Paying for treatment with Zip

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

Zip lets you have treatment now and repay it over time. It is provided by Zip, not by us: Zip sets the eligibility criteria, the credit limit, the repayment schedule and any fees or interest, and Zip makes the approval decision. We simply accept it as a way of paying the account.

What Zip is

Zip is a consumer credit product. You apply to Zip directly, they assess you and set a limit, and you then use that limit to pay for purchases — including dental treatment — and repay Zip on the schedule attached to your account.

Zip offers more than one product, and they work differently from each other. The terms, fees, interest-free periods and eligibility requirements are published by Zip and change from time to time, so check the current terms on Zip's own website before you apply. We do not reproduce them here because we would rather you read them from the source than from a dental practice's summary that may be out of date.

Two things worth being clear about, because dental advertising has a habit of glossing over them:

It is credit. Applying involves a credit assessment, and the arrangement is a debt you are obliged to repay.
Fees can apply. Account fees, establishment fees, late fees and interest after an interest-free period are all possible depending on the product and how the account is run. Zip's terms set out which apply to you.

Questions to ask any credit provider

Before you sign anything, for dental treatment or anything else:

What will this cost me in total if I repay it on schedule?
What will it cost if I take longer?
Is there a monthly account fee, and does it apply in months when I owe nothing?
What is the minimum repayment, and how long does that take to clear the balance?
What happens if a payment fails?
Can I repay it early without a penalty?
Is it reported to credit reporting bodies?
What happens if my circumstances change?

A provider that answers all of these plainly is behaving properly. One that cannot is worth walking away from.

If your circumstances change

Every licensed credit provider in Australia must have a hardship process. If you lose work, become unwell, or simply cannot meet a repayment, contact the provider before the payment fails and ask about hardship assistance. That is what the process exists for, and it produces far better outcomes than silence.

If you are not satisfied with how a credit provider handles a complaint, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (afca.org.au, 1800 931 678) is the free, independent external dispute resolution scheme all licensed providers must belong to.

And for free, independent financial counselling that is not attached to any lender, the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007 (ndh.org.au).

None of that is dental advice. It is the practical information a page about a credit product ought to carry.

How to use it here

Apply to Zip before your appointment, through the Zip app or website. Approval is between you and Zip, and it is worth doing in advance rather than at the front desk
Check your available limit against the treatment cost. We give you a written, itemised quote before any treatment begins, so you will know the figure ahead of time
Claim your health fund rebate first where the item is covered. We process this on the spot through HICAPS, so Zip only needs to cover the gap rather than the full fee
Pay at reception using Zip for the remaining balance
Repay Zip according to your account terms

For longer treatment plans — implants, orthodontics, a staged rehabilitation — it is worth discussing the sequence with us first. Splitting treatment across stages, or across two calendar years where annual health fund limits are involved, sometimes reduces what you need to finance at all.

The timing point, in detail

Most extras policies reset their annual limits on 1 January, and unused limit does not carry over.

Where a treatment plan is large and not urgent, that creates a genuine saving: work done in December draws on one year's limit, and work done in January draws on the next. Two rebates instead of one, on the same course of treatment, without borrowing the difference.

It only works where waiting is clinically safe. We will tell you when it is not, and an infection, a cracked tooth or anything actively deteriorating is not something to schedule around a health fund calendar.

Is it the right option for you?

We cannot tell you that. We are a dental practice, not a financial adviser, and whether a credit product suits your circumstances is not something you should take advice on from us. What we can do is set out the options we accept, so you can compare them yourself.

Option	How it works	Worth knowing
HICAPS	Your health fund rebate is claimed on the spot; you pay only the gap	Always do this first — it reduces the amount anything else has to cover
Card or EFTPOS	Pay in full on the day	No fees, no application, no credit assessment
Zip	Credit account with Zip; repay over time	A credit product; terms, fees and interest set by Zip
Afterpay	Four instalments over six weeks	No interest, but late fees apply if a payment is missed
Child Dental Benefits Schedule	Medicare covers eligible children's basic treatment	Check eligibility with Medicare — see Medicare child dental benefits
Staging the treatment	Spread the work over time, by clinical priority	Often the cheapest option, and it is always worth asking about

That last row is the one people forget. Where treatment is not urgent, doing the clinically important part now and the rest later is frequently a better answer than borrowing to do everything at once. We will tell you honestly which parts of a plan can wait and which cannot.

