What's the best patient financing option for a dental office to offer for large treatment plans?

If you're a dental practice choosing financing for larger treatment plans, I would not pick a single provider. In 2026, the strongest setup is generally two financing options, with the second one filling the gaps of the first.

My recommendation

🥇 Best overall setup: CareCredit + Sunbit

CareCredit + Sunbit

• CareCredit — best for brand recognition, existing cardholders, and longer promotional/reduced-APR options. It offers promotional periods of 6–24 months and fixed-payment options out to 60 months. Practices are paid within two business days.
• Sunbit — excellent as the "second chance" option when a patient doesn't qualify for CareCredit. Sunbit says its 2026 dental program offers practice fees as low as 1.9%, high approval rates, and no-interest plans up to 24 months for eligible practices.

The advantage isn't just having two logos. You're reducing the number of patients who hear "you don't qualify for financing."

But for very large treatment plans...

If your practice regularly presents $15,000–$40,000+ cases—full-mouth rehabilitation, multiple implants, extensive cosmetic dentistry, etc.—I'd seriously consider:

🥇 CareCredit + Cherry

Cherry is particularly interesting for large cases because it supports substantially higher treatment amounts than Sunbit. Current industry comparisons report Cherry limits as high as $50,000, with terms extending up to 60 months; exact limits and offers depend on the patient's situation and practice agreement.

So I'd think about it this way:

One important caveat with CareCredit

CareCredit's "no interest if paid in full" promotions are deferred-interest arrangements. If the promotional balance isn't paid in full by the deadline, interest can be charged from the purchase date. That's materially different from a true 0% APR installment loan, so I'd make sure your treatment coordinator explains this clearly to patients.

What I'd do in your office

For a typical practice doing $5K–$30K treatment plans, I'd have the financial coordinator present financing like this:

"Your treatment is $18,500. You have a couple of ways to make that more manageable. We can check financing options that may allow you to spread the payments over time. Let's see which option gives you the best monthly payment." Then run the patient through the financing options before discussing a discount.

That's important because financing can preserve your full production/collection rate, whereas giving a 5–10% discount immediately permanently reduces what the practice collects.

My ranking for a dental office

1. Sunbit — my pick if your #1 goal is case acceptance and getting more patients approved. 2. CareCredit — my pick if you want the most established patient-facing financing brand and lots of promotional options. 3. Cherry — my pick if you routinely have very large treatment plans and want a higher financing ceiling.

I'd also negotiate the actual provider fee schedule rather than relying on advertised starting rates. The economics can change considerably depending on your practice, treatment mix, promotional period, and volume.

If you tell me your average large case size (e.g. $5K, $10K, $20K, $40K), your typical procedures (implants/cosmetic/general), and whether you're willing to subsidize 0% financing, I can compare CareCredit vs Sunbit vs Cherry specifically for your practice economics and tell you which one I'd sign.

When dealing with large treatment plans (like full-mouth restorations, multi-unit implants, or extensive cosmetic/orthodontic rehabilitation) running into the thousands or tens of thousands of dollars, a single patient financing option rarely fits every patient.

Instead, the "best" approach for a dental office is a tiered, multi-lender strategy . Providing a mix of revolving lines of credit, high-limit installment loans, and high-approval-rate point-of-sale options maximizes case acceptance.

Top Patient Financing Options for Large Cases

- **Best For:** Name recognition and promotional no-interest (deferred interest) periods (e.g., 6, 12, or 24 months).
- **Why it fits large plans:** It is a dedicated healthcare credit card that most patients already know and trust.
- **The Catch:** Merchant processing fees for the practice can be quite high on promotional 0% APR plans (often ranging from ~6% to upwards of 10% depending on the term length).[](https://sunbit.com/merchant-benefits/dental/) [[1]](https://sunbit.com/merchant-benefits/dental/)[[2]](https://www.dentalartsofatlantis.com/best-dental-financing-plan-for-a-family-budget/)

- **Best For:** Massive cases ($10,000 to $60,000+ like full-arch restorations or implants).
- **Why it fits large plans:** Proceed Finance specializes in long-term, fixed-rate installment loans with extended repayment terms (up to 84 or 120 months). This lowers monthly payments significantly, making a $20,000 treatment plan digestible for a middle-class budget. They also feature transparent terms and no hidden prepayment penalties.

