How I Made CareCredit Simple for My Team and Patients

Here's what actually happens inside a growing practice. A new front desk hire starts on a Monday, learns the phone system, the scheduling software, and insurance verification, but no one walks them through processing a CareCredit transaction. A doctor moves through their patient schedule focused entirely on diagnosis and the care plan, but financing simply isn't part of that clinical moment. And the patient, sitting across from a recommendation for new glasses and a price they weren't expecting, doesn't ask about payment options because they don't know any exist. They say, "Let me think about it," and walk out without the pair they actually needed.

For patients, the data is clear: the average CareCredit transaction at an ophthalmology practice is about $3,100, while at an optometry practice, it’s approximately $700.¹ This suggests patients may delay significant treatment and eyewear choices indefinitely because the topic of financing was never discussed.

Here's the encouraging part: CareCredit provides training, tools, and a dedicated support team from day one, but consistency is key. Practices should ensure new staff understand the process, offer doctors a straightforward way to highlight financing options without disrupting patient care, and make sure patients know their financing options before they leave.

The practices getting the most out of CareCredit today aren't doing anything complicated. Here's how they got there — and how your practice can too.

Cost is more than a line item for patients, and it's why many delay or skip care altogether. Nearly two-thirds of patients say cost affects how often they see their optometrist, and that number climbs to 78% among Gen Z patients, some of whom are just starting to manage their own healthcare spending. Even among patients with vision insurance, roughly 65% still pay out of pocket for at least some of their care. And 38% of people who skip annual eye exams say that insurance concerns are the top reason.²

The good news: patients want a way to say yes. 8 out of 10 say they'd seriously consider financing once costs hit a certain threshold (around $761 on average), and 43% are open to using a healthcare credit card for vision care. Yet only 7% have actually done so. That sixfold gap between willingness and action isn't about patients lacking motivation to pay. It stems from a lack of awareness of the available options.²

CareCredit complements insurance coverage, but how practices communicate about it affects its use. Optometry is the entry point to vision care, with 94% of eyecare patients having seen an optometrist and 51% having visited one in the past year. Notably, 28% of these patients own designer eyewear, and interest in premium or non-corrective options is rising, particularly among younger patients.²

Ophthalmology involves critical decisions and high expenses. Among those interested in LASIK, 59% cite cost as the main obstacle, yet only 9% have used a healthcare credit card for the procedure, with most paying out of pocket. Awareness of premium lens options, including multifocal, light-adjustable, and toric lenses, is also limited, with fewer than 25% of patients aware of these options.² This suggests that patients often rely on their doctors to inform them about these choices.

Overall, discussions about financing are often overlooked despite clear patient interest. About 37% of patients say their eyecare providers have never offered financing options. Additionally, 55% are more likely to choose a provider with a range of payment options, and 43% would be more inclined to seek care if they could pay over time.²

Some practices are hesitant to use CareCredit because they believe the rates are too high. But what does "expensive" really mean? Is it not making the sale, or is it paying a fee to facilitate the sale? A significant myth still surrounds this, with many thinking it's only a last-resort option. However, you won’t know the potential benefits until you ask the patient.

What naturally changes over time? As teams grow and experience turnover, new members are still learning the full spectrum of tools, which can create uncertainty about when or how to discuss financing, or make them reluctant to appear overly sales-oriented. Additionally, some team members might be unsure whether to bring up financing before or after insurance, resulting in inconsistent timing.

Now that we’ve pinpointed the knowledge gap, we can fill it using CareCredit's complimentary training infrastructure. Each enrolled practice has access to a dedicated Practice Development Manager (PDM) who customizes training to meet the team's needs.

Additionally, enrolled practices receive free certified training, tools, resources, and marketing materials. These ready-to-use resources simplify cost and financing discussions for staff and patients in both optometry and ophthalmology practices. For instance, CareCredit provides a Confident Cost Conversations webinar, downloadable Myths vs. Facts sheets, and tips and script guides (Figure 1).

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Effective onboarding for CareCredit is crucial for new staff. It should explain what CareCredit provides, how it differs from traditional insurance, and how to clearly communicate these points to patients. Having an employee onboarding manual that can be reviewed regularly is beneficial. Additionally, providing a script for new employees to study and allowing them to shadow experienced employees who excel at initiating the CareCredit conversation can be very helpful.

For busy teams, offer refreshers at regular intervals, including quick 5-minute huddle refreshers, one-page reference sheets, and short recorded training sessions.

A question some practice owners might ask is, “When should CareCredit be brought up in patient conversations?” The answer is as often as you can and wherever it fits best in your practice flow.

Common trigger points include patient check-in, post-diagnosis discussions, treatment planning (such as after a refractive surgery consultation and myopia management), and optical checkout. To ensure you don't miss this step, consider reminders such as EHR flags, checklists, and visual cues.

At patient check-in, it can be as simple as asking, “Do you have a CareCredit credit card? We can pull options for you.”

At patient checkout, staff can start the conversation by saying, “Hey, Ms. Smith, I see that you have CareCredit. We can break this down into payments, or you can pay in full. Which option works best for you?”

Also, remember to pause after presenting these options. Give the patient a moment to process the information. Providing a written or printed breakdown of the payment options can help patients who prefer to absorb information visually. This can help them decide and help you address any objections they may have.

From experience, consistent phrasing works better than clever wording. Follow a straightforward script structure: introduce the topic, provide a brief explanation, then suggest the next step. Rely on CareCredit's communication tips and scripts as your main template instead of making up your own. Make sure all staff members (front desk, technicians, and providers) use the same script. This uniformity ensures each patient hears the same message during every interaction.

It's important to communicate that vision insurance primarily functions as a discount plan. Instead of mentioning that it requires out-of-pocket expenses, phrase it as "your total is this..." to guide the conversation more effectively. Appeal to their emotions, as the goal is to help them see better, and remember to follow up afterward.

Your CareCredit team continues to provide training and resources even after onboarding, and staying connected ensures ongoing support for your practice. Schedule regular check-ins with your PDM, as these meetings can catch potential issues early.

While a single training session is valuable, practices that maintain regular contact build sustained momentum. Use tools like the Activity at a Glance Report (Figure 3) and the Cardholder Availability Credit Report to monitor progress: track patient usage, average ticket prices, and identify cardholders with available credit for upcoming visits.

Simple methods such as spot checks, monthly huddle discussions, and tracking conversation frequency help assess system adoption.

The practice owner and manager are key leaders in maintaining accountability, using visible prompts like sticky notes, brochures, billing message updates, and monthly huddle discussions to encourage consistent use.

As a practice owner, setting goals in the first quarter matters, but tracking data is essential to evaluate your system's performance over time. Implementing changes at the end of the year is harder than addressing issues as they arise. Monitoring key metrics, such as the number of patients, the ratio of comprehensive to medical visits, total collections, and the quantity of glasses and contact lenses sold, is crucial for effective management.

What can we learn from these two cases? These treatments work well when you address the financial burden. Patients need to feel comfortable saying yes, which requires understanding their concerns and knowing how to respond. If you're uncomfortable discussing costs, consider involving a care coordinator to handle the conversation instead.

CareCredit enables more patients to access vision care and surgical solutions they might otherwise delay. Its support extends beyond enrollment, as your Practice Development Manager and ongoing resources help you maintain momentum, not just initiate it.