Installment Plans for Aesthetic Procedures: Rules and Care
"Can I pay in installments?" usually comes right after "how much is it?". For the patient, installments are what make the plan fit into the month. For the clinic, they are a decision about cash flow, risk and margin. If the terminal fee is not built into the price, offering ten interest-free installments can turn a profitable procedure into one that does not even pay for the product.
This guide shows the ways to offer installments on an orofacial harmonization (HOF) procedure, how the cost enters the price, what the law requires in terms of information to the patient and what to do about late payment and cancellation. It is not legal or accounting advice: contracts and collection should be reviewed by a lawyer, and tax treatment by an accountant. The values in the examples are fictional.
What are the ways to offer installments?
| Method | Who bears the cost | Who bears the risk of default | Points of attention |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credit card in "interest-free" installments | The clinic pays the processor's fee, which comes out of the amount received | Usually the processor, unless disputed | The cost must be built into the price; receipt can be advanced for a fee |
| Credit card in installments "with interest" | The patient, with a stated surcharge | Usually the processor | The total amount and the rate must be clearly disclosed |
| Card with recurring billing | Per the contract with the processor | Per the contract | Requires the cardholder's express authorization for future charges |
| Bank slip or PIX in installments | A small collection fee, when applicable | The clinic | Tracking due dates and a collection routine |
| The clinic's own payment booklet | The clinic | The clinic | Requires a collection structure and attention to the interest and late fee rules |
| Third-party credit (lender, fintech) | The patient pays interest to the lender; the clinic may pay a fee | Usually the lender | The clinic is a partner, not the one granting the credit; check the partnership contract |
The choice affects cash flow and risk. Receiving a lump sum from the processor with an advance reduces risk and costs a fee. Receiving month by month improves the net price but exposes cash flow. The installments and fees calculator shows how much the clinic actually receives in each scenario.
How do installments enter the price?
If the clinic offers interest-free installments, it pays the processor's fee. If that fee is not in the price, it comes out of the margin. The clinic's pricing formula is:
Price = direct cost ÷ (1 − taxes − fees − margin)
The "fees" term includes the card terminal fee. A procedure priced only for single payment but sold in 10 installments has a smaller margin than planned.
Hypothetical example of passing on the fee: the clinic wants to receive R$ 1,000.00 net for a procedure. If the total fee for the chosen installment plan is 10%, the installment price needs to be R$ 1,000.00 ÷ (1 − 0.10) = R$ 1,111.11. If the clinic charged R$ 1,000.00 for installments too, it would receive R$ 900.00 net, which is R$ 100.00 less. The percentages are fictional; fees vary by processor, card brand, term and contract.
See how this combines with the rest of the math in pricing by ml and in the price per ml and margin calculator. For longer packages, which tend to be paid in installments, see procedure packages in HOF.
Is it allowed to charge more for installments than for a single payment?
Brazil's Law 13.455/2017 allows price differences for goods and services depending on the payment term or method (for example, single payment in cash or PIX versus installments by card). It is a consumer law and comes with a duty to inform: the difference must be stated clearly and visibly before the contract is signed.
In practice:
- State, in the proposal or quote, the single-payment price and the price for each installment option.
- Avoid surprises at payment: the patient should not discover the surcharge when swiping the card.
- Record the patient's acceptance (in writing, by message or by signing the quote).
- If the clinic offers a "single-payment discount", make clear that this is the reference price.
There is debate about limits and abusiveness in specific cases, and your professional board's rules may restrict how price and terms are advertised. Ask your lawyer to review the text of the quote.
What does the Consumer Protection Code require?
When there is financing or credit (interest, in-house financing or from third parties), Article 52 of Brazil's Consumer Protection Code requires prior and adequate information about:
- the single-payment price;
- the total amount payable, with and without financing;
- the interest rate and other charges;
- the number and frequency of payments.
Even when there is no interest, the same principle of transparency applies: the patient needs to know how much they will pay in total and when. Avoid "installments from R$ X" without showing the total amount and the number of installments.
What should go in the quote and the contract?
| Item | What to state |
|---|---|
| Single-payment price | The reference price |
| Installment price | Number of installments, amount of each and total |
| Payment method | Card, bank slip, PIX, payment booklet or financing |
| Due dates | Dates and the consequence of late payment |
| Interest and late fee | If any, clearly stated and in accordance with the law |
| Cancellation | What happens to installments paid and still to be paid |
| Adjustment | Whether the installment amount changes and why (in general, it should not) |
| Acceptance | The patient's signature or written confirmation |
To build a quote the patient understands, see a quote the patient understands.