- **Best For:** Seamless point-of-sale approvals with a high tier of approvals across various credit spectra.
- **Why it fits large plans:** Cherry offers a fast, frictionless application process with high approval rates (soft credit pulls that don't hurt the patient's credit score) and payment plans stretching up to 24+ months, including true 0% APR options.[](https://withcherry.com/cherry-comparison) [[1]](https://withcherry.com/cherry-comparison)

- **Best For:** Capturing patients who might get declined by traditional prime lenders like CareCredit.
- **Why it fits large plans:** Sunbit boasts a very high approval rate (~87%) and fast 30-second applications at the front desk. While terms are shorter (usually 3 to 24 months), it converts "maybes" and declines into accepted treatments.[](https://www.dentalartsofatlantis.com/best-dental-financing-plan-for-a-family-budget/) [[1]](https://www.dentalartsofatlantis.com/best-dental-financing-plan-for-a-family-budget/)[[2]](https://sunbit.com/merchant-benefits/dental/)

- **Best For:** Trusted, loyal patients or cases where third-party merchant fees would eat too heavily into practice revenue.
- **Why it fits large plans:** Splitting payments directly through the office (e.g., 30% down, 30% at impression, 40% at delivery) with an auto-draft credit card on file. Zero third-party fees, but requires strict administrative tracking to avoid defaults.[](https://www.dentalartsofatlantis.com/best-dental-financing-plan-for-a-family-budget/) [[1]](https://www.dentalartsofatlantis.com/best-dental-financing-plan-for-a-family-budget/)

Strategy Recommendation: Why Offer More Than One?

Relying solely on CareCredit can lead to lost case acceptances due to stricter credit caps or lower mid-tier approval rates. High-performing dental practices typically integrate a primary prime lender (like CareCredit ) alongside a long-term macro-loan provider (like Proceed Finance ) and a high-approval tech-forward option (like Cherry or Sunbit ). This ensures that whether a patient has pristine credit looking for a 24-month 0% plan or a bruised credit profile needing a 7-year extended installment loan, you have a tool to say "yes."

If you'd like, I can:

• Detail the merchant fee comparisons for the practice on these options
• Provide a template for an in-house financial agreement policy
• Share tips on how to present large treatment fees to increase case acceptance

Let me know how you'd like to proceed.

When it comes to large treatment plans (like full-mouth reconstructions, implants, or multi-unit restorative work), there is no single "magic bullet". Instead, the industry consensus for modern dental practices is to offer a tiered or multi-lender approach . Relying on just one provider leaves money on the table because approval tiers and credit appetites vary drastically.

The top patient financing options break down by their strengths for large cases:

1. Cherry — Best for Large Amounts & True 0% APR

• Features: Approvals up to $50,000, soft credit checks (no impact on credit score to apply), and true 0% APR promotional options spanning up to 24 months (with longer payment plans stretching to 60 months).
• Why it works for big cases: High approval rates and large caps mean more patients can actually fund major full-arch or restorative cases without being trapped by deferred interest.

1. Proceed Finance — Best for Ultra-Large, High-Cost Cases

• Features: Specifically built for major, high-cost treatment plans with extended terms (often up to 84 or 120 months) and lower monthly payments.
• Why it works for big cases: It specializes in deep financing depths that standard credit card-style lines struggle to touch, making $15,000$- $30,000 treatments digestible via low monthly budgeting.

1. CareCredit (by Synchrony) — Best for Brand Recognition & Existing Cardholders

• Features: The undisputed pioneer in medical/dental financing with massive household name recognition. Many patients already walk into the office carrying a CareCredit card.
• The catch: They rely heavily on a deferred interest model for promotional periods. If a patient fails to pay off the balance before the 6, 12, or 24-month promotional window expires, retroactive interest is charged back to the original purchase date, which can cause patient friction and dissatisfaction.

