Top 3 Reasons To Start Using Online Payments With Apptoto

Woman checking out on her computer using a credit card

It’s time to start using online payments. However, we know that adding a new step to your workflow can feel overwhelming. That’s why we are here to help. Let’s break down the top 3 reasons our clients are switching to using online payments with Appototo.

Reason #1 to use online payments: Simplify your customer’s process.

We all know that the more steps there are in a process, the more likely we are to lose people along the way. This becomes a big deal when we start thinking about it in terms of potential clients and customers. The simpler we can make our customer’s process, the better chance we have of having a successful transaction.

With Apptoto, you can now collect deposits and copays at the time of booking. This provides you and your company with a huge advantage for a few reasons:

You notify your customers of the cost of the deposit or co-pay before they arrive for their appointment.

If you work for a business that collects deposits or co-pays, you know what a hassle it can be. Customers often are surprised that there is a fee or refuse to pay it at all. Collecting payment digitally changes that. Not only are they immediately notified of the cost, but they also can’t proceed with booking the appointment without paying for it.

Avoid collecting checks and other payment issues.

Increase your workflow, productivity, and collection success rate by collecting payments online before your customer or client walks into the office. No more excuses, forgotten cards, or processing checks. Streamline the process by being clear about your expectations from the beginning and making sure your customers pay before their appointment happens.

Let your clients pick their preferred payment.

More and more users prefer quick payment methods like Apple Pay and Google Pay and will often choose a vendor or service provider based on which one offers more convenient payment methods.  The Apptoto payments feature supports both Apple Pay and Google Pay, as well as our own payments by message method, where a client can just reply P to a text message to pay with a card on file.

Keep it simple for your customer or client.

This is probably the most important one of all! By incorporating payments into your appointment bookings, you are making the process as clear and simple as possible. By adding clear expectations to your process, you are making the processes smoother for every one of your clients.

Reason #2: Reduces No-Shows

There is nothing quite like the frustration of dealing with no-shows and late cancellations. If you work in an appointment-based business, you know it well. There just isn’t a way to recoup what you lose from a missed appointment.

However, we all know from personal experience that if a cancellation fee or a no-show charge is involved, your customers are much more likely to show up to their appointments. Implementing this fee can be a challenge. How do you go about communicating it? How about collecting it? Penalty fees can feel awkward to implement.

With Apptoto’s online payment feature, you can set a no-show or a cancellation fee automatically. That means that at the time of booking, your clients or customers will be notified of the penalty fee (compared to you or your staff having to remind clients over and over again about your cancellation policy). Instead, it will become an automated part of your booking process. Their information will be collected, and their card charged in the event of a no-show or a late cancellation. You have full freedom to customize these settings exactly to your preferences!

Implementing online payments allows you to take the headache out of collecting fees.  At the same time, it motivates your customers to show up for their appointments!

Reason #3: Stay Ahead Of The Competition

According to consumer reports, about 82% of Americans used online digital payments last year (McKinsey & Company). That percentage is only growing year over year. Why does this matter? This means the majority of your clients and customers are familiar with, and potentially even prefer, to use digital payments to pay for goods and services.

These numbers also represent a shift. The majority of consumers have an expectation that they will be able to pay for goods and services using online payments.

This is your opportunity to stay in front of the competition and start offering what your clients expect and what your competitors don’t. Offering online payments with Apptoto will put you ahead of the curve and keep you in line with consumer trends and expectations.

Interested in learning how to set up online payments with Apptoto? Learn more here.