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

Physiotherapy practices that link appointment booking with payment solve two structural problems at the same time: outstanding balances disappear and no-shows are protected against by credit card guarantee. The easiest way without a booking tool plugin: send a Payrexx Payment Link directly after appointment confirmation via email or WhatsApp – TWINT, card, and mobile wallets are available immediately.

This guide shows you the three prepayment models for physiotherapy practices, how you can implement series prepayments, and what pre-authorization means technically.

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

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

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

2. Three prepayment models for physiotherapy practices

Model A: Prepayment upon booking

Patient books online or by phone and pays 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 reminder risk. Disadvantage: for KVG patients, the exact deductible is often only known after the session.

Model B: Credit card guarantee (pre-authorization)

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

Model C: Deposit for treatment series

When booking a series of 5 or 10, the patient pays 30 to 50% of the total amount upfront. Example: 10 sessions at CHF 100 KVG tariff, deductible 10% = CHF 100 total. Collected via Payment Link at the start of the series, every further payment step is eliminated. For private patients with package prices (e.g. 5 × CHF 120 = CHF 600), the series deposit significantly improves liquidity.

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

Payrexx Payment Links are created directly in the Dashboard: enter the amount, add optional booking text, generate the link. The link is sent to the patient by email, SMS, or WhatsApp. They click, select TWINT, card, or mobile wallet, and pay in under a minute. You see the payment immediately in the Dashboard.

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

For booking tools: If you use Calendly or another booking system, add the Payrexx Payment Link to the automated booking confirmation. No plugin, no API integration needed.

4. Pre-authorization: Technically correctly implemented

Pre-authorization means: the credit card is verified during booking and an amount is reserved, but not charged immediately. The actual amount is only charged after the session – or the reservation is released without a charge. This is the standard with hotels and car rentals and works identically in therapy practices.

Payrexx supports pre-authorization for all major credit cards as well as Visa Debit, Mastercard Debit, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay. Technical implementation runs via the Payrexx Dashboard without additional integration. TWINT does not support pre-authorization technically – for no-show protection via TWINT, a prepayment with a refund upon timely cancellation is required.

5. Data protection FADP: What practices need to consider with online payments

The revised Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP) has been in effect since 1 September 2023. For online bookings with payment, this means: credit card data is not stored by yourself – 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 FADP Art. 9 is required with the provider.

6. Checklist: Setting up online booking with prepayment in a physio practice

• Decide on a prepayment model: full payment, pre-authorization, or series deposit

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

• Add the link to 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 terms and conditions and booking confirmation

• Create a privacy policy for the booking page according to the FADP

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

• Inform existing patients about the new booking option

Payrexx Payment Links and pre-authorization work without a plugin or API integration. You create the link in the Dashboard, send it by SMS or email, and see the payment immediately. 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.