The money follows the appointment
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- NHS Band 1–3
- Online payments & refunds
recorded at 09:40
01Pay up front
The cheapest way to stop a no-show is to make it cost something
A free appointment is an easy one to skip. Ask for payment up front on the treatments where it matters — the long ones, the ones that leave a big hole — and let the rest pay at the practice.
- Choose per treatment: pay at the practice, offer online payment, or pay up front
- Pay up front holds the slot for a short payment window, then confirms the booking once it's paid
- Every payment counts against the patient's balance, so nobody pays twice
- Refunded under your cancellation policy when a patient cancels in good time
Treatment
October 2026
Wed 14 Oct · Dr A. Patel
07NHS, private and plan
Three funding routes. One price list.
An NHS Band 2 has a statutory charge. A private composite has your fee. A plan member pays a covered rate, and a consultation might be free. DentiPoint decides which of those applies when the treatment is chosen — and the answer travels with the appointment.
- NHS Band 1, 2 and 3 charges come from a rate table you control, per region
- Private fees live in your own treatment price list
- Membership plans and £0 consultations are proper funding routes, not a discount bodge
- The price is snapshotted at booking, so raising your fees never rewrites an old quote
Gentle dentistry, booked in under a minute.
What that means at the front desk
- Charge the balance, not the full fee
If the patient paid online, the desk records or sends a pay link for only what's left. It works the balance out — nobody is doing subtraction in front of a patient.
- Refunds without a phone call to support
Full or partial, straight back to the card that paid, and kept against the appointment.
- A history you can defend
Every charge, capture and refund is kept against the appointment it belongs to. Not a status flag — a ledger.
- Pay online, or pay in the chair
Some treatments you want paid up front. Some patients like to pay online. Most pay on the day. All three are a setting on the treatment, not a workaround.
More on payments
- Can a Dentist Charge a Deposit? UK Rules for 2026
Private practices can take deposits; NHS practices can't before an assessment or for missed visits. The UK rules, fair amounts and a policy template.
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Payment questions
Who processes the cards?
Stripe. Card details never touch DentiPoint's servers, and the money lands in your own Stripe account — we don't hold your takings.
Do I have to take payment up front on everything?
No, and you shouldn't. Payment timing is set per treatment. Most practices ask for payment up front on the long, expensive treatments and leave a check-up to pay at the practice.
How are NHS charges priced?
From a Band 1, 2 and 3 rate table you control, per region — because Wales, Scotland and England don't charge the same. Mark a treatment as NHS and it takes the band charge.
What happens if a patient cancels?
Your cancellation policy decides. It refunds a share of what was paid according to how much notice the patient gave, and a practice manager can waive the fee and refund in full.
More on payments and membership
- Dental Membership Plans Explained: NHS, Private & In-House Plans
Dental membership plans let patients pay a monthly fee for routine care. Here is how in-house and provider plans work alongside NHS and private dentistry, and what your practice needs to run one.
- Dental Appointment Deposits and Online Payments: What UK Practices Can Charge in 2026
Can a dentist charge a deposit? Yes for private care, with fair terms shown up front. For NHS care, not before an assessment and never as a missed-appointment fee. The rules, how to set a fair amount, and how to take payment online.
Stop chasing money after the appointment
Take it at booking, price it correctly, and settle the rest at the desk.
