Step by step: Online booking and advance payment for series for acupuncture and natural healing practices in Switzerland

TCM and natural healing practices that have treatment series prepaid have two structural advantages: no outstanding balances after the last session and significantly better predictability 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 prepayment models for complementary medicine practices, how to cleanly separate health insurance-eligible and direct payments, and why series prepayment works particularly well in the TCM context.

1. Why series prepayment 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 prepayments: the total amount is known, the commitment of the patient increases through prepayment, and the practice receives liquidity at the start of the treatment.

Furthermore, in TCM, the therapeutic relationship is long-term. Patients who prepay are less likely to discontinue the series – they have invested psychologically and financially. This simultaneously reduces the risk of no-shows, because paid appointments are rarely forgotten.

2. Three prepayment models for complementary medicine practices

Model A: Full series prepayment

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

Model B: Deposit + remaining payment

The patient pays 30–50% upon booking, the rest after the last session. For an 8-session series at EUR 130 = EUR 1,040, a deposit of EUR 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. for variable herb costs).

Model C: Payment Link per session

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

3. Cleanly separating health insurance and self-payer portions

A common challenge in complementary practices: some patients have supplementary insurance that covers part of the session costs, while others pay everything themselves. This is relevant for prepayment: those who bill through supplementary insurance only pay the non-covered personal contribution directly.

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

Tip for bookkeeping: Define standard booking text. Example: 'Acupuncture series 8x self-payer', 'Acupuncture series 8x supplementary insurance personal contribution'. This makes allocation in the annual financial statements significantly easier.

4. Creating a Payment Link: How it works

In the Dashboard, create a new Paylink under Payment tools: 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 instantly 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 per patient required. 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 Recurring Payments offers: A credit card is saved (tokenised) and automatically charged once a month. This is particularly sensible for prevention programmes or accompanying therapies running 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 (nFADP): What must be observed during booking and prepayment

Since 1 September 2023, the revised Swiss Data Protection Act (DSG) has been in force. For online booking with prepayment, this means: credit card data is 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, Jane App) that processes patient data, an order processing contract (AVV) under Art. 9 DSG is required with the provider. Most well-known booking tools provide AVVs on request.

7. Refunds in case of series discontinuation

If a patient discontinues a prepaid series, the remaining amount must be refunded proportionally – unless otherwise regulated in the GTC. Payrexx allows refunds directly in the Dashboard: full refund or partial refund with a defined amount. Card payments can be refunded within 365 days, TWINT within 30 days.

Recommendation: Secure refund regulations in the event of series discontinuation in the GTC. Common practice: sessions already completed are charged at the single session price, the rest is refunded. This is fair and prevents dispute cases.

Checklist: Setting up series prepayment in the natural healing practice

• Decide on a prepayment model: full payment, deposit+rest, or per-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

• Set a standard booking text: self-payer vs. supplementary insurance personal contribution

• Formulate a refund policy for series discontinuation and integrate it into the GTC

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

• Test the complete process from the patient's perspective before going 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 instantly. 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.