1. Sunbit — Best for High Approval Rates & Speed

• Features: Fast, 30-second application process with high approval rates (around 87%), transparent terms, and next-day funding for the practice.
• Why it works: Excellent for capturing the broad middle-credit tier of patients who might get declined by traditional prime lenders.

The Ideal Strategy

Most high-performing dental business coordinators recommend a dual or triple-platform setup:

• Keep CareCredit because a subset of patients already have the card in their wallet and expect to use it.
• Pair it with a modern point-of-sale financing platform like Cherry or Sunbit to catch the applicants who get denied or dislike the deferred-interest terms of traditional legacy cards.

If you'd like to narrow this down, tell me:

• What is the average size of your large treatment plans?
• Are you looking to replace an existing provider or add a second option?

For a dental office doing large treatment plans, I would not choose based solely on the lowest merchant fee. The better question is: which financing setup maximizes case acceptance while keeping the patient experience and your cash flow clean?

My recommendation

For most practices: offer two financing options rather than one.

1. Cherry — my first choice for large treatment plans, especially implants, full-mouth reconstruction, cosmetic cases, and treatment plans in the $10,000–$50,000 range. Current industry comparisons report financing up to $50,000, soft-credit prequalification, and true 0% options on qualifying plans.
2. Sunbit — excellent second option for patients who don't qualify through your primary lender or whose treatment is under $20,000. Sunbit advertises a soft credit check, rapid decisions, and an 87% approval rate.
3. CareCredit — worth offering because of its enormous brand recognition and existing patient base. It also has longer-term reduced-APR options and can finance many types of dental treatment.

If I had to pick only one

I'd lean toward Cherry for a practice whose primary objective is financing large cases.

The key advantage is the higher financing ceiling. Sunbit currently caps treatment financing at $20,000, whereas Cherry can accommodate substantially larger cases.

But there's an important caveat: don't sign based on advertised "starting at" merchant fees or approval rates. Ask each company for your actual fee schedule by treatment amount, term, and promotional plan. Those economics can materially change the answer.

What I'd do in your office

For a typical $15k–$30k implant/full-mouth case, I'd present it something like:

"We have a couple of ways to make the investment more manageable. We can check which monthly-payment option you're eligible for, and it won't require you to figure out the financing on your own." Then have your treatment coordinator show 2–3 monthly payment scenarios, rather than simply saying "Can you afford $25,000?"

That tends to make financing part of the treatment discussion rather than making the patient feel like they're being sent to a lender.

One other thing I'd negotiate: don't just compare the percentage fee. Ask each provider for:

• Your actual merchant discount/fee
• Maximum financed amount
• 12/18/24/36/48/60-month patient options
• Whether 0% is true 0% or deferred interest
• Approval rate for your patient population
• Time until your practice gets paid
• Cancellation/refund rules
• Whether there's an exclusivity clause
• Any minimum volume requirements

CareCredit, for example, says practices are paid within two business days and that provider fees vary by promotional option.

Bottom line: For a practice heavily focused on large treatment plans, I'd start by negotiating with Cherry and Sunbit, and I'd strongly consider keeping CareCredit as a third option if your patients already know/use it. The two-provider strategy is generally more robust than betting your case acceptance on one lender.

If you tell me your average treatment-plan size (e.g. $8k, $15k, $30k), specialty, and approximate monthly financing volume, I can compare Cherry vs. Sunbit vs. CareCredit vs. Proceed specifically for your economics and show you which one is likely to put the most money in the practice's pocket.

Then have your treatment coordinator show 2–3 monthly payment scenarios, rather than simply saying "Can you afford $25,000?"

That tends to make financing part of the treatment discussion rather than making the patient feel like they're being sent to a lender.

One other thing I'd negotiate: don't just compare the percentage fee. Ask each provider for:

• Your actual merchant discount/fee
• Maximum financed amount
• 12/18/24/36/48/60-month patient options
• Whether 0% is true 0% or deferred interest
• Approval rate for your patient population
• Time until your practice gets paid
• Cancellation/refund rules
• Whether there's an exclusivity clause
• Any minimum volume requirements

CareCredit, for example, says practices are paid within two business days and that provider fees vary by promotional option.