Warning signs, at any practice

Finance and dentistry sit close together, and the combination occasionally goes wrong. Be cautious anywhere you encounter:

A large cosmetic plan presented at a first visit, with finance offered in the same conversation
Pressure to sign today, or an offer that expires if you leave to think about it
A finance application filled in for you
No written itemised plan, or a single lump figure with no breakdown
Reluctance when you say you would like a second opinion
"Do nothing" never presented as an option, for anything

None of those is about the credit product. They are about how it is being used.

Before you apply

A few sensible checks, none of which are unique to dentistry:

Read Zip's current terms, fees and interest arrangements on their own website
Confirm what your health fund will rebate first, so you borrow the smaller number
Work out the repayment against your actual budget, not the best month you have had
Ask us whether the treatment is urgent or whether it can reasonably be staged
Check whether you already have a lower-cost option available to you

If money is the reason treatment is being delayed, tell us. It is a very common reason and not one to feel awkward about. Knowing the constraint lets us plan around it rather than presenting a plan you cannot act on.

If private treatment is out of reach entirely, public dental care is available in Victoria for eligible people — generally concession card holders and their dependants — through the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne, 720 Swanston Street, Carlton, and community dental services. Waiting lists apply to general care; emergency care is prioritised.

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 take it away. Nothing proceeds until you have agreed to it.

If the plan changes mid-treatment because something is found that was not visible beforehand, we stop and discuss it with you before continuing.

Questions we are asked

Do you charge extra for using Zip? Our fees are the same regardless of how you pay. Any fees or interest attached to the Zip account itself come from Zip.

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

Can I apply at the appointment? It is possible, but approval is not instant for everyone and it is far less stressful to sort out beforehand.

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

Can I use it for a cosmetic treatment? Zip is a payment method and does not distinguish. Your health fund very likely does, and purely cosmetic items are commonly excluded from rebates — we will tell you which parts of a plan are likely to attract one.

Is Afterpay or Zip better? They are different products with different terms, and which suits you depends on your circumstances. Compare them on each provider's own website.

What happens to the Zip balance if I change my mind about treatment? Any refund due follows our attendance policies and is processed back through Zip. Your obligation to Zip continues on their terms until the account is settled, so tell us early rather than late.

Can I use it for a deposit? Yes. Deposits and their refund conditions are set out in our attendance policies.

Does paying by Zip change the treatment I am offered? No. The clinical recommendation is made before payment is discussed, and it does not change based on how you intend to pay.

Book an 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, Afterpay 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. Zip's terms, fees, interest and eligibility are set by Zip and should be read on Zip's own website before you apply. This page does not replace advice from a registered dental practitioner about your own circumstances. Please see our Disclaimer.

What is Zip?

A buy-now-pay-later provider accepted at Victorian Dental Group, which lets you spread the cost of treatment rather than paying it in full on the day. The account is between you and Zip — the practice accepts it as payment but does not assess applications, set limits, or decide the terms.

What is the difference between Zip Pay and Zip Money?

Zip Pay is intended for smaller amounts, such as a gap payment, and carries no interest, though a monthly account fee applies in any month you carry a balance. Zip Money is intended for larger treatment costs and offers an interest-free period, after which interest is charged on the remaining balance; an establishment fee may also apply. Current limits, fees and rates are set by Zip and should be checked directly with them.

What does it cost me?

That depends on the account and on whether you clear the balance within the interest-free or fee-free terms. Fees and, for Zip Money, interest after the promotional period are the real costs, and they are set out in Zip's terms rather than by the practice. Read them before applying — the total you repay can exceed the treatment fee.

Do I need to be approved?

Yes. Buy-now-pay-later in Australia is regulated as consumer credit, so Zip assesses your circumstances before approving an account and sets your limit. Approval is not guaranteed, and applying involves a credit assessment.

What happens if I miss a payment?

Fees may be charged, your account can be suspended, and missed or defaulted payments can be reported and affect your credit record. If you think you will have difficulty repaying, contact Zip early — financial hardship provisions exist. Free financial counselling is available through the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007.

Can Zip be used for any treatment?

It can be used towards treatment at the practice generally, including a gap payment after your health fund rebate. Whether a payment plan is appropriate is a separate question from whether treatment is appropriate — and the clinical recommendation does not change based on how you intend to pay. If cost is the obstacle, say so: there is often a staged or less expensive option worth discussing before taking on credit.

How do I set it up?

Apply directly with Zip before your appointment, then present the account at the practice. For questions about the account, limits or repayments, contact Zip. For questions about treatment costs, contact Victorian Dental Group, 291 Wattletree Road, Malvern East VIC 3145 — (03) 9088 5808 or info@victoriandentalgroup.com.au, Monday to Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm. You receive a written treatment plan with costs before treatment begins.