9 Patient Financing Myths Every Veterinary Team Should Know
Talking about financing care with pet parents is one of the hardest parts of running a veterinary practice. As costs continue to rise, patient financing comes up more often and so do the questions about how it works, what it means for your clinic, and whether it’s the right fit.
Below, we clear up the biggest misconceptions vet practices run into and share the real story.
1) “Offering financing will create more work for my front desk team.”
Concern: Front desk teams are already stretched thin, and the last thing anyone wants is another process to manage or explain.
Reality: Modern financing is built to be easy. Applications take seconds, decisions are instant, and pet parents manage their own plans with the help of the third party financing company. Your team stays focused on care while the financing partner handles the rest. With embedded financing in DaySmart Vet, there are no extra logins or workflows – payments show up in reporting just like any other transaction.
2) “If pet parents use financing, we won’t get paid right away.”
Concern: Cash flow matters. Practices rely on timely payments to cover payroll, inventory, and day-to-day expenses.
Reality: Most modern financing solutions pay your practice upfront, often right away and in full. Your clinic gets the revenue immediately, while the pet parent pays over time to the financing partner, not to you.
3) “Financing will cause us to earn less or cannibalize our sales.”
Concern: It can feel like offering financing for everyday care might make routine services seem more expensive.
Reality: In most cases, the opposite is true. Payment plans help pet parents move forward with the full recommended treatment instead of scaling back or delaying care. Clients who can pay in full usually still do. Financing simply gives those who need flexibility a way to say yes, especially in urgent situations. Plus, when you offer it to everyone, it becomes part of your normal talk track instead of something you selectively decide.
Practices using Sunbit often see 25% or higher treatment acceptance, 2 to 3 times higher average treatment plans, and more completed care overall. Even small increases in acceptance can add up to meaningful revenue gains without discounting or sacrificing margin.
4) “Financing is only for big, unexpected procedures.”
Concern: It can feel like offering financing for everyday care might make routine services seem more expensive.
Reality: Financing doesn’t signal “high cost” to pet parents. It signals empathy. It shows you understand that care adds up and want to make it easier. Offering it early builds confidence to move forward, and offering it consistently lets clients choose what works for their situation. In fact, practices that offer a pay-over-time option to everyone see higher service acceptance, no matter the transaction size.
5) “Most patients won’t be approved anyway.”
Concern: Older financing solutions set the approval bar high, which often led to declined applications and frustrating conversations.
Reality: Newer financing providers like Sunbit are built specifically for essential, in-person care and approve over 90% of pet parents, without a hard credit check. More approvals mean fewer uncomfortable conversations and more pets receiving the care they need.
6) “We’ll be responsible if a patient doesn’t pay.”
Concern: Chasing payments and managing financial risk is not why teams go into veterinary care.
Reality: With a non-recourse financing partner, your practice is paid upfront and in full. The financing partner manages repayment directly with the pet parent. If the patient doesn’t pay back the loan, you’re not on the hook. This reduces financial risk and keeps your team focused on care instead of collections.
7) “Patients will feel uncomfortable if we bring up payment plans.”
Concern: Money conversations can feel uncomfortable, especially when emotions are already high.
Reality: Most pet parents appreciate transparency. When financing is mentioned early and consistently, such as during appointment confirmations, estimate reviews, or check-in, it feels normal and supportive. It helps avoid surprises and builds trust when costs come up.
8) “Financing is too complicated to train on or maintain.”
Concern: Between busy seasons and staff turnover, there is often little time for complex systems or long training.
Reality: Many modern financing tools are designed to be simple and intuitive. With financing embedded directly into DaySmart Vet, teams can offer payment plans with minimal clicks, little training, and no added administrative burden.
9) “We’ll lose visibility into what patients are approved for.”
Concern: Teams need clarity in the moment to guide treatment conversations with confidence.
Reality: Today’s solutions provide instant approvals with clear plan details upfront. This visibility helps teams recommend care confidently, knowing exactly what flexibility the pet parent has.
How Sunbit helps DaySmart Vet practices complete more care
Every concern above is rooted in experience with older financing models that were harder to manage, riskier for practices, and less inclusive for pet parents. Sunbit is built to address those exact challenges.
As DaySmart Vet’s integrated patient financing partner, Sunbit delivers a modern, streamlined experience designed for real veterinary workflows.
With Sunbit integrated with inside DaySmart Vet, practices get:
- Over 90% of pet parents approved in seconds with no hard credit check
- Payment in full upfront, with Sunbit handling repayment and zero risk to the practice
- Fast, self-serve applications that take seconds
- A seamless experience embedded directly into the DaySmart Vet workflow with minimal training
- No setup fees, no monthly minimums, and no subscriptions
Next steps
Book a demo with DaySmart Vet to see how easy it is to offer patient financing within your PIMS.
If your practice already has Sunbit payment plans enabled through DaySmart Vet, visit sunbit.com/daysmart for training tips, best practices, marketing resources, and to book a refresher training session for your team.
*Account openings and payment activity are reported to a major credit bureau. Loans are made by Transportation Alliance Bank, Inc., dba TAB Bank, which determines qualifications for and terms of credit.