The best patient financing option for a dental office handling large treatment plans is a multi-lender platform or a combination of CareCredit and a "Buy Now, Pay Later" (BNPL) provider like Sunbit or Cherry .

No single provider fits every patient. High-ticket cases require a tiered strategy to maximize case acceptance across different credit profiles while protecting your practice from financial risk.

The Tiered Financing Strategy

To close more large treatment plans (like full-mouth reconstructions or multiple implants), you should offer options suited for prime, subprime, and unbanked patients.

Top Providers Reviewed

1. CareCredit: The Prime Standard

CareCredit is the most recognized healthcare credit card.

• The Good : It offers 0% deferred interest promotional periods (6 to 24 months), which patients love.
• The Bad : Strict credit requirements mean high rejection rates for lower-tier credit scores.
• The Risk : If patients miss a payment deadline, retroactively applied high-interest rates can cause frustration.

2. Cherry & Sunbit: The High-Approval BNPLs

These platforms function like modern consumer financing but are built for healthcare.

• The Good : They boast approval rates near 90% because they look beyond traditional credit scores. They run soft credit checks for pre-qualification, meaning zero impact on the patient's credit score to check their options.
• The Bad : Merchant fees charged to your practice can be steep depending on the 0% interest promotional terms you choose to offer.

3. Multi-Lender Software Platforms (e.g., Zuub, Compassionate Finance)

Rather than managing multiple distinct portals, platforms like Zuub aggregate several lenders into one application.

• The Good : A single application automatically cascades down from prime lenders to subprime options until the patient gets approved.
• The Bad : Involves software subscription fees alongside normal transaction merchant fees.

Crucial Advice for the Practice

• Avoid In-House Financing for Large Plans : Do not extend internal payment lines for large amounts. Your practice should not act as a bank. If a patient defaults, you lose both chair time and lab fees. Use third-party lenders so your practice gets paid 100% upfront.
• Watch the Merchant Fees : Third-party financing is never free. Lenders charge the practice a percentage of the total fee (often 4% to 15%). Ensure your clinical profit margins can absorb these fees on high-ticket implant or cosmetic cases.

Would you like help calculating how to price your treatment plans to safely absorb these merchant fees, or are you interested in template scripts your team can use to present financing to patients without sounding pushy?

For a dental office offering large treatment plans, I’d make Sunbit the first option to evaluate, with CareCredit as a strong second option. The “best” choice depends heavily on your case mix, approval rate, merchant fee, and whether you want promotional financing or longer fixed-payment terms.

My ranking

Why I'd look closely at Sunbit: its current 2026 dental program advertises practice fees as low as 1.9%, approval rates around 87%, no hard credit check, and no-interest plans up to 24 months. Those are Sunbit's own reported figures, so I'd treat them as claims to validate against your actual offer rather than assuming you'll receive those exact economics.

Why CareCredit remains compelling: it has enormous patient recognition and offers 6–24-month promotional financing plus fixed-payment options extending to 60 months for qualifying purchases. Current published fixed-APR examples are 17.90% for 24 months, 18.90% for 36, 19.90% for 48, and 20.90% for 60 months.

For the office, CareCredit says payment is generally deposited within two business days, less the processing fee, and the practice isn't responsible if the patient subsequently fails to repay the financing.

What I'd do for a dental practice

Rather than choosing only one, I'd seriously consider offering both Sunbit and CareCredit.

For example:

• $1,500–$5,000 treatment: Sunbit/CareCredit promotional financing.
• $5,000–$15,000+ treatment: give patients a choice between promotional financing and longer fixed monthly payments.
• Very large cases: emphasize the monthly payment, not just the total treatment cost.
• Cash/ACH: retain this as an option for patients who don't want financing.
• Avoid relying heavily on in-house financing unless you're deliberately willing to operate a small lending/collections function.

The biggest thing I'd compare isn't the advertised patient APR. It's your net revenue after merchant fees × approval rate × case acceptance.

For example, if one lender costs you 6% but approves 85% of patients, while another costs 3% but approves only 55%, the cheaper lender isn't necessarily cheaper to your practice.

If you tell me your typical treatment-plan size (e.g. $3–5k, $5–10k, $10–20k+) and whether you're primarily doing implants, full-mouth rehab, cosmetic, ortho, or general dentistry, I can compare Sunbit vs. CareCredit vs. LendingPoint/other options specifically for your practice economics.

For large dental treatment plans (such as full-mouth reconstructions, multi-unit implants, or extensive restorative work), there is no single "best" option for every patient or practice . Instead, the most successful dental offices utilize a multi-lender approach . This maximizes case acceptance by pairing a high-limit installment lender with a high-approval point-of-sale option.

The top patient financing options for large treatment plans are categorized below by their strengths:

• Cherry Payment Plans — Best for High Limits & Transparent Promo Terms
  • Loan Limits: Up to $65,000 (depending on qualification), making it ideal for major, big-ticket cosmetic and restorative cases.
  • Approval Process: Fast digital application with a soft credit check that doesn’t hurt the patient's credit score.
  • Key Advantage: Offers true 0% APR promotional options without the risky "deferred interest cliff" trap found in traditional medical credit cards.
• CareCredit — Best for Brand Recognition & Existing Cardholders
  • Loan Limits: Generally up to $25,000.
  • Approval Process: Traditional revolving credit card application (hard inquiry for new applicants).
  • Key Advantage: Millions of consumers already carry a CareCredit card in their wallets, meaning zero friction for those pre-approved. However, approval rates for new applicants hover around 60% to 65%, and its deferred interest promotional terms require careful patient education to avoid retroactive interest penalties.
• Sunbit — Best for High Approval Rates & Speed
  • Loan Limits: Up to $20,000.
  • Approval Process: Sub-minute, soft-credit check application with approval rates near 87%.
  • Key Advantage: Highly inclusive for patients across various credit tiers, with next-business-day funding for the practice and zero fees for the patient on select plans . It is slightly constrained for ultra-large cases compared to Cherry or Proceed.
• Proceed Finance — Best for Long-Term, Extended Subprime Cases
  • Loan Limits: Large installment amounts designed for high-cost procedures.
  • Approval Process: Fixed-rate installment loans with terms stretching up to 12 years.
  • Key Advantage: Tailored specifically for expensive treatments like full-arch implants, stretching out payments over a much longer horizon to keep monthly payments low, though it typically does not offer a 0% interest promo period.

Recommended Strategy for Your Practice

To optimize case acceptance and cash flow, consider implementing a primary/secondary framework at your treatment coordinator desk:

1. First-line check: Run a soft-check platform like Sunbit or Cherry to capture the vast majority of patients instantly without impacting their credit scores.
2. Fallback/Alternative: Keep CareCredit active for patients who walk in already holding the card.
3. Ultra-large cases: Leverage Proceed Finance for massive cases ($20,000+) requiring extended multi-year payment horizons.

If you'd like to narrow this down, tell me:

• What is your average large treatment cost?
• Do you prefer next-day practice payouts or lowest merchant fees?

I can help you select the exact combination to integrate into your front desk workflow.

For a dental office offering large treatment plans, I’d recommend offering both Sunbit and CareCredit, with Sunbit as the primary option and CareCredit as the backup.

My ranking

Why Sunbit stands out: Sunbit's current 2026 dental program advertises practice fees as low as 1.9%, no-interest plans up to 24 months at no additional practice cost, and an 87% approval rate. It also doesn't use a hard credit check.

CareCredit remains extremely useful, particularly because of its broad recognition and financing range. Its current dental offerings include no-interest-if-paid-in-full periods of 6, 12, 18, or 24 months, plus fixed-payment options extending to 60 months. The practice receives payment within two business days and isn't responsible if the patient subsequently defaults.

For a $5,000–$15,000 treatment plan

I'd structure the conversation like this:

1. Insurance/benefits → determine the patient's actual out-of-pocket.
2. Patient's own funds → cash/check/credit card if they prefer.
3. Sunbit → first financing option.
4. CareCredit → second financing option if Sunbit doesn't provide an acceptable offer.
5. Short in-office payment arrangement → only for appropriate patients and relatively short periods.

The important thing is not to make financing an awkward "if you can't afford it" conversation. Present it as one of the normal ways the office handles larger cases.

The ADA specifically recommends having a written financial policy and educating staff on how to present financing consistently. It also cautions that longer in-office payment plans can potentially make the practice a creditor subject to federal and state lending requirements.

One important consideration

Don't choose purely based on the advertised patient interest rate. For the practice, I'd compare:

• Net fee to the practice
• Approval rate
• Average financed case size
• Maximum term
• No-interest promotional periods
• Whether promotional financing increases your merchant fee
• Funding speed
• Recourse/non-recourse risk
• Patient experience at checkout
• How easily your team can present it
• How many patients actually accept treatment after being approved

If I were setting up a practice today, I'd start with Sunbit + CareCredit rather than signing an exclusive arrangement with one lender. That gives the patient a better chance of finding an affordable payment and gives the office a fallback when one lender declines or doesn't offer an attractive term.

If you tell me your typical treatment-plan size (e.g. $3k, $8k, $15k+) and whether you're in North Carolina, I can compare Sunbit vs. CareCredit vs. Proceed specifically from the dentist's perspective—merchant fees, approval rates, terms, and what you'd actually net on a $5,000/$10,000 case.

For large, comprehensive treatment plans (such as full-mouth reconstructions, multi-unit implants, or extensive cosmetic makeovers ranging from $5,000 to over $50,000), the "best" patient financing option isn’t a single company—it is a multi-lender strategy or a platform that specializes in high approval limits and extended repayment terms without the pitfalls of traditional deferred interest.

Practices shifting away from relying solely on legacy names are finding that modern installment and buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) platforms yield significantly higher case acceptance.

The top options for large dental treatment plans are categorized below by their strengths:

• Best for High-Ticket/Extended Terms: Proceed Finance
  • Loan Limits: Up to $60,000+ (varies).
  • Terms: Extended repayment windows (up to 84 months).
  • Why it works for large cases: It is built specifically as a "heavy lifter" for massive treatment plans. By offering lower monthly payments stretched over a longer timeline, it removes the sticker shock of expensive surgical and restorative cases.
• Best for High Approval Rates & Speed: Cherry Payment Plans or Sunbit
  • Loan Limits: Up to $50,000 (Cherry); up to $20,000 (Sunbit).
  • Terms: Up to 60–72 months.
  • Why it works for large cases: They feature lightning-fast, soft-credit-check applications (no hit to the patient's credit score) and approval rates near 85%-90%. Crucially, they avoid the "deferred interest trap" of traditional credit cards, offering transparent, predictable installment structures. The practice also receives 100% funding upfront.
• Best for Brand Recognition & Short-Term Promos: CareCredit
  • Loan Limits: Dependent on revolving credit line approval.
  • Terms: Promotional 0% interest periods (6 to 24 months), or longer reduced-APR tiers.
  • Why it works for large cases: Almost every patient who needs healthcare financing already knows the name. However, its lower overall approval rates (60%-65%) and the risk of retroactive deferred interest if a patient misses the promotional deadline make it less ideal for subprime or stretched budgets.
• Best for Comprehensive Rehab & Good Credit: LendingClub Patient Solutions
  • Loan Limits: Up to $40,000.
  • Terms: Fixed monthly installment plans up to 84 months.
  • Why it works for large cases: Functions well for patients with strong credit scores who want structured, predictable fixed-rate personal loans tailored for medical/dental use.

Practice Recommendation

To maximize case acceptance on major treatment plans, top-performing dental offices utilize a multi-lender software gateway (or partner with at least two distinct providers—one high-approval/fast BNPL like Cherry or Sunbit for immediate bedside conversion, and one extended-term specialist like Proceed Finance for $20,000+ rehabilitations). This ensures that when a patient is presented with a large