What if the patient pays late or stops paying?
Default differs by payment method:
| Method | What happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Card | The processor usually bears the credit risk, but the cardholder may dispute the purchase | Keep the contract, the consent and proof of the visit; answer the dispute with documentation |
| Bank slip, PIX, payment booklet | The risk is the clinic's | Have a collection routine: a reminder before the due date, courteous contact after late payment |
| Lender | The risk is generally the lender's | Confirm in the partnership contract what the clinic is liable for |
Collection must be respectful: do not expose the debt to third parties, do not mention the procedure in messages to other people and use the patient's contact details only for collection. Humiliating collection and exposure of data violate the Consumer Protection Code and the LGPD. If the debt persists, consult a lawyer before any harsher measure.
What if the procedure is canceled or interrupted?
There are distinct situations, and the contract must address each one:
- Withdrawal before any service: full or partial refund, according to the contract's rules and consumer law.
- Interruption for clinical reasons (for example, a contraindication identified): the professional may stop the treatment; the contract defines the balance.
- Procedure already performed, with installments remaining: the installments correspond to the service provided and follow the contract.
- Card refund: there may be costs the clinic has already paid; define who bears them.
Ask your lawyer to draft these clauses. A clear rule is better than an agreement improvised in the middle of a dispute.
How do you offer installments without compromising cash flow?
- Calculate the average collection time of your schedule. Offering many interest-free installments with no advance delays cash coming in, while the product cost is paid right away.
- Limit the number of interest-free installments to what the margin can bear, and pass on the fee for longer terms.
- Use advances judiciously: they give you cash, but cost a fee; compare with the cost of waiting.
- Monitor default by payment method.
- Review the terms when fees change. Processors adjust their rates, and the price needs to keep up.
The clinic break-even calculator helps you see how much needs to come in each month, and the average ticket and monthly target one shows how installments fit into the target. Issuing invoices on installment sales is a tax decision: see service invoices at the HOF clinic and confirm with your accountant.
Do installments change the sales approach?
Installments make the decision easier, but they do not replace it. Before talking about installments, the patient needs to understand the plan, the price and what is not guaranteed. Talking about installments before the plan turns a clinical decision into a monthly-payment decision. See how to raise plan acceptance and patient objections and responses.
Installment checklist
- Does the installment price cover the terminal or lender fee?
- Does the patient see the single-payment price, the installment price and the total before deciding?
- Am I avoiding "interest-free" when there is a surcharge?
- Does the contract say what happens to installments on cancellation, clinical interruption and late payment?
- Did a lawyer review the text and the collection rules?
- Do I keep the patient's acceptance and the procedure consent?
- Is the collection routine courteous and LGPD-compliant?
- Did I check my board's rules on advertising payment terms?
Offering installments well means making the plan fit the patient's budget without taking from the clinic the margin that sustains the care.
Frequently asked questions
Can I offer installments on an aesthetic procedure by card?
Yes, it is a common way to pay. The clinic decides whether installments are interest-free (absorbing the processor's fee) or carry interest passed on to the patient, and must clearly state the total amount and the terms before the contract is signed.
Can I charge more for installments than for a single payment?
Brazil's Law 13.455/2017 allows price differences depending on the payment term or method, as long as the difference is stated clearly and visibly before the purchase. Even so, confirm with your accountant and lawyer how to apply it in your clinic.
How do I calculate the card terminal fee on installments?
Divide the single-payment price by 1 minus the total installment fee. With a 10% fee, a R$ 1,000.00 procedure becomes R$ 1,111.11 in installments, and the clinic receives the same R$ 1,000.00 net. The percentages are fictional; use those in your contract.
What should I do if the patient stops paying the installments?
It depends on the payment method. With cards, the processor usually bears the risk, but there may be a dispute (chargeback). With bank slips, in-house plans or direct credit, the clinic bears the default. Set the rule in writing beforehand and collect courteously, respecting the LGPD and consumer law.
Can I cancel the procedure and refund the installments already paid?
The rule should be in the contract or terms and conditions, stating what is refunded and what is kept for services already performed. Cancellation for clinical reasons, for regret and for withdrawal are treated differently, and a lawyer should review the text.