Paying for treatment with Afterpay

Victorian Dental Group accepts Afterpay, alongside HICAPS on-the-spot health fund claiming, Zip, and the usual card and EFTPOS options.

Part of our approach here is to make dental care easier to get to when it is needed, and spreading a payment over a few weeks helps some people do that. It is one option among several, and it is not the right one for everybody.

How Afterpay works

You pay for treatment in four instalments. The first is taken on the day, and the remaining three are direct-debited fortnightly, so the balance is cleared over about six weeks.

Afterpay charges no interest. That is a genuine difference from an ordinary credit product and it is the main reason people use it.

Afterpay does charge late fees if a scheduled payment is missed. We would rather say so plainly, because it is commonly left out when buy-now-pay-later is advertised. The fees are capped as a proportion of the order value under Afterpay's terms, and missed payments can also affect your ability to use the service. Read the current terms on Afterpay's own website before you use it.

Two other things worth knowing:

• Afterpay makes the approval decision, not us. Eligibility, your spending limit and any assessment are entirely theirs, and we are not told the reasons for a decision.
• Your limit is not fixed. It varies with your account history, so check it before your appointment rather than assuming it will cover the treatment.

Buy-now-pay-later is credit

Worth stating clearly, because the marketing rarely does. Buy-now-pay-later products in Australia are regulated as a form of consumer credit: providers must be licensed, must assess whether a product is suitable for you, and must have hardship and complaints processes. An interest-free product is still a credit product, and a missed payment still has consequences.

That is not an argument against using it. It is an argument for reading the terms the same way you would read any other credit contract.

How to use it here

1. Book your appointment online or by calling (03) 9088 5808
2. Set up Afterpay in advance through the Afterpay app, and check your available spending limit using the barcode icon in the app
3. Get your written quote. We give you an itemised treatment plan with costs before any treatment begins, so you will know the figure ahead of time
4. Claim your health fund rebate first. We process this on the spot through HICAPS, so Afterpay only needs to cover the gap rather than the full fee
5. Pay at reception using the barcode in your app. The first instalment is taken that day
6. The remaining three instalments are direct-debited fortnightly. You can pay the balance off earlier through the app if you want to

Afterpay will remind you when each payment is due.

The order matters

People often get this the wrong way round and end up financing money they did not need to finance.

1. Medicare first, if a child is eligible under the CDBS — that part is not billed to you at all
2. Health fund rebate next, claimed on the spot through HICAPS
3. Whatever is left is the gap
4. Only the gap goes onto Afterpay

Run that in any other order and the instalments are calculated on a larger number than they need to be.

Which option suits which situation

As a rough guide: Afterpay suits a moderate one-off amount you can clear inside six weeks — a check-up and clean, a filling, a mouthguard, a splint. For a larger plan spread over months, four fortnightly instalments is usually the wrong shape, and either staging the treatment or a longer-term arrangement makes more sense.

Staging is not a lesser option

It is worth saying plainly, because it is the one option nobody advertises.

Most treatment plans have a clinical order: what is urgent, what is deteriorating, and what is stable enough to wait. Where that order exists, the work can often be spread across months or across health fund years — with the urgent work done now and the rest planned, rather than everything financed at once.

What cannot be staged is infection, a tooth at real risk of being lost, or anything actively getting worse. We will tell you which is which, and we will tell you honestly when waiting will cost you more than it saves.

Before you use it

• Read Afterpay's current terms and fee schedule on their own website
• Confirm what your health fund will rebate first, so the instalments are calculated on the smaller number
• Check the fortnightly amount against your actual budget, not your best month
• Ask us whether the treatment is urgent or can reasonably be staged
• Make sure the account the direct debit draws on will have funds on each due date
• Count any other buy-now-pay-later commitments you already have running

If cost is the reason treatment is being put off, say so. It is a very common reason and not one to feel awkward about. Knowing the constraint lets us build a plan you can actually act on, rather than one that sits in a drawer.

What we can and cannot advise on

We can tell you what treatment you need, what each option costs, what is urgent and what can wait, and which items your fund is likely to rebate.

We cannot advise you on whether a payment arrangement suits your financial circumstances. We are a dental practice, not a financial adviser. The terms are Afterpay's and the decision is yours.

If money is genuinely tight, free and independent financial counselling is available through the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007, or at ndh.org.au. It is a free service, it is not connected to any lender, and calling it is a sensible step rather than a drastic one.

If private treatment is out of reach altogether, public dental care is available in Victoria for eligible people — generally those holding a concession card, and their dependants. Waiting times apply for general care, though emergency care is prioritised. The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne, 720 Swanston Street, Carlton, is the starting point. We would rather tell you that than have you avoid care entirely.

What the quote will tell you

Before anything begins you receive a written treatment plan setting out each item, its ADA item number, the fee, and — where we can establish it — the expected health fund rebate and the gap you would pay. You take it away and decide in your own time.

If something is found mid-treatment that was not visible beforehand, we stop and discuss it with you before continuing. Nothing is added to the account without being agreed first.

Questions we are asked

Does it cost more to pay with Afterpay? Our fees are the same whichever way you pay. Any late fees come from Afterpay, not from us.

Can I use Afterpay and my health fund together? Yes, and you should. Claim the rebate on the spot through HICAPS, then use Afterpay for the gap.

Can I set it up at the appointment? You can, but approval is not instant for everyone and it is far less stressful to sort out beforehand.

What happens if I miss a payment? Afterpay applies a late fee and may restrict further use of the service. Their terms set out the detail. If your circumstances change, contact Afterpay rather than letting a payment fail.

Can I pay it off early? Yes, through the Afterpay app.

What if I am declined? That decision is Afterpay's and we are not given a reason. Ring us and we will look at staging the treatment instead — there is usually a workable path.

Can I use it for emergency treatment? Yes, provided your available limit covers the amount. Ring us first if you are in pain; getting seen is the priority and payment is sorted out at reception.

Does using it affect my credit file? Buy-now-pay-later providers are credit providers, and their treatment of credit reporting is set out in their own terms. Read them if that matters to you.

Can someone else pay on my behalf? Yes — an Afterpay account belongs to the person who holds it, so they would need to be present or the payment made another way. Ask reception and we will sort out the practicalities.

Can I use it for a refund or a deposit? Deposits and refunds follow our attendance policies. Where a refund is due on something paid through Afterpay, it is processed back through Afterpay rather than in cash.

Book your appointment

Victorian Dental Group — 291 Wattletree Road, Malvern East VIC 3145

Phone (03) 9088 5808 · Monday to Friday, 8:00am–5:00pm · closed weekends and public holidays

Book online at any hour, or read more about payment options, Zip and private health insurance.

This page is general information about a payment method we accept. It is not financial advice and does not take your circumstances into account. Afterpay's terms, fees and eligibility are set by Afterpay and should be read on their own website before you use the service. This page does not replace advice from a registered dental practitioner about your own circumstances. Please see our Disclaimer.