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

Physiotherapy clinics that link appointment booking with 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 directly after booking confirmation – TWINT, credit card, and mobile wallets are instantly available.

This guide shows you three prepayment models for physiotherapy clinics, how to implement consecutive prepayment, 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 payment reminders, forgotten invoices, and written-off minor receivables. Especially problematic with co-payments of EUR 10 to EUR 30 per session: for these amounts, formal dunning procedures are hardly worth the effort.

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

2. Three prepayment models for physiotherapy clinics

Model A: Prepayment upon booking

The patient books online or by telephone and pays the agreed amount immediately via Payment Link. Suitable for private patients with a fixed session price (e.g. EUR 120 per session). Advantage: maximum liquidity, no risk of default. Disadvantage: For compulsory health insurance (KVG) patients, the exact co-payment amount is often only determined after the session.

Model B: Credit card guarantee (pre-authorisation)

The patient provides credit card details during booking – 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: Deposit for treatment series

When booking a series of 5 or 10 sessions, the patient pays 30% to 50% of the total amount in advance. Example: 10 sessions at EUR 100 KVG rate, 10% co-payment = EUR 100 in total. Collected via Payment Link at the start of the series, any further payment step is avoided. For private patients with flat-rate prices (e.g. 5 × EUR 120 = EUR 600), the series deposit 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, and generate the link. The link is sent to the patient via email, SMS, or WhatsApp. The patient clicks, selects TWINT, card, or mobile wallet, and pays in less than a minute. You can 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 a single step without any manual link creation. This works on all plans, including Free.

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

4. Pre-authorisation: Technically implemented correctly

Pre-authorisation means: the credit card is verified at the time of booking and an amount is reserved, but not immediately charged. The actual amount is only debited after the session – or the reservation is released without being charged. This is the standard procedure for hotels and car rentals and works identically for 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 – protecting against no-shows via TWINT requires prepayment with a refund in case of timely cancellation.

5. Swiss DPA: What clinics need to consider regarding online payments

Since 1 September 2023, the revised Swiss Data Protection Act (DPA) is 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 Art. 9 Swiss DPA 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 deposit

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

• Add the link to your booking confirmation (email template or WhatsApp message)

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

• Formulate a no-show policy and integrate it into your terms and conditions as well as booking confirmations

• Create a privacy policy for the booking page in compliance with the Swiss DPA

• Test the entire flow from a 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 consecutive prepayment, you can create a Payrexx Pages with the package price – patients book and pay in one step.