How it works: Mobile payment for occupational and speech therapists during home visits and school therapy in Switzerland

Occupational and speech therapists who treat children at home or at school can accept payments directly on site using the Payrexx Tap to Pay app on an Android smartphone – without a terminal, without additional equipment, without detours. Payment Links via WhatsApp to parents complement the setup for all situations without direct contact.

This guide shows you the optimal payment workflow for home visits, school therapies, and mobile occupational/speech therapy assignments – with verified fees and specific backup scenarios.

1. Why home visits and school therapy pose special requirements

Mobile occupational therapy and school speech therapy are widespread in Switzerland: Therapists travel to schools, special education schools, daycares, or to patients' homes. This creates a specific situation regarding payments: Parents are usually not on site – they have dropped the child off at school or are waiting for the therapist at home. A terminal makes no sense because there is no one there who could pay.

The solution is twofold: Tap to Pay on Android for the rare cases where parents are present on site (e.g. home visits where the mother is at home), and Payment Links via WhatsApp for all other situations. The therapist informs the parents after the session via message and sends the payment link right along with it.

2. Tap to Pay for home visits: Step by step

Setup takes less than 15 minutes and works on any NFC-enabled Android smartphone (Android 8.1 or higher):

• Create a Payrexx account (free of charge, InStore plan is sufficient)

• Download the Payrexx Tap to Pay app from the Google Play Store

• Connect the app to the Payrexx account

• Activate payment methods: cards, TWINT, mobile wallets

• Perform a test payment with your own card

• During the home visit: Enter the amount, parent holds card or smartphone against the Android device

• Payment appears immediately in the Dashboard

iPhone is not supported. Tap to Pay is included in every Payrexx subscription – for purely on-site payments in the free InStore plan (cards 1.65% + EUR 0.15, TWINT 1.30%). With the Better Fees add-on (EUR 9/month), the same fees apply as on the Lector de tarjetas: Debit 0.95% + EUR 0.15, Credit 1.25% + EUR 0.15, TWINT 1.25%.

3. Payment Link for school therapy: The standard workflow

In school therapy, parents are never present. The Payment Link via WhatsApp is the only practical way. The recommended workflow:

• Conduct session at school

• After the session, send a brief WhatsApp to the parents: Feedback on the session + payment link

• Create Payment Link in the Payrexx Dashboard (amount, optional title e.g. 'Speech therapy 3 June')

• Copy link into the WhatsApp message and send

• Parent pays in the evening via TWINT, card, or wallet

• Payment visible in the Dashboard

This combination – therapeutic update and payment link in one message – is perceived by parents as professional and service-oriented. There are no separate payment reminders, no awkward payment moments, no open receivables.

4. TWINT QR code as a silent backup

For situations where neither Tap to Pay nor Payment Link is practical – such as when a parent is waiting spontaneously at the school door and wishes to pay – a laminated static TWINT QR code is recommended as a backup. The QR code is generated once via Payrexx QR Pay, printed, and carried in the therapy bag. Fee: 1.25%+EUR 0.30 (QR Pay in the Free plan, as of: October 2026). The parent scans, enters the amount, and confirms.

5. Internet connection during school visits

Schools often have poor or restricted Wi-Fi for guests. Tap to Pay requires an internet connection on the therapist's Android device – a dedicated mobile network (4G/5G) is the most reliable solution. The Payment Link can also be prepared without reception and sent as soon as the therapist has network coverage again.

For rural schools with poor mobile reception: TWINT QR code as the primary solution. The payment process takes place on the parents' smartphone – the therapist does not need a stable connection for this. Check the receipt in the Dashboard once network access is available again.

6. Accounting for mobile assignments

All transactions – whether Tap to Pay, Payment Link, or QR Pay – appear in the same Payrexx Dashboard. For mobile assignments, the following booking text is recommended: School name or location details + date. This allows all school visits and home visits to be evaluated separately at the end of the month. CSV export for the accountant is possible at any time.

7. Checklist: Mobile payments for occupational/speech therapy home visits and school therapy

• Check Android device: NFC-enabled, Android 8.1+

• Create Payrexx account (InStore plan for Tap to Pay, Free plan for Payment Links and QR Pay)

• Install Payrexx Tap to Pay app from Google Play Store

• Generate TWINT QR code via QR Pay, print, laminate as backup

• Prepare WhatsApp template for parents: Session feedback + payment link

• Check mobile data network for common school locations

• Define booking text standard: School name/location + date

• Conduct test payment with your own card before first deployment

Payrexx Tap to Pay (InStore plan) and Payment Links (Free plan) are available without monthly fees and without hardware. For mobile occupational and speech therapists, this setup (Tap to Pay on Android + Payment Links + QR code) provides a complete payment system without fixed costs.