PaySec + Avimark: Eliminate Processing Fees for Veterinary Practices
How vet clinics running Covetrus Avimark are integrating PaySec to stop paying credit card processing fees on client payments.
Veterinary practices face a unique financial challenge: the cost of care keeps rising, clients expect modern payment options, and margins on services are tighter than most pet owners realize. Credit card processing fees — typically 2.5-3% per transaction — quietly erode your revenue on every wellness exam, surgery, dental cleaning, and pharmacy sale that crosses your checkout counter. For a busy multi-vet hospital processing $100,000 or more per month in client payments, that is $30,000 per year going to a payment processor instead of back into your practice.
Avimark (by Covetrus) is one of the most established veterinary practice management systems — trusted by thousands of vet clinics for medical records, scheduling, inventory, and billing. It is reliable, comprehensive, and deeply integrated into daily veterinary workflows. But Avimark alone cannot solve the processing fee problem.
PaySec adds the one capability Avimark cannot provide on its own: zero-cost payment processing through Network Offset Pricing.
What Is the PaySec + Avimark Integration?
PaySec connects to Avimark's payment processing workflow so that every client transaction can be processed at zero cost to the practice. When your staff completes an invoice in Avimark and initiates checkout, the PaySec terminal receives the amount and displays dual pricing: one price for cash or check, and a slightly adjusted price for credit card payment. The client sees both options, chooses how to pay, and the transaction posts back to the correct client and patient record in Avimark.
This approach is called Network Offset Pricing (NOP). It is legal in all 50 states, fully compliant with Visa, Mastercard, and all major card network rules, and transparent to the client. There are no hidden surcharges — both prices are displayed before the client makes a decision.
The Real Cost of Processing Fees for Veterinary Practices
| Practice Type | Monthly Client Payments | Annual Fees (2.5%) |
|---|---|---|
| Small animal clinic | $45,000 | $13,500 |
| Mixed animal practice | $60,000 | $18,000 |
| Multi-vet hospital | $100,000 | $30,000 |
| Emergency/specialty | $180,000 | $54,000 |
These fees come directly out of practice revenue. They do not appear as a line item on your P&L that gets scrutinized — they are silently deducted before your deposit arrives. Most practice owners underestimate their true processing cost until they run the numbers.
How Network Offset Pricing Works at Checkout
Here is a real-world example. A pet owner brings their Labrador in for an annual wellness visit:
- Exam + vaccines + heartworm test + flea/tick prevention = $280
- PaySec terminal shows: $280.00 (cash/check) or $291.20 (card)
- Pet owner taps their card and heads home with their pup
The practice collects the full $280 either way. If the client pays cash or check, they pay $280. If they pay by card, the $11.20 difference covers the processing cost. The practice receives its full revenue regardless of which option the client selects.
Integration Features
Seamless Checkout: No workflow changes for your staff. The checkout process is the same one they already know — the only addition is that the terminal displays two prices instead of one.
Inventory and Pharmacy Sales: Avimark manages your pharmacy, food, and product inventory. Client purchases of prescription medications, therapeutic diets, supplements, and retail products all process through PaySec at zero cost. Your retail margins stay fully intact.
Multi-Location Support: For veterinary groups operating Avimark across multiple locations, PaySec deploys to every site with per-location merchant accounts and centralized reporting.
Daily Reconciliation: End-of-day batch reconciliation between PaySec settlements and Avimark reports is automated, reducing bookkeeping overhead.
PCI Level 1 Compliance: PaySec handles all card data through PCI Level 1 certified infrastructure. Your practice never stores sensitive payment information.
No Contracts, No Minimums: PaySec requires no long-term commitments or minimum processing volumes.
Who Is This For?
This integration is built for any veterinary practice running Avimark that wants to stop losing revenue to credit card processing fees. Solo practitioners, multi-vet hospitals, mixed animal practices, and emergency clinics all benefit. Practices with high-value services — surgery, dentistry, oncology, specialty care — see the largest per-transaction savings. But even a small animal clinic doing routine wellness care saves thousands per year because the volume of transactions adds up.
Annual Savings by Practice Size
| Practice Size | Annual Savings |
|---|---|
| Solo vet | $13,500 |
| 2-3 vets | $22,500 |
| Hospital (4+) | $30,000+ |
| Multi-location | $50,000+ |
Getting Started
- Contact PaySec for a veterinary merchant account — approval takes 3-5 business days
- Install the PaySec bridge with Avimark — PaySec's integration team handles the configuration
- Deploy the NOP terminal at checkout — a countertop device at your front desk
- Brief your staff — a 10-minute walkthrough is all it takes
- Process your first client payment at zero cost — most practices are live within two weeks
The setup is straightforward and does not disrupt your daily operations. Your team continues using Avimark exactly as they do today. The only visible change is the dual pricing display on the payment terminal — and clients adapt quickly after their first visit.
PaySec + Avimark: the tried-and-true veterinary PM system paired with next-generation zero-fee payment processing. Every exam, every surgery, every pharmacy sale earns you more.