Step by step: Online booking and series prepayment for acupuncture and naturopathic practices in Switzerland

TCM and naturopathic practices that have series of treatments paid in advance benefit from two structural advantages: no outstanding items after the last session and significantly better planning of liquidity. Payrexx Payment Links and Recurring Payments enable both – without a booking tool plugin and with TWINT, card, and mobile wallets in a single step.

This guide shows you the three advance payment models for complementary medicine practices, how you cleanly separate insurance-covered and direct payments, and why series advance payment works particularly well in the TCM context.

1. Why series advance payment makes particular sense in TCM

Treatment series are structurally anchored in TCM: acupuncture is rarely prescribed as a single treatment – the effect unfolds over several sessions. Typical series comprise 5, 8, or 10 sessions. This series length creates ideal conditions for advance payments: The total amount is known, the patient's commitment increases through the advance payment, and the practice receives liquidity at the beginning of the treatment.

In addition: In TCM, the therapeutic relationship is designed for the long term. Patients who pay in advance break off the series less frequently – they have invested psychologically and financially. At the same time, this reduces the no-show risk because paid appointments are rarely forgotten.

2. Three advance payment models for complementary medicine practices

Model A: Full series advance payment

The patient pays the total amount of the series before the first session. Example: 8 acupuncture sessions at CHF 130 = CHF 1'040. You create a Payment Link with CHF 1'040 and send it via email or WhatsApp with the appointment confirmation. Advantage: maximum liquidity, no dunning risk. Sensible for private patients who bear the full amount themselves.

Model B: Deposit + remaining payment

The patient pays 30–50% upon booking, the remainder after the last session. For a series of 8 at CHF 130 = CHF 1'040, a deposit of CHF 400 (approx. 38%) would make sense. A second Payment Link for the remaining amount is sent after the last session. Ideal when the exact final price is not yet fixed (e.g. with variable herb costs).

Model C: Session-by-session Payment Link

After each session, a Payment Link is sent for the individual session. No advance payment advantage, but structured payment recording without cash. For patients who do not want an advance payment but still want to pay digitally. Fee Online Standard TWINT: 1.25% + CHF 0.18 per transaction.

3. Cleanly separate insurance and self-payer portions

A common challenge in complementary medicine practices: Some patients have supplementary insurance that covers part of the session costs, others pay everything themselves. This is relevant for advance payment: Whoever bills via supplementary insurance only pays the uncovered personal share directly.

Recommended procedure: Clarify when scheduling the appointment whether supplementary insurance is available. If yes, the amount of the Payment Link is reduced to the portion not covered by insurance. If no, the full session price is billed. In the Payrexx Dashboard, both transaction types are clearly separated – important for the annual statement.

Tip for accounting: Define a booking text standard. Example: 'Acupuncture series 8x self-payer', 'Acupuncture series 8x supplementary insurance personal share'. This significantly facilitates allocation in the annual financial statements.

4. Create Payment Link: How it works

In the Payrexx Dashboard under Payment Tools, create a new Paylink: Enter the amount, set the title (e.g. 'Acupuncture series 8 sessions'), optional expiry date and booking text. Generate the link and send it via email or WhatsApp. The patient clicks the link, selects TWINT, card, or mobile wallet, and pays in less than a minute. You see the payment immediately in the Dashboard.

For recurring standard series, a Payrexx Page with a fixed URL is recommended instead of individual links. Once set up, the URL can be permanently inserted into the appointment confirmation email – no manual link required per patient. Payrexx Pages work in all plans.

5. Recurring Payments: Monthly installment payment for long-term patients

For long-term patients who come regularly (e.g. one session per month), Payrexx offers Recurring Payments: A credit card is stored (tokenised) and charged automatically once a month. This is particularly sensible for prevention programmes or accompanying therapies that run over months.

Recurring Payments are available in all Payrexx plans, including Free. The patient enters their credit card details once and authorises the regular debit. TWINT does not support Recurring Payments – a credit card is required for this.

6. Data protection FADP: What must be observed during booking and advance payment

Since 1 September 2023, the revised Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP) has been in effect. For online booking with advance payment, this means: Credit card details are not stored in the practice – this is handled by the PCI-DSS-certified PSP. A privacy policy on the booking page is mandatory. Payment data and patient data must be managed separately.

Payrexx is PCI DSS certified. If you additionally use a booking tool (e.g. Calendly) that processes patient data, a data processing agreement (DPA) under FADP Art. 9 with the provider is required. Most well-known booking tools provide DPAs upon request.

7. Refunds in case of series cancellation

If a patient cancels an advance-paid series, the remaining amount must be refunded proportionally – unless agreed otherwise in the terms and conditions. Payrexx allows refunds directly in the Dashboard: Full refund or partial refund with a defined amount. The credit to the customer takes up to 10 days depending on the card issuer.

Recommendation: Define refund regulations for series cancellations in the terms and conditions. Common practice: Already completed sessions are billed at the single-session price, and the remainder is refunded. This is fair and prevents disputes.

Checklist: Set up series advance payment in the naturopathic practice

• Decide on an advance payment model: Full payment, deposit + remainder, or session-by-session

• Create a Payment Link or a Payrexx Page with the series amount

• Integrate the link into your appointment confirmation email or WhatsApp template

• Activate TWINT – indispensable for Swiss patients

• Define a booking text standard: Self-payer vs. supplementary insurance personal share

• Formulate a refund policy for series cancellations and integrate it into the terms and conditions

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

• Test the complete process from the patient's perspective before go-live

Payrexx Payment Links and Recurring Payments work in all plans including Free. You create the link in the Dashboard, send it via SMS or email, and see the payment immediately. For standard series, a Payrexx Page with a fixed URL is recommended – once set up, permanently usable. TWINT, Visa, Mastercard, and mobile wallets without separate contracts.