How clinics in Pakistan can collect consultation fees online (cards, JazzCash, Easypaisa)
Cash at the counter still works for most in-clinic visits. But once you start video consultations, or want to cut no-shows, you need a way to take the fee online. Patients in Pakistan are now used to paying with JazzCash, Easypaisa, bank apps and debit cards, so the main question is how to receive that money properly.
Three common ways clinics take fees online
1. Personal bank transfer or mobile wallet
The simplest way is to share an account number or a JazzCash or Easypaisa number and ask patients to send a screenshot.
It’s quick to start, but it doesn’t scale. Someone has to match every screenshot to a patient, payments arrive in a personal account, refunds are awkward, and it’s easy to miss a payment or start a video call that wasn’t paid for.
2. A payment link per patient
Some banks and payment companies let you create a payment link and send it to the patient. It’s tidier than screenshots, but you still create a link for each patient and match payments to appointments by hand.
3. Payment built into booking
The cleanest way is for the payment to be part of the booking itself. The patient books a visit, pays through a payment gateway, and the appointment is marked as paid automatically. No screenshots and no matching.
In Pakistan, payment gateways such as PayFast let patients pay by debit or credit card, JazzCash, Easypaisa or bank account on one page, and send the money to your business account.
Why video visit fees should be paid first
For in-clinic visits, collecting at the counter is normal. For video visits, taking the fee before the call saves a lot of trouble:
- Patients who have paid almost always join on time.
- The doctor doesn’t have to chase a payment after the call.
- No one has to decide whether to start a call before a screenshot arrives.
In eMedics Pro, the patient books a video visit, pays online, and the “Join” button appears in their patient portal only once the payment is confirmed. The doctor sees which visits are paid.
What you usually need for a payment gateway
Each provider has its own requirements, so check with them directly. They typically ask for:
- a business bank account in the clinic’s or doctor’s name
- your CNIC, and for a registered business its NTN and registration papers
- a website or booking page where patients pay
- your refund and cancellation policy
Approval can take from a few days to a few weeks, so start early if you plan to launch video visits on a set date.
Set a clear refund and cancellation policy
Write down, and show patients before they pay:
- how late they can cancel and get their money back
- what happens if the doctor has to cancel (always a full refund or a free new time)
- what happens if the call fails because of a connection problem
A short, fair policy avoids most disputes.
Keep cash and online payments in one place
If some patients pay at the counter and others pay online, keep both in the same system, so you can see every visit’s payment in one list at the end of the day.
Getting started
If you run video consultations or want fewer no-shows, start by taking online payment for video visits only, and keep cash at the counter for in-clinic visits. Once patients are used to it, you can offer online payment for clinic visits too.
eMedics Pro connects to PayFast so patients can pay by card, JazzCash, Easypaisa or bank account, and records counter payments in the same place. Read more about video consultation software, or book a free demo.