Practices fail to make most of direct debits

Barely half of optical practices are actively offering patients services and aftercare on direct debit (DD) despite believing this option boosts contact lens loyalty and reduces drop-outs.

Research by Optician during October and sponsored by CooperVision showed that while the vast majority of practices had the ability to accept payments by DD, just over half (52 per cent) were offering it as an option for eye exams and aftercare.

Franchised practices offer DD and payment plans most often (83 per cent), with multiples (74 per cent) offering the option more often than independents (60 per cent).

The survey found a direct correlation between the frequency with which DDs were offered in practice and the proportion of patients taking them up. Among practices that reported always offering DD plans, 60 per cent of their patients took them up. This dropped to 17 per cent among practices who only offered DD plans occasionally. On average, practices have 52 per cent of their contact lens patients on a DD scheme. A massive 74 per cent of practices reported having less than 5 per cent of their patients on DD for spectacle payments.