Practice Better offers flexible payment collection methods to fit your practice's needs. Whether you choose to process payments through Practice Better Payments, use an external payment processor, or collect payments offline, you have complete control over how clients pay for your services.
In this article:
- Payment Collection Methods Available
- Using Practice Better Payments for Online Collection
- Managing Your Payment Methods
- Recording Payments from External Sources
- Choosing the Right Payment Method for Your Practice
Payment Collection Methods Available
Practice Better supports multiple ways to collect payment from your clients, giving you the flexibility to choose what works best for your practice and your clients' preferences.
Online Payment Processing
Accept credit card payments directly through Practice Better by setting up Practice Better Payments, our integrated payment processor powered by Stripe. This option enables your clients to pay invoices online with a simple click, and their payment information is stored securely for future transactions.
External Payment Processors
If you already use a payment processor outside of Practice Better, you can continue using it while managing your invoices within the platform. You'll manually record payments in Practice Better to keep your records up to date.
Offline Payment Collection
Collect payments through traditional methods like cash, checks, or bank transfers, then record these transactions in Practice Better to maintain accurate financial records.
Using Practice Better Payments for Online Collection
Practice Better Payments streamlines the entire payment process by integrating payment processing directly into your workflow. When you use Practice Better Payments, your clients receive professional invoices with a Pay Invoice button that takes them to a secure payment page.
Key Benefits:
- Clients can pay invoices instantly with a credit card
- Payment information is stored securely for future use
- Payments are automatically recorded in your Practice Better account
- Both you and your client receive email receipts
- Support for Apple Pay and Google Pay for faster checkout
- Support for Stripe Link, a digital wallet that enables 1-click checkout for returning clients who have saved their payment details
About Stripe Link
Stripe Link is a digital wallet built into the Practice Better checkout experience. When a client checks out for the first time, Link may prompt them to save their card details for faster future payments — all it requires is an email address and SMS verification. If a client already has a Link account and uses their matching email at checkout, their saved card details will auto-populate for a seamless 1-click experience.
📍 Note: Link is separate from saving a card on file in Practice Better. Link accounts are managed by Stripe directly. Clients are not required to pre-register for Link, but may be prompted to create an account during checkout. This prompt is controlled by Stripe and cannot be modified from Practice Better. Link is available to eligible clients internationally, based on supported country and currency combinations determined by Stripe.
Security You Can Trust
Practice Better does not store any client credit card information on our servers. All credit card information collected is encrypted, tokenized, and handled by Stripe, a PCI Level 1 Service Provider — the payment industry's highest level of protection. Learn more about Stripe's security standards.
Ready to Get Started?
Setting up Practice Better Payments takes just a few minutes. You'll need your business entity type and bank account details to complete the setup process.
Learn more about Getting Started with Practice Better Payments →
Managing Your Payment Methods
All payment methods available through your Practice Better Payments account are enabled by default.
If you'd like to disable a payment method — including Stripe Link, BNPL, or bank debit options — you can manage this directly from your Stripe dashboard.
To disable a payment method:
- Log in to Practice Better.
- Click your Settings (gear icon) and select Payments Dashboard.
- Click View in Stripe near the top-right.
- Once in Stripe, click the Settings (gear icon).
- Select Payments from your Settings page.
- Go to the Payment methods tab.
- Locate the payment method you'd like to disable and click on it to expand the panel.
- Click Disable.
📍 Note: If you've previously disabled a payment method and need to re-enable it, follow steps 1 – 7 above and toggle the option to Enable your desired payment method.
Recording Payments from External Sources
If you collect payments outside of Practice Better — whether through another payment processor, cash, check, or bank transfer — you can easily record these transactions to keep your financial records accurate and complete.
When to Record External Payments:
- You received cash or check payment in person
- A client paid via bank transfer or e-transfer
- Payment was processed through PayPal, Venmo, or another external service
- Insurance made a direct payment to you
How It Works:
Recording external payments is straightforward. From any invoice, you can document the payment type, amount, date, and any notes for your records. Once recorded, the invoice status updates to reflect the payment, and you can optionally send your client a receipt.
Learn more about Recording External Payments →
Choosing the Right Payment Method for Your Practice
The best payment collection method depends on your practice's unique needs, your clients' preferences, and your comfort level with different technologies.
Consider Practice Better Payments if:
- You want to accept credit card payments online
- You'd like clients to pay invoices instantly with a click
- You want to store cards on file for recurring payments
- You process a high volume of transactions monthly
- You want integrated reporting and transaction tracking
Consider External Recording if:
- You already have an established payment processor you prefer
- You primarily collect cash or check payments
- You work with insurance providers who pay directly
- You have specific payment processing requirements not covered by Practice Better Payments
Still Deciding?
You can start with recording external payments and switch to Practice Better Payments whenever you're ready. Many practitioners begin with one method and evolve their payment collection as their practice grows.
💡 Pro tip: You can use multiple payment methods simultaneously. For example, use Practice Better Payments for most clients while still accepting cash payments from others and recording them manually.
Our support team is here to help you choose the best payment solution for your practice. If you have questions about which method is right for you, don't hesitate to reach out!