Card Installments and Terminal Fee Calculator

Paying by card in installments is one of the most common ways a patient closes an orofacial harmonization (HOF) plan. For the clinic, installments have a cost: the installment fee, which can be much higher than the debit fee. This calculator shows how much you receive if you absorb the fee and how much to charge if you decide to pass it on, so that the net amount equals the cash price.

The values shown when the page opens are a hypothetical example. The real fee depends on your contract with the card acquirer and the number of installments. Nothing you type leaves your device.

What does each field mean?

What is the formula?

• Installment without pass-through = cash price ÷ installments.
• You receive without pass-through = cash price × (1 minus fee).
• Installment price with pass-through = cash price ÷ (1 minus fee).
• Installment with pass-through = price with pass-through ÷ installments.

The division in the pass-through is the point that confuses people most. If you add the fee to the price, the terminal charges the fee on the markup as well, and you receive less than the cash price. Dividing by (1 minus fee) solves it: the net comes out equal.

Worked hypothetical example

Hypothetical example: a R$ 3,000.00 cash procedure, in 6 installments, with a total fee of 9.5% for that option.

Without a pass-through, the clinic gives up R$ 285.00 to the fee. That seems small on R$ 3,000.00, but it comes entirely out of the margin. If the procedure margin is 30%, the fee consumes almost a third of the profit.

Pass it on or absorb it?

Both choices are legitimate. What does not work is not deciding and finding out at the end of the month.

• Absorb: simplifies the conversation and can be a differentiator. In that case, the average fee needs to be built into the price, as in pricing per ml.
• Pass on: keeps the cash price lower and leaves the cost of the term with whoever chooses the term.
• Mixed: some installments with no markup and, beyond that, with a pass-through.

How do I present it to the patient?

Show both options side by side, with the total and the installment amount. A patient who sees the math understands the difference and decides without suspicion. Objections about price and payment method are covered in patient objections and responses.

What are the limits of the calculation?

• The calculator uses a single fee for the installment plan. If your contract has a per-installment fee plus an advance payout fee, add the two to get the total fee.
• It does not account for tax on the higher amount charged in the pass-through. If tax applies to revenue, the markup is also taxed; include the percentage in the fee for a complete pass-through.
• It does not compare with other forms of patient credit.

To see the effect of the fee on the month's result, use the break-even calculator with the card cost in the taxes and fees field.