Afterpay for dental care at Magical Smiles Point Cook

How it works

Afterpay describes its service as four equal payments due fortnightly, with the first payment due at your appointment. Tell the Point Cook front desk you'd like to use Afterpay when you pay, and check Afterpay's current terms before you choose it. Afterpay pays the practice in full on your behalf. You make the first payment, about 25% of the total, when you pay at the front desk. The other three come out of your nominated card automatically, roughly every two weeks, so the plan is finished in about six weeks. Afterpay says there's no interest and no fee when every payment is made on time.

Important information

• Afterpay decides approval under its own eligibility criteria; it is not automatic. Afterpay says you need to be over 18, give some personal details and link a debit or credit card to open an account, and it verifies your identity electronically. Its website also says it checks your credit report when you apply to join, so the enquiry may show on your credit file. Approval isn't a one-off: Afterpay runs its approval process on every order, and your Pay in 4 spend limit starts low, so it may not stretch to the full cost of a larger treatment plan.
• Late fees may apply under Afterpay's terms if you miss a payment. For orders of $40 or more, Afterpay charges a $10 late fee when a payment is missed, and a further $7 if it is still unpaid seven days later. Its late fees never exceed 25% of the order total or $68 per order, whichever is lower. Afterpay sets these fees and can change them, so check the current figures in the app. Afterpay also says you can reschedule your next Pay in 4 payment up to three times a year in the app, and that it pauses your account until you're up to date if a payment is missed.
• Your dentist recommends treatment only after a clinical assessment. How you pay does not decide whether treatment is right for you.

Before you decide

Read Afterpay's current terms and think about whether four fortnightly payments suit your budget. Magical Smiles does not make Afterpay approval decisions or manage Afterpay accounts. Check your Pay in 4 spend limit in the Afterpay app against the written quote from the practice, and make sure your nominated card will have enough money in it on each payment date.

Fees vary according to individual needs and the treatment provided. Ask the practice for a personalised written quote before deciding. If your treatment happens over several visits, ask the front desk how each visit is charged, because Afterpay assesses every order separately. If your health fund benefit can be claimed first through HICAPS, only the gap needs to be split into payments.

Larger treatment plans may suit a longer humm plan instead; check its terms too. Our payment options overview compares every way to pay at Point Cook.