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 collect payments directly on site with the Payrexx Tap to Pay app on an Android smartphone - without a terminal, without a device, without detours. Payment links via WhatsApp to the parents complete the setup for all situations without direct contact.

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

1. Why home visits and school therapy pose special requirements

Mobile occupational therapy and school speech therapy are widespread in Switzerland: therapists drive to schools, special education schools, day care centres or to patients' homes. This creates a specific situation in terms of payment technology: parents are usually not on site - they have the child in 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-fold: 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 Link via WhatsApp for all other situations. The therapist informs the parents after the session via message and sends the payment link along with it.

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

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

• Create Payrexx account (free, Free plan is enough)

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

• Connect app to the Payrexx account

• Activate payment methods: cards, TWINT, mobile wallets

• Perform test payment with your own card

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

• Payment appears immediately in the Dashboard

Tap to Pay is available in all Payrexx plans, including Free. iPhone is not supported. Fees: debit card 0.95%+CHF 0.15, credit card 1.25%+CHF 0.15, TWINT 1.25%+CHF 0.00 (as of May 2026).

3. Payment Link for school therapy: the standard workflow

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

• Hold session at school

• After the session, short WhatsApp to the parents: feedback on the session + payment link

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

• Copy the link into the WhatsApp message and send it

• Parent pays in the evening with 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 payment moment, no open invoice.

4. TWINT QR code as a quiet backup

For situations where neither Tap to Pay nor Payment Link are practical - for example, if the 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 created once via Payrexx QR Pay, printed out and carried in the therapy bag. Fee: 1.25%+CHF 0.00 (QR Pay, as of May 2026). The parent scans, enters the amount and confirms.

5. Internet connection for school visits

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

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

6. Accounting for mobile deployments

All transactions - whether Tap to Pay, Payment Link or QR Pay - appear in the same Payrexx Dashboard. For mobile deployments, the recommended booking text is: school name or location + date. This allows all school visits and home visits to be evaluated separately at the end of the month. CSV export for the trustee is possible at any time.

7. Checklist: Mobile payment for occupational/speech therapy home visits and school therapy

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

• Create Payrexx account (Free plan is enough)

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

• Create TWINT QR code via QR Pay, print, laminate as backup

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

• Check mobile data network for common school sites

• Define booking text standard: school name/location + date

• Perform test payment with your own card before the first use

Payrexx Tap to Pay and Payment Links are available in all plans, including Free - with no monthly fee and no hardware. For mobile occupational and speech therapists, the Free setup (Tap to Pay on Android + Payment Links + TWINT QR code) is a complete payment system for less than CHF 0 fixed costs.