Scratchpay vs. CareCredit for Vets: Fees and Client Approval
Scratchpay vs. CareCredit for vet clinics: how merchant fees, client approval and payout timing compare, plus how to present financing at the front desk.
Photo: Pixabay
On this page 7 sections
- Why Clinics Offer Third-Party Pet Care Financing
- How Scratchpay Works: Fees, Approval, and Payouts
- How CareCredit Works: Promotional Plans and Merchant Costs
- Other Veterinary Financing Options and Payment-Plan Providers
- Scratchpay vs. CareCredit Side-by-Side: Cost per $1,000 Financed
- Presenting Financing Without Pressuring Clients
- Next Steps for Your Clinic
Key takeaways
- Scratchpay and CareCredit are both third-party financing programs, but they're structured differently. Confirm in writing how and when each one pays your clinic.
- Merchant fees, plan options and refund handling are set by each provider and can change. Get current fee schedules in writing before you compare.
- Compare programs on the dollar cost per $1,000 financed for the plans you'd actually offer, then weigh approval reach, payout speed and who carries the risk.
- Present financing the same way to every client at the estimate stage. Let the provider handle credit decisions and disclosures.
A client is at your front desk with a dog that needs surgery and an estimate they can't cover today. What your team offers next affects both the pet's care and your clinic's cash flow. This guide compares Scratchpay vs. CareCredit, the two financing names many clinics hear first, and explains how to evaluate other programs. You'll learn which questions to ask about merchant fees, client approval and payout timing. You'll also learn how to calculate cost per $1,000 financed so you can choose what to offer.
A note on numbers: Financing providers change merchant fees, plan terms and promotions, and some set pricing per clinic. This article covers what to evaluate rather than quoting any provider's terms. Before you sign, get each provider's current merchant agreement and fee schedule.
Why Clinics Offer Third-Party Pet Care Financing
Large veterinary bills tend to arrive without warning: emergency visits, after-hours surgeries, dental extractions found under anesthesia, and chronic conditions that need repeat diagnostics. Many clients don't have pet insurance, and some policies reimburse only after the bill is paid. When a client can't pay, the conversation can turn to declining treatment or economic euthanasia.
Clinics usually close that gap in one of three ways:
- Ask for full payment by card, cash or check at checkout.
- Carry the balance yourself through an in-house plan. You take on the collection risk and the administrative work. Our guide to offering in-house veterinary payment plans safely covers the guardrails.
- Use third-party pet financing. A provider pays the clinic, typically minus a merchant fee, and the client repays over time.
In non-recourse structures, third-party financing keeps collection risk off your books. It also gives the front desk something to offer besides "we need payment today." The trade-off is the merchant fee. Compare it with your card processing cost so you know what each financed case actually costs you.
How Scratchpay Works: Fees, Approval, and Payouts
Scratchpay offers payment plans that clients can use for veterinary bills. Because program details can change, ask Scratchpay to walk you through its current application flow, plan options and merchant terms before you train your staff.
Client Approval
Ask the provider:
- How do clients apply: in the clinic, on their phone, or through a link or QR code you provide?
- What does the application involve, and what will clients see before they commit?
- Can clients apply before the visit, such as after receiving an estimate by email?
Get the answers in writing so your staff describe the process accurately. Approval decisions belong to the provider. Your team should never predict whether a client will qualify.
Merchant Fees
Your clinic pays a fee on financed transactions. Clarify how it's calculated:
- Is the fee a flat percentage, or does it vary by plan type?
- Are there enrollment, monthly or minimum fees?
- What happens to the fee if you issue a partial or full refund?
Payouts
Ask how many business days funding takes after a client accepts a plan, and how the deposit appears in your bank account so your bookkeeper can reconcile it. Also confirm whether your agreement is recourse or non-recourse. That determines whether a client's later missed payments could ever come back to your clinic.
How CareCredit Works: Promotional Plans and Merchant Costs
CareCredit is a credit card for health and wellness expenses that clients can use at participating veterinary clinics. Because it's a card, a client who already has one may be able to use it at your front desk without starting a new application. Confirm current program details with CareCredit.
Promotional Financing Options
CareCredit offers promotional financing. Ask the provider which promotion types and lengths are available to your clinic, and whether you choose which ones to offer.
Some financing products use deferred interest. With deferred interest, if the promotional balance isn't paid in full by the end of the period, interest can be charged from the original purchase date. If any program you offer works this way, clients need to understand it. That explanation should come from the provider's disclosures, not from your staff's memory.
Understanding the CareCredit Merchant Fee for Veterinary Practices
Before you enroll, get the CareCredit merchant fee for veterinary practices in writing. Useful questions:
- Does the merchant fee vary by promotional plan or length? If so, request the full schedule.
- Can your clinic limit which promotions it offers?
- Are there account, setup or monthly fees?
- How are fees handled on refunds and partial refunds?
Approval and Payouts
Clients who don't already have the card apply, and the issuer makes the credit decision. Ask how quickly funds settle to your account, how CareCredit transactions appear in your reporting, and whether funding is affected if a client later disputes a charge.
Other Veterinary Financing Options and Payment-Plan Providers
Scratchpay and CareCredit aren't your only veterinary financing options. Other financing and payment-plan providers also market to clinics, and their structures vary widely. Some work like consumer loans or credit lines. Others are closer to managed in-house payment plans, where the clinic carries more of the risk. Some clinics add a second program for clients who don't qualify for the first.
Provider names, ownership and terms in this market can change. Verify each provider's current program directly, and compare every option on the same questions rather than on marketing claims.
| Question to ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Does the client face a credit check, and what kind? | It affects how many clients can use the program and how comfortable they feel applying. |
| Who carries the risk if the client stops paying? | Recourse programs can shift losses back to the clinic. |
| How is the merchant fee set? | Flat, tiered or plan-based fees change your true cost. |
| When does the clinic get paid? | Some programs may fund upfront. Others may pass payments through as the client pays. |
| Is there a contract term or monthly fee? | Fixed costs matter if you finance only a few cases a month. |
| How does it fit your workflow? | Check whether staff key in amounts manually or whether it integrates with your practice software. |
The risk question deserves the most attention. In some plan structures, the clinic is effectively extending credit and absorbs losses when clients miss payments. Before you sign, confirm which model you're agreeing to.
Scratchpay vs. CareCredit Side-by-Side: Cost per $1,000 Financed
The fairest way to compare pet financing for clinics is in dollars. Merchant fees can vary by plan, so calculate cost per $1,000 financed for each plan you intend to offer.
The Formula
Merchant fee on $1,000 = $1,000 × fee rate for that plan
Net to clinic = $1,000 − merchant fee − any per-transaction or monthly costs allocated to that case
Illustrative Math
The fee levels below are hypothetical, for practice only. They don't represent any provider's actual rates.
| Hypothetical fee rate | Fee on $1,000 | Net to clinic |
|---|---|---|
| 5% (illustrative) | $50 | $950 |
| 10% (illustrative) | $100 | $900 |
Build the same table with each provider's real fee schedule, with one row per plan, and put the programs side by side.
Factors the Fee Doesn't Capture
A lower fee isn't automatically the better deal. Also weigh:
- Approval reach. A program that approves more of your clients may save more treatments, even if it costs more per case. Track your own application outcomes over a few months.
- Payout timing. Faster funding helps clinics with tight cash flow after costly surgeries.
- Risk model. A low-fee program where your clinic absorbs missed payments may cost more over a year.
- Your card processing baseline. Find your effective card processing rate on your merchant statement. The real added cost of financing is the gap between that rate and the financing fee.
Card processing costs are a separate lever. If they're eating into your margins, MannyPay's payment processing for veterinary clinics includes cost programs such as zero cost processing for eligible merchants. Programs and eligibility vary, so ask how they would apply to your clinic. Also confirm with each financing provider how its transactions should be handled at checkout.
Presenting Financing Without Pressuring Clients
How your team introduces financing matters as much as which program you choose. Done well, it comes across as a care option. Done poorly, it feels like a sales pitch at a stressful moment.
Introduce It at the Estimate Stage
Mention financing when you present the treatment plan, not after a client says they can't pay. Building it into your treatment plan estimate and deposit process makes it routine. ER teams can include it when collecting emergency deposits before treatment.
Offer It Consistently
Present the same options the same way to every client. Don't decide who "looks like" they need financing. Consistency is good client service, and it can help your clinic avoid fair lending concerns. This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your clinic's obligations with a qualified professional.
Keep Staff in Their Lane
Front desk staff should:
- Explain that financing options exist and how to apply.
- Hand over the provider's materials, QR code or link.
- Refer credit, interest and term questions to the provider's disclosures and support.
Staff should not predict approval, describe interest terms from memory or recommend one plan over another.
Sample Script (Illustrative)
"Here's the estimate for Bella's procedure. You can pay today by card, or some clients use a financing option to spread out the cost. If you'd like, I can give you the link to see what's available. You'll see the terms before you decide."
Reconcile Cleanly
Financing deposits arrive separately from card settlements. Record them as their own payment type in your practice management system. If you're also tightening the card side, see how clinics are connecting card payments to AVImark, Cornerstone, and ezyVet.
Next Steps for Your Clinic
- Request current merchant agreements and fee schedules from two or three financing providers.
- Calculate cost per $1,000 financed for each plan you'd offer.
- Confirm each provider's risk model, payout timing and refund handling in writing.
- Train staff on one consistent, low-pressure script.
- Review your card processing costs at the same time, because financing and card acceptance affect the same margin.
If you'd like a second look at your card processing statement or at POS systems and terminals for your front desk, you can request a free quote from MannyPay. A MannyPay specialist will respond within one business day.
This article is for general educational purposes and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Card network rules and state laws change; confirm current requirements for your business.
