Payment Processing
Patients say yes to your treatment plan, then hesitate when you quote the price. That gap between clinical acceptance and financial commitment costs your practice production every single day. When patients leave to "think about it," they accept inferior care elsewhere, delay treatment until problems worsen, or simply live with pain because they can't see a path to afford what you've prescribed. Third-party financing removes that barrier. This guide walks you through the leading dental financing companies, showing you exactly what each offers, who they serve best, and how to build a financing stack that converts more treatment plans into scheduled procedures. You'll learn how to evaluate partners based on your patient demographics, calculate the real cost impact on your margins, and implement systems that turn financial conversations from obstacles into closed cases.
Nov 22, 2025
What to Look for in a Financing Partner
The right financing partner must align with three critical factors before you evaluate individual companies. Understanding these dimensions helps you filter options quickly and focus on providers that match your practice's unique needs.
Patient Credit Profiles Determine Approval Rates
If most patients carry prime scores above 700, nearly any provider works. Subprime communities need partners with underwriting that accepts lower scores. Review your patient database to identify the credit distribution you serve; approvals mean nothing if your patients don't qualify.
Merchant Fees Directly Impact Case Profitability
A two-percent discount feels manageable on routine visits but erodes margins fast on $20,000 implant cases. Compare rate tiers across treatment values, check for early-payoff penalties that frustrate patients, and calculate the true cost against your average case sizes.
Software Integration Controls Workflow Efficiency
Platforms that embed into your practice management system let coordinators launch applications in the operatory and receive approvals before patients reach checkout. Standalone portals create double-entry work and slow decisions. Confirm compatibility with your current stack before committing.
These three dimensions (credit accessibility, cost structure, and technical fit) form your evaluation framework as you review specific providers. The following companies represent the most widely used options across different practice types and case complexities.
1. CareCredit
CareCredit maintains 11 million cardholders, giving it widespread patient recognition. Your team spends less time explaining the application process when patients already understand the brand.
Patients access 0% APR for 6 to 12 months on approved treatments. Pay within the promotional period, and they owe zero interest. Merchant discount fees vary by promotional plan. The card works for everything from routine cleanings and fillings to crowns, root canals, and orthodontics, giving you one financing option across your full treatment menu.
2. Alphaeon Credit
Alphaeon Credit specializes in cosmetic and elective dentistry with revolving credit lines designed for multi-step treatment sequences. Higher credit limits keep veneers, Invisalign, and full-smile makeovers on a single account rather than forcing patients to split payments across multiple cards.
Plans stretch up to 60 months, pairing short 0% promotions with longer fixed-rate terms. Applications start with a soft credit pull, so patients see their likely qualification without hurting their credit score. No early payoff penalties give patients control over repayment timing. When you're presenting cosmetic treatment plans that involve multiple visits over several months, patients can use one line of credit throughout the entire case.
3. GreenSky Patient Solutions
GreenSky approves loans up to $65,000 with terms extending to 84 months, directly addressing the cost barriers that stop full-arch and implant case acceptance. Patients choose from short 0% promotional plans or fixed-rate options depending on their financial situation.
Mobile applications deliver chairside approvals, and plans include no early payoff penalties. This loan structure removes the financing ceiling that limits production in practices specializing in complex reconstruction. When you present treatment plans for multiple implants, bone grafting, or full-mouth rehabilitation, GreenSky's higher limits and longer terms match the scope of the dentistry you're recommending.
4. LendingClub Patient Solutions
LendingClub offers fixed-rate installment loans that eliminate deferred-interest complications. Patients who avoid revolving credit or promotional financing get straightforward monthly payments with no retroactive interest charges or surprise rate increases.
Terms range from 24 to 60 months with fixed monthly payments. Applications begin with a soft credit check, and the system allows co-applicant additions when solo applications need additional income verification. Your practice manages everything through an online portal. Patients financing crowns, bridges, periodontal treatment, or orthodontics know exactly what they'll pay each month from start to finish.
5. Cherry
Cherry brings buy-now, pay-later simplicity to dental practices through 3, 6, 12, or 24 month payment plans. Many approvals require no hard credit pull, lowering the barrier for patients concerned about credit inquiries.
You can set up Cherry through QR codes at checkout, links in reminder texts, or direct integration with practice management software. This accessibility targets hygiene packages, whitening, aligners, and other treatments under $5,000 where speed matters more than extended terms. When patients hesitate over the cost of deep cleanings, take-home whitening kits, or clear aligner therapy, Cherry's short application process keeps the appointment moving forward.
6. Proceed Finance
Proceed Finance removes the approval ceiling that blocks large cases, offering loans up to $75,000 with repayment terms stretching to 96 months. Approvals start around 640 credit scores with no collateral required.
Eight-year repayment terms transform a $30,000 full-mouth reconstruction from unaffordable to manageable through monthly payments that fit patient budgets. Practices focusing on implants, all-on-X, or complex prosthodontics gain access to financing that matches their case complexity. When you diagnose extensive periodontal disease requiring surgery and implant placement, or present all-on-four treatment plans, Proceed's higher limits and longer terms align with the multi-phase nature of advanced dental care.
Company Comparison by Practice Type
Your patient mix and case sizes determine which financing partner works best. Use this table to identify companies that align with your practice's treatment patterns and patient demographics. The comparison highlights key differences in loan structures, promotional terms, and ideal use cases to help you make faster decisions.
Company | Loan/Line Range | Term Length | 0% / Promo Details | Minimum FICO | Best For |
CareCredit | Revolving line (limit varies) | Revolving; promo 6 to 12 mo | 0% if paid within promo | Varies | High-volume practices wanting brand recognition |
Alphaeon Credit | High credit limits | Up to 60 mo | Deferred interest, occasional 0% | Varies | Cosmetic or ortho cases needing longer terms |
GreenSky | Loans up to $65k | Plans to ~84 mo | Several 0% options | Varies | Large implant or reconstruction cases |
LendingClub | Installment loans, high five figures | 24 to 60 mo | Fixed APR, no retro interest | Varies | Practices preferring predictable payments |
Cherry | Split pay, small to mid five figures | 3 to 24 mo | Flat-fee BNPL (no 0%) | Accessible | Hygiene, whitening, smaller tickets |
Proceed Finance | Loans up to $75k | Up to 96 mo | Fixed APR, no 0% | 640 | Full-arch and major restorative cases |
Practices typically pair two complementary options: one for higher credit scores and another for broader patient access. This dual approach ensures you can serve patients across different financial situations without losing production to financing barriers. With your evaluation framework and company options clear, you can now match these partners to your specific patient demographics and case mix.
Match Financing Options to Your Patient Demographics
Your community's financial profile determines which partners convert interest into accepted treatment. Affluent suburbs with prime credit scores see high approval rates across most providers, putting brand recognition at the center of your decision. Working-class neighborhoods with subprime credit need partners like Cherry or Proceed Finance that approve lower FICO ranges without requiring perfect payment histories.
Run a quick analysis of your patient database. If more than 30% of treatment plans stall at financial discussions, you need a secondary option for patients who don't qualify through traditional healthcare credit cards.
Calculate True Cost Impact on Practice Margins
Merchant fees range from 2% to 15% depending on promotional terms, and those percentages hit differently across case types. A $200 cleaning with a 5% fee costs you $10. A $25,000 full-arch case at that same rate removes $1,250 from your revenue.
Review rate tiers carefully. Many providers charge lower fees for shorter promotional periods and steeper discounts for extended 0% terms. Map these costs against your treatment mix. If implants and cosmetic cases drive your revenue, negotiate fees specifically for high-ticket treatments rather than accepting blanket rates.
Evaluate Integration with Your Practice Management System
Manual data entry between financing portals and your practice software doubles work and introduces errors. Modern integrations push pre-approved offers directly into patient files, eliminating redundant typing while coordinators stay focused on treatment conversations rather than administrative tasks.
Before signing contracts, confirm compatibility with your current stack. Request technical specifications, test the integration in a sandbox environment if available, and speak with current users running the same practice management software to verify the connection works as promised. Once you've confirmed technical compatibility, move your attention to the legal and operational protections built into the partnership agreement.
Review Contract Terms and Compliance Requirements
Strong partners provide more than competitive rates; they protect your practice legally and operationally. Read contracts line by line for HIPAA compliance clauses, data-sharing protocols, and breach notification procedures.
Verify that patient information stays encrypted both in transit and at rest, and confirm the provider carries adequate cybersecurity insurance. Understand exit terms before you commit. Some contracts lock you into multi-year agreements with early termination penalties, while others allow cancellation with 30 to 60 days notice. If service quality drops or a better option emerges, you need the ability to switch without financial punishment.
Check how quickly disputes get resolved. Does the provider offer a dedicated account manager, or will your team navigate generic call centers? When patients claim they were overcharged or approvals were mishandled, response time protects your reputation and patient relationships. With your contract terms clear and your integration verified, you can design a financing stack that serves your full patient spectrum.
Build Your Financing Stack
Single-provider strategies leave patients without options when they don't qualify. Effective practices run a two-tier system: one prime lender for speed and brand recognition, plus a secondary option with broader underwriting for patients who need it.
Pair CareCredit's widespread recognition with Cherry's accessible approval rates, or combine Wells Fargo's credibility with Proceed Finance's high-limit capabilities for full-arch cases. This combination keeps more patients in treatment, protects your margins across case types, and lets you focus on care instead of collections.
Train your team to present both options confidently. Coordinators should know which provider to mention first based on treatment cost and patient profile, then pivot smoothly to the backup option if the first application doesn't approve. This approach eliminates the dead-end "We'll need to talk about payment" conversation that kills momentum and sends patients home to reconsider.
Keep Patients Happy With Competent Staff and Financing Options
Start by selecting two partners from the comparison above: one that matches your highest-volume cases and patient credit profiles, plus a backup option for patients who fall outside those parameters.
Contact both providers to request merchant fee schedules, integration specifications for your practice management system, and sample contracts. Run the numbers on your last 90 days of declined treatment plans to estimate how many would convert with financing available. Calculate the revenue impact after merchant fees, then move forward with onboarding.
Train your front desk and treatment coordinators on both platforms before you announce financing options to patients. Your team needs confidence presenting payment plans as standard solutions rather than last-resort options. When financing becomes part of every treatment conversation, price transforms from a barrier into a logistics question you solve together.
While you optimize payment options, let Teero solve your staffing gaps. Sign up for a Teero account today to connect with top-tier hygienists on demand. Our vetted professionals step in for vacations, sick days, or growth surges, keeping chairs turning so every approved payment plan turns into completed care and lasting patient loyalty.