# What Payment Processing Costs Dental Practices

URL: https://www.paydude.io/resources/tools/payment-processing-for-dental-practices
Type: Free interactive calculator
Summary: Card processing costs for dental practices, starting from a $450 average transaction and a realistic card mix. See your effective rate, not a headline rate.

Dental payments are mid-sized, high-volume and overwhelmingly domestic, so the percentage rate dominates and international surcharges are irrelevant.

## Summary

A typical patient payment is around $450. At $450 a transaction the fixed fee is under 0.07% — only the percentage matters. At that ticket size the fixed fee is only 0.07% of the transaction — the percentage decides almost everything. Card mix matters more here than in most industries.

## What a patient payment really costs

Payment plans and financing are common, and splitting a treatment into instalments multiplies the fixed fee without changing the percentage much.

**One $450 transaction, on published domestic rates**

|  | Fee | Effective rate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Stripe 2.9% + 30¢ | $13.35 | 2.97% |
| Paydude 2.55% + 20¢ | $11.68 | 2.59% |

> **Business cards change this comparison:** Patients mostly pay on personal cards, so the corporate share is lower than in professional services. A high corporate-card share is the one case where Paydude's +0.3% surcharge narrows the gap — the calculator above models it, and reports the share at which the advantage disappears.

## Payment plans change the maths

Splitting a $2,000 treatment into five $400 payments costs five fixed fees rather than one, and five times the chance of a failed payment. At this ticket size the fixed-fee cost is minor; the failed-payment risk is not.

## What to check on your own statement

1. **Your real average transaction.** Total volume divided by transaction count.
2. **Your Amex and corporate card share.** In this industry it is usually higher than people expect, and it moves the answer.
3. **Whether you are being charged for keyed entry.** Manually entered card details cost more at most providers.
4. **Monthly, gateway and PCI fees**, divided by your volume.

For what failed instalments cost across a patient base, see the [failed payment calculator](https://www.paydude.io/resources/tools/failed-payment-revenue-calculator).

**See the full rate card** Every tier and every situational fee, published up front. — [View pricing](https://www.paydude.io/pricing)

## Frequently asked questions

### What does payment processing cost for dental practices?

At a typical $450 transaction, a standard 2.9% + 30¢ rate works out at 2.97%. At that ticket the fixed fee is almost irrelevant — the percentage and your card mix decide the bill. Corporate and Amex cards, which are common in this industry, cost more to accept everywhere.

### What is the best payment processor for dental practices?

At this volume and ticket size, compare on percentage and on how payment plans are supported. Card-present terminals matter if you take payment at the desk — that is a capability some API-first providers, including Paydude, do not offer.

### Why do business and corporate cards cost more?

Because their interchange is higher — the rewards and expense-management features those cards offer are funded from the fee the merchant pays. Some providers surcharge them explicitly; others fold the cost into a higher base rate that every merchant pays regardless of card mix.

### Is it cheaper to take ACH or bank transfer instead?

Frequently, at this ticket size. ACH is typically a flat fee of under a dollar rather than a percentage, so on a $450 payment it can cost a fraction of card processing. The trade is settlement speed and a longer dispute window.