Step by step: Online booking and group therapy payment for ergo- and speech therapy practices in Switzerland

Occupational therapy and speech therapy practices that enable parents to book online with immediate payment structurally eliminate outstanding items – especially in group therapies where several parents need to be billed separately. Payrexx Payment Links and Pages work without a booking tool plugin and with TWINT, card, and mobile wallets.

This guide shows you the simplest ways to accept online payments in an occupational and speech therapy practice, how group therapies are billed as a flat rate, and why advance payment is particularly useful in the KVG context.

1. Why online booking with payment makes particular sense for OT/ST

In the KVG sector, direct payment by parents is often an organisational problem: after each session, the therapist must either collect payment on site or issue an invoice. Both are cumbersome. Online booking with immediate payment – including for the patient's own contribution – fundamentally resolves the issue of payment reminders.

Even more relevant: In group therapies, 3–5 different parents must be billed separately and for different amounts (varying deductible situations, differing co-payments). Resolving this manually or using paper invoices involves considerable effort. Payrexx Pages with a fixed group price per child, which all parents can access, reduce the effort to a minimum.

2. Three payment models for OT/ST practices

Model A: Payment Link after each session

After an individual session, the therapist sends an individual Payment Link via WhatsApp. The amount is determined individually after the session. This is the simplest solution; no setup is required other than a Payrexx account. Ideal for practices with few sessions per week.

Modell B: Payrexx Page for group therapy

A Payrexx Page is created once with the fixed group therapy fee per child. All parents receive the URL in the course confirmation. Each parent pays individually and at a time of their own choosing. The therapist sees who has paid in the Dashboard. Ideal for recurring groups.

Model C: Advance payment before course start

For therapy courses (e.g. a 10-week language support group), the full course fee is collected via Payment Link or Page before the first appointment. Benefit: Maximum liquidity, no risk of payment reminders over 10 weeks. Particularly sensible for course formats with a fixed course fee.

3. Create a Payrexx Page for group therapy

Setting up a Payrexx Page takes under 10 minutes:

• Create a new page in the Payrexx Dashboard under Pages

• Page name: e.g. 'Language support group Tue 15:00 – contribution per child'

• Set amount: e.g. EUR 15 per session or EUR 130 for a 10-week course

• Optional: Add description and image

• Copy URL and send in course confirmation via email or WhatsApp

• Track incoming payments per parent in the Dashboard

Tip: Create different Pages for different groups. The URL can be used permanently in the course confirmation – no manual link creation for each new round.

4. Advance payment for therapy courses: Collect KVG co-payment in advance

For a 10-week course, parents typically pay 10 × EUR 8–15 co-payment = EUR 80–150 per child. This amount can be collected in advance at the start of the course. Benefits: no 10 separate Payment Links, no outstanding items at the end of the course, improved liquidity for the practice.

If the exact co-payment is only known after the final health insurance deductible statement, Model A (Payment Link after each session) is recommended instead of advance payment – the amount is then variable, and a Page with a fixed price is not suitable. For self-pay services with a fixed course fee, advance payment is always recommended.

5. Parent communication: Integrate payment information into the appointment confirmation

The simplest integration: Insert the Payment Link or Page URL directly into the course confirmation or appointment confirmation. Template text: 'Please pay your child's course fee before the start of the course via the following link: [URL]. You can pay with TWINT, credit card, or debit card.'

For parents who are not familiar with digital payments: Include a brief explanation and recommend TWINT as the first option – TWINT is widespread in Switzerland even among older parents and is easy to use.

6. FADP data protection: Parent data and patient data

In the Payrexx Dashboard, there are only payment details – no diagnoses, no therapy reports, no patient records. For payment processing, Payrexx is considered a data processor pursuant to Art. 9 FADP. Data processing is governed by the Payrexx T&Cs and Privacy Policy.

Do not use diagnoses or therapy details in the booking text or Page title. 'Language support group Tue 15:00' is correct – 'Speech therapy stuttering group' contains therapeutic details and should be avoided.

7. Checklist: Set up online booking and group therapy payment

• Create a Payrexx account (Free plan is sufficient for Payment Links and Pages)

• For group therapy: Create a Payrexx Page per group (one-off, 10 minutes)

• Integrate URL into course confirmation email or WhatsApp template

• Activate TWINT and credit card as payment methods

• For course advance payment: Create a Payment Link with the total amount

• Define standard booking text: Group name + child's abbreviation, no diagnoses

• Conclude DPA with Payrexx (Art. 9 FADP)

• Monitor initial parent payments and adjust the workflow if needed

Payrexx Pages and Payment Links are available across all plans, including Free – no monthly subscription, no contractual tie-in. For group therapies, the Payrexx Page is the most efficient solution: set up once, use permanently, track all payments in the same Dashboard.