TCM and natural healing practices that have treatment series paid in advance benefit from two structural advantages: no outstanding balances after the final session and significantly better predictability of liquidity. Payrexx Payment Links and Recurring Payments enable both – without any booking tool plugin and featuring 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 upfront series payments work particularly well in the TCM context.

1. Why upfront series payments make 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 patient's commitment increases through the prepayment, and the practice receives the liquidity at the start of the treatment.

In addition, the therapeutic relationship in TCM is designed for the long term. Patients who pay in advance are less likely to discontinue the series – they have invested both psychologically and financially. At the same time, this reduces the risk of no-shows, as paid appointments are rarely forgotten.

2. Three prepayment models for complementary medicine practices

Model A: Full upfront series payment

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 for EUR 1'040 and send it with the appointment confirmation via email or WhatsApp. Advantage: maximum liquidity, no bad debt risk. Highly suitable for private patients who bear the full cost themselves.

Model B: Deposit + remaining payment

The patient pays 30–50% upon booking, and the rest after the final session. For an 8-session series at EUR 130 = EUR 1'040, a deposit of EUR 400 (approx. 38%) would be practical. A second payment link for the remaining amount is sent after the last session. Ideal if the exact final price is not yet certain (e.g. in the case of variable costs for herbs).

Model C: Session-by-session payment link

After each session, a payment link is sent for that individual session. No prepayment advantage, but structured cashless payment collection. For patients who do not want to pay in advance but still wish to pay digitally. Online Standard TWINT fee: 1.25% + EUR 0.18 per transaction.

3. Cleanly separating health insurance and self-pay shares

A frequent challenge in complementary medicine practices: some patients have supplementary insurance that covers part of the session costs, while others pay everything themselves. This is relevant for upfront payments: patients billing through supplementary insurance only pay the uncovered personal contribution directly.

Recommended procedure: clarify whether supplementary insurance is available when making the appointment. If yes, the amount on the payment link is reduced to the share not covered by insurance. If no, the full session price is invoiced. Both transaction types are clearly separated in the Payrexx Dashboard – which is valuable for the annual financial statements.

Accounting tip: define standard booking descriptions. Example: 'Acupuncture series 8x self-payer', 'Acupuncture series 8x supplementary insurance personal contribution'. This significantly simplifies matching during the year-end closing.

4. Creating a Payment Link: How it works

In the Payrexx Dashboard, create a new Paylink under Payment tools: enter the amount, set a title (e.g. 'Acupuncture series 8 sessions'), and optionally add an expiry date and booking description. 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 will see the payment instantly in the Dashboard.

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

5. Recurring Payments: Monthly instalments for long-term patients

For long-term patients who visit regularly (e.g. one session per month), Payrexx Recurring Payments offers a solution: a credit card is saved (tokenised) and automatically charged once a month. This is particularly useful for prevention programmes or companion therapies that run over several months.

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

6. FADP Data Protection: What to consider during booking and prepayment

The revised Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP) has been in force since 1 September 2023. For online bookings involving prepayment, this means: credit card details are not stored at the practice level – 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 also use a booking tool (e.g. Calendly, Jane App) that processes patient data, an order processing agreement (DPA) under FADP Art. 9 is required with the provider. Most well-known booking tools provide DPAs upon request.

7. Refunds in case of series cancellation

If a patient cancels a prepaid series, the remaining amount must be refunded proportionally – unless otherwise specified in your GTCs. 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: establish refund terms for series cancellations in your GTCs. Common practice: sessions already completed are charged at the single-session rate, and the remainder is refunded. This is fair and prevents dispute cases.

Checklist: Setting up series prepayments in your natural healing practice

• Choose a prepayment model: full payment, deposit+rest, 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 – essential for Swiss patients

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

• Formulate a refund policy for series cancellations and integrate it into your GTCs

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

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

Payrexx Payment Links and Recurring Payments are available in all plans, including Free. You create the link in the Dashboard, send it via SMS or email, and view the payment instantly. For standard series, we recommend a Payrexx Page with a static URL – once set up, it can be used permanently. TWINT, Visa, Mastercard and mobile wallets without separate contracts.