PaySec + Hippo Manager: Zero Processing Fees for Veterinary Practices
How veterinary clinics using Hippo Manager are eliminating credit card processing fees on pet owner payments with PaySec's Network Offset Pricing.
Hippo Manager is the cloud-based veterinary practice management software built for clinics that want modern, accessible practice tools without legacy server infrastructure. From scheduling and medical records to inventory and billing, Hippo Manager handles the daily operations of veterinary care. As the veterinary industry has grown to over $35 billion annually in the US alone, practices of all sizes are feeling the squeeze of rising supply costs and overhead expenses — including payment processing fees that silently erode margins on every transaction.
But veterinary practices face a unique payment challenge: pet owners almost always pay by card, and veterinary bills can be substantial. Unlike human healthcare where insurance covers most of the bill, pet owners bear the full financial responsibility for nearly every visit. PaySec eliminates the processing cost on every transaction.
How Network Offset Pricing Works with Hippo Manager
Network Offset Pricing (NOP) presents pet owners with two clear payment options at checkout. When a client pays their invoice at the front desk or through an online payment link, they see both a cash/check price and a card price. The card price includes a small offset that covers the cost of card processing.
For example, on a $500 dental cleaning:
- Cash/check: $500.00
- Credit/debit card: $520.00
The pet owner chooses how they want to pay. Your practice receives the full $500 regardless of their choice. NOP is legal in all 50 states, fully compliant with card network rules, and PaySec requires no contracts or volume minimums. Approval typically takes just 3-5 business days.
Veterinary Payment Realities
Veterinary practices have high card-payment adoption (85-95% of transactions) and growing average transaction sizes:
| Service Type | Avg Transaction | Card Adoption |
|---|---|---|
| Wellness exam + vaccines | $200 | 90% |
| Sick visit + diagnostics | $400 | 92% |
| Dental cleaning | $600 | 95% |
| Surgery | $2,500 | 97% |
| Emergency | $1,500 | 98% |
| Practice Size | Monthly Collections | Annual Fees (2.6%) |
|---|---|---|
| Solo vet | $40,000 | $12,480 |
| 2-3 doctor practice | $90,000 | $28,080 |
| Multi-doctor hospital | $150,000 | $46,800 |
How PaySec Works with Hippo Manager
Checkout Flow
- Appointment concludes, invoice created in Hippo Manager
- Staff navigates to payment screen
- PaySec terminal displays: "$420 cash/check or $436.80 card"
- Pet owner pays via their preferred method
- Payment posts to patient (pet) account in Hippo Manager
Example: Annual Wellness Visit
| Line Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Wellness exam | $65 |
| DAPP vaccine | $35 |
| Rabies vaccine | $25 |
| Heartworm test | $55 |
| Flea/tick prevention (6-month) | $120 |
| Subtotal | $300 |
| Cash/Check price | $300.00 |
| Card price | $312.00 |
Boarding and Grooming
For practices offering boarding/grooming through Hippo Manager:
- Multi-day boarding invoices processed at zero cost
- Grooming services with NOP pricing
- Package deals for frequent boarders
Pharmacy/Product Sales
Veterinary pharmacy and retail sales:
- Prescription medications
- Therapeutic diets
- OTC supplements and flea/tick products
- All processed at zero effective cost
Veterinary-Specific Considerations
Pet Owner Communication
Pet owners are emotionally invested in their animal's care. The dual pricing conversation:
- Focus: "We offer a discount for cash/check payments"
- Reality: Most pet owners don't comment on small price differences
- Context: When facing a $2,500 surgery bill, a $100 difference for card vs. cash is minor
- Outcome: Some owners switch to debit or ACH, saving both parties money
Emergency Veterinary Services
Emergency and critical care often involves large, unplanned expenses:
| Emergency | Cost | Processing Fee (current) | With PaySec |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gastric torsion surgery | $5,000 | $130 | $0 |
| Fracture repair | $3,500 | $91 | $0 |
| Toxicity treatment | $2,000 | $52 | $0 |
Multi-Pet Households
Families with multiple pets generate recurring high-value visits:
- Annual wellness × 3 dogs = $900+ per year in exams alone
- Processing fees across multiple pets per family compound
- NOP applies to total invoice regardless of number of patients
Practice Savings
| Practice Profile | Monthly Volume | Annual Savings |
|---|---|---|
| 1-vet clinic | $40,000 | $12,480 |
| 2-vet practice | $75,000 | $23,400 |
| 3-vet hospital | $120,000 | $37,440 |
| Multi-location (3) | $300,000 | $93,600 |
Technical Details
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Hippo Manager | Cloud platform (all plans) |
| Integration | API-based payment sync |
| Terminal | NOP-enabled contactless |
| PCI | Level 1 |
| Multi-Location | Supported |
| Inventory/Pharmacy | Payment sync supported |
| Boarding Module | Supported |
Who Benefits Most?
While any Hippo Manager practice will save with PaySec, certain profiles see the biggest impact:
- Multi-doctor hospitals with high daily transaction volumes across wellness, sick, surgical, and emergency cases
- Emergency and critical care clinics where unplanned, high-dollar expenses generate the largest per-transaction processing fees
- Practices with boarding and grooming that add consistent ancillary revenue streams subject to card processing fees
- Mobile veterinary practices collecting field payments where card usage is virtually 100%
- Multi-location veterinary groups where aggregate processing fees across several clinics become a major line item
If your Hippo Manager practice processes more than $30,000/month in client payments, the annual savings with PaySec will be substantial and immediate.
Getting Started
- Contact PaySec for veterinary merchant account
- Deploy NOP terminal at checkout counter
- Connect payment sync to Hippo Manager
- Brief front desk/reception staff
- First client payment at zero cost
PaySec requires no contracts, no volume minimums, and offers PCI Level 1 compliant payment security. Approval typically takes 3-5 business days, and most practices are up and running within a week.
PaySec + Hippo Manager: the cloud vet PM that modernizes your practice, now with payment processing that maximizes your revenue.