Online booking with prepayment in physiotherapy: Fewer outstanding payments, fewer no-shows in Switzerland

Physiotherapy clinics that link appointment booking and payment solve two structural problems at once: outstanding balances disappear and no-shows are secured by credit card guarantees. The easiest way without a booking tool plugin: send a Payrexx Payment Link via email or WhatsApp immediately after appointment confirmation – TWINT, card, and mobile wallets are instantly available.

This guide shows you the three prepayment models for physiotherapy clinics, how you implement prepayments for series, and what pre-authorisation means from a technical perspective.

1. Why paper invoices after the session are a structural problem

The classic model in many Swiss physiotherapy clinics: hold the session, then send the invoice by post or email with a 30-day payment term. In practice, this leads to dunning runs, forgotten invoices, and written-off small claims. This is particularly problematic with deductibles of CHF 10 to CHF 30 per session: the formal dunning process is hardly worth it for these amounts.

Immediate payment after the session or prepayment upon booking solves this structurally: there are no longer any outstanding balances because payment takes place before or directly after the service. Payrexx Payment Links can be created directly in the Dashboard and inserted into any booking confirmation without technical integration.

2. Three prepayment models for physiotherapy clinics

Model A: Prepayment upon booking

Patients book online or by phone and pay the agreed amount immediately via Payment Link. Suitable for private patients with a fixed session price (e.g. CHF 120 per session). Advantage: maximum liquidity, no dunning risk. Disadvantage: For KVG patients, the exact deductible is often only known after the session.

Model B: Credit card guarantee (pre-authorisation)

Patients provide their credit card details during the booking process – no amount is charged immediately. Payrexx supports pre-authorisation for Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay. After the session, the actual amount is debited, or the agreed fee is charged in the event of a no-show. TWINT does not support pre-authorisation. This is the most flexible option for all situations.

Model C: Down payment for treatment series

When booking a series of 5 or 10 sessions, patients pay 30% to 50% of the total amount in advance. Example: 10 sessions at a CHF 100 KVG rate, 10% deductible = CHF 100 in total. Collected via Payment Link at the beginning of the series, any further payment step is eliminated. For private patients with flat-rate prices (e.g. 5 × CHF 120 = CHF 600), the series down payment significantly improves liquidity.

3. Payment Link: The easiest setup without a booking tool

Payrexx Payment Links are created directly in the Dashboard: enter the amount, optionally add reference text, generate the link. The link is sent to patients via email, SMS, or WhatsApp. They click, choose TWINT, card, or mobile wallet, and pay in less than a minute. You see the payment instantly in the Dashboard.

For series: Create a payment page (Payrexx Pages) with the series amount in the Payrexx Dashboard – patients book and pay in one step without any manual link creation. This works in all plans, including Free.

For booking tools: If you use Calendly, Jane App, or another booking system, insert the Payrexx Payment Link into the automatic booking confirmation. No plugin or API integration is required.

4. Pre-authorisation: Technically correctly implemented

Pre-authorisation means: the credit card is checked at the time of booking and an amount is reserved, but not debited immediately. The actual amount is only debited after the session – or the reservation is released without any charge. This is the standard for hotels and car rentals and works identically in therapy clinics.

Payrexx supports pre-authorisation for all popular credit cards as well as Visa Debit, Mastercard Debit, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay. The technical implementation runs via the Payrexx Dashboard without additional integration. TWINT does not support pre-authorisation technically – for no-show protection via TWINT, a prepayment with a refund in case of correct cancellation is required.

5. DSG Data Protection: What clinics must consider for online payments

Since 1 September 2023, the revised Swiss Data Protection Act (DSG) has been in force. For online booking with payment, this means: credit card data is not stored by you – this is handled by the PCI-DSS certified PSP. Payrexx is PCI DSS certified. A privacy policy on the booking page is mandatory. If you use an external booking tool that processes patient data, a data processing agreement (DPA) according to DSG Art. 9 with the provider is required.

6. Checklist: Setting up online booking with prepayment in your physiotherapy clinic

• Decide on a prepayment model: full payment, pre-authorisation, or series down payment

• Create a Payment Link with the appropriate amount in your Payrexx Dashboard

• Insert the link into your booking confirmation (email template or WhatsApp message)

• Activate TWINT as a payment method – indispensable for Swiss patients

• Formulate a no-show policy and integrate it into your terms and conditions and booking confirmation

• Create a privacy policy for the booking page in accordance with DSG

• Test the entire workflow from the patient's perspective before going live

• Inform existing patients about the new booking option

Payrexx Payment Links and pre-authorisation work without any plugin or API integration. You create the link in the Dashboard, send it via SMS or email, and see the payment instantly. TWINT, Visa, Mastercard, and Mobile Wallets are available without separate contracts. For series prepayments, you can create a Payrexx Page with the package price – patients book and pay in one step.