment link right away.

2. Tap to Pay for home visits: step by step

Setup takes less than 15 minutes and works on any NFC-enabled Android smartphone (Android 8.1 or higher):

• Create a Payrexx account (free of charge, InStore plan is sufficient)

• Download the Payrexx Tap to Pay app from the Google Play Store

• Connect the app to your Payrexx account

• Activate payment methods: cards, TWINT, mobile wallets

• Perform a test payment with your own card

• During the home visit: enter the amount, the parent holds their card or smartphone against your Android device

• Payment appears immediately in the Dashboard

iPhone is 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%.

3. Payment links for school therapy: the standard workflow

Parents are never present during school therapy. The payment link via WhatsApp is the only practical solution. The recommended workflow:

• Conduct the session at the school

• Send a brief WhatsApp message to the parents after the session: feedback on the session + payment link

• Create a payment link in the Payrexx Dashboard (amount, optional title e.g. 'Speech therapy 3 June')

• Copy the link into the WhatsApp message and send it

• Parent pays in the evening using TWINT, card, or wallet

• Payment visible in the Dashboard

This combination – therapeutic update and payment link in one message – is perceived by parents as professional and service-oriented. There are no separate reminders, no awkward checkout moments, and no open balances.

4. TWINT QR code as a silent backup

For situations where neither Tap to Pay nor Payment Link are practical – for example, if a parent spontaneously waits at the school door and wants to pay – a laminated static TWINT QR code is recommended as a backup. The QR code is generated once via Payrexx QR Pay, printed out, and carried along in your therapy bag. Fee: 1.25% + CHF 0.30 (QR Pay on the Free plan, as of: October 2026). The parent scans it, enters the amount, and confirms.

5. Internet connection during school visits

Schools often have poor or restricted Wi-Fi for guests. Tap to Pay requires an internet connection on the therapist's Android device – your own cellular network (4G/5G) is the most reliable solution. The payment link can also be prepared without reception and sent as soon as you have network coverage again.

For rural schools with poor mobile reception: TWINT QR code as the primary solution. The payment process takes place on the parents' smartphone – the therapist does not need a stable connection for this. Check the receipt in the Dashboard once network access is available again.

6. Accounting for mobile assignments

All transactions – whether Tap to Pay, payment link, or QR Pay – appear in the same Payrexx Dashboard. For mobile assignments, entering a description text is recommended: school name or location + date. This allows you to evaluate all school visits and home visits separately at the end of the month. CSV export for your fiduciary is possible at any time.

7. Checklist: mobile payments for occupational/speech therapy home visits and school therapy

• Check Android device: NFC-enabled, Android 8.1+

• Create a Payrexx account (InStore plan for Tap to Pay, Free plan for payment links and QR Pay)

• Install the Payrexx Tap to Pay app from the Google Play Store

• Generate a TWINT QR code via QR Pay, print, and laminate as a backup

• Prepare a WhatsApp template for parents: session feedback + payment link

• Check mobile data network coverage for common school locations

• Define a standard description text: school name/location + date

• Perform a test payment with your own card before the first assignment

Payrexx Tap to Pay (InStore plan) and Payment Links (Free plan) are available without a monthly fee and without hardware. For mobile occupational and speech therapists, this setup (Tap to Pay on Android + payment links + QR code) represents a complete payment system without fixed costs.