Taking deposits for surgery abroad: bank transfer, card or wire

Why a deposit matters

A deposit holds the date. For a clinic with a full surgical schedule, an empty slot is hard to refill at short notice, and a patient who has paid is more likely to travel.

Put the terms in writing

Before the patient pays, agree in writing what the deposit covers, what is refundable, and by when. Refund terms are between the clinic and the patient. A payment provider cannot make those terms for you.

Compare the payment methods on three points

For a deposit, three points matter most.

• Certainty. Can both sides see that the payment arrived, and for which patient?
• Cost to the patient. Will the amount that leaves their account match the amount you quoted?
• Reversibility. Can the payment be pulled back later, and under whose rules? Card payments can be disputed through the card network. Bank transfers can be returned or recalled under the rules of the network they travel on.

Keep a record per patient

Use one payment reference per patient and keep every transfer under it. When a patient asks whether the balance was received, the answer should take seconds, not a search through a chat history.