Planet DDS Adds Payment Solution to Platform for Orthodontic Practices

Planet DDS has added an integrated payment solution to its cloud-based platform for orthodontic practices.

The new Cloud 9 Pay provides patients with payment options while protecting patient data and reducing payment card industry (PCI) compliance burdens for these practices, the company said in a Thursday (Jan. 25) press release.

“We saw an opportunity to make it easier for patients to settle their bills and ortho practices to accept payments seamlessly, and we acted on it,” Eric Giesecke, CEO at Planet DDS, said in the release.

With Cloud 9 Pay, orthodontic practices can enable their patients to use tap-to-pay with credit cards and contactless mobile wallets like Google Pay and Apple Pay, according to the release. The solution features web-based onboarding, a swift approval process and access to a dedicated support team.

Because this new solution is native to the Planet DDS platform, Cloud 9, these payments are automatically posted within the Cloud 9 ledger, the release said.

Cloud 9 Pay also safeguards patient information by using point-to-point encryption, per the release.

This new payment solution joins the Cloud 9 platform that includes online scheduling, digital patient forms and patient communication tools designed for orthodontic practices, according to the press release.

“At the heart of all our product decisions lies the goal of creating a better experience for our customers and their patients,” Giesecke said in the release.

PYMNTS Intelligence has found that digital wallets are the third-most common payment method in the healthcare space, behind only credit and debit cards.

In the third quarter of 2022, about one-quarter of all U.S. consumers reported using digital wallets to make their most recent healthcare payment, according to “Connected Wellness: The Next Prescription for Healthcare Providers — Digital Wallets,” a PYMNTS Intelligence and CareCredit collaboration.

In another development in this space, German digital health startup Patient21 said in May that it raised $108 million and would use the financing to enter new markets in Europe and develop its software platform.

Patient21 offers a mix of brick-and-mortar healthcare and digital services such as online booking, check-in and insurance, with a focus on dental health.