Efficiency and patient experience are on the mind of every healthcare provider – and every patient. Since COVID-19, contactless payments have become one way that providers can simplify and elevate the patient experience while also emphasizing patient health and well being. No wonder over a third of surveyed providers reported that they planned to implement contactless payments.
Ready to join them? Here’s what you need to know about contactless payments in healthcare.
How Do Contactless Payments Work?
A contactless payment is any kind of payment where a patient doesn’t have to handle cash, a card, or a keypad. They make paying for care simple and also meet heightened expectations around hygiene and convenience.
Common types of contactless payment include:
- Tap to pay – the patient taps or hovers a card or phone over a card reader
- Text to pay – patients receive a payment link via text and pay using their phone
- Online payments – patients pay via an app or a web-based payment portal
- Automated withdrawals – agreed-upon amounts are deducted from the patient’s account
Why Providers are Switching to Contactless Payments
The rise in contactless payments reflects a shift in customer expectations about how to pay for services. One-click checkouts and automated withdrawals are increasingly becoming the norm for purchases. Patients expect the same from their healthcare providers. In fact, 47% of consumers won’t shop at a business without contactless payment options – a sentiment bound to carry over to healthcare.
But contactless payments don’t just benefit patients. They’re also good for providers. They help:
- Reduce administrative burden while also putting patients in the driver’s seat
- Streamline waiting room and post-visit workflows
- Speed up the transaction and payment process
- Reduce concerns over hygiene and safety in a healthcare environment
- Minimize the risk of identity theft and human error
- Make paying for telehealth appointments simple and seamless
- Position a practice as being tech-forward and experience-oriented
Before implementing a contactless payment system, ensure that it meets security and data protection standards and adheres to all HIPAA requirements.
Experience is Everything
Contactless payments are just one of the ways that healthcare providers can deliver a seamless, patient-forward experience. Combined with quality care, a relevant list of services, and an environment that speaks to privacy, comfort, and support, contactless payments help elevate your practice. If you’re seeking to modernize your practice further, talk to the team at Gittleson Zuppas Medical Realty. We can connect you with the right medical space – so that you can exceed all patient expectations around technology and care delivery. Whether you’re looking to open a practice, expand, or renew a lease, get in touch today!