--- title: "FunnelFi vs. CareCredit: Pre-Qualify Patients Before the Consult Chair | FunnelFi" url: https://funnelfi.ai/compare/funnelfi-vs-carecredit description: "CareCredit approves at checkout, after the consult. FunnelFi pre-qualifies patients before you book them. Case-acceptance math for dental, med spa, and aesthetics." lang: en --- ← All comparisons (https://funnelfi.ai/compare) Patient financing pre-qualification # FunnelFi vs. CareCredit: Pre-Qualify Patients Before the Consult Chair Quick answer CareCredit is a checkout financing product, the patient applies at the front desk after the consult. FunnelFi is a top-of-funnel pre-qualification layer that tells you which prospects can afford treatment before you burn a consult chair. FunnelFi is best for Dental, med spa, aesthetics, plastic surgery, and LASIK practices that want to book only patients who can afford the plan. CareCredit is best for Practices that want a co-branded revolving-credit product patients apply for at checkout. ## Side-by-side comparison | Criterion | FunnelFi | CareCredit | | --- | --- | --- | | Input required | Name, phone, email, address, no SSN | Full application at checkout, SSN, income, employment | | Time to verdict | Under 3 seconds at intake | Instant decision, but only after the consult | | SSN required | No | Yes | | Data returned | FICO band, spending power, DTI, income est., treatment-plan affordability | Approved credit line or decline | | Program matching | Matches to CareCredit, Cherry, Alphaeon, PatientFi, cash plans | CareCredit line only | | Customizable Pre-Qualification Forms | Yes | No | | Customizable Pre-Qualification Website | Yes | No | | CRM integrations | Dentrix, Open Dental, Weave, PatientNow, HubSpot, GHL | Practice management integrations at point-of-sale | | Pricing model | PAYG $5–$12/verdict + subscriptions | Merchant discount fee on approved financed amount | | Implementation time | Same day via intake form | Days to weeks (merchant onboarding) | | Best for | Screening prospects before consult | Financing patients who already said yes to treatment | **How we compared:** Compared on the metrics that move case acceptance: where in the funnel the check happens, patient friction, decision quality, and impact on consult-to-close rate. FunnelFi pricing from published PAYG rates; CareCredit merchant fees from published provider disclosures. Verify CareCredit's current features and pricing on their site (https://www.carecredit.com/). ## Which is right for you? Pick FunnelFi if… - • You want to stop wasting consult chairs on patients who can't afford the plan. - • You want to see spending power and program fit before booking, not at checkout. - • You want a single top-of-funnel filter that routes to CareCredit, Cherry, PatientFi, or cash. Pick CareCredit if… - • You need the actual revolving credit line patients pay with, not a pre-qualification layer. - • You already convert consults at your target rate and don't need pre-screening. ## CareCredit vs. FunnelFi, FAQ CareCredit vs FunnelFi, do they compete? No, they solve different problems. CareCredit is the financing product patients pay with at checkout. FunnelFi is a pre-qualification layer that tells you which prospects can afford treatment before you book the consult. Does FunnelFi replace CareCredit? No, FunnelFi doesn't originate a credit line. It tells you a prospect's FICO band and spending power so you know whether CareCredit (or Cherry, or PatientFi, or cash) is likely to work before the consult. Can practices use both? Yes, most do. FunnelFi pre-qualifies at intake so you only book patients who can afford treatment; CareCredit is one of the financing options they use at the point of sale. Does FunnelFi check patient credit? Yes, a tri-bureau FCRA soft pull. It doesn't affect the patient's credit score and is not visible to third parties. What does FunnelFi cost? PAYG runs $5–$12 per verdict; subscriptions start at $399/mo. CareCredit charges a merchant discount fee on financed amounts (varies by promo). How does this improve case acceptance? Practices report 20–40% higher consult-to-close rates because coordinators aren't presenting plans to patients who were never going to qualify. Is a soft pull HIPAA compliant? FunnelFi handles pre-qualification, not PHI. Patients provide financial identifiers (name, phone, email, address) with consent, no treatment or diagnostic data is transmitted. How fast can we go live? Same day. Add the FunnelFi script to your intake or booking form and verdicts route into your CRM. ## Ready to see the verdict for yourself? Schedule a 30-minute demo, we'll qualify your last 100 leads live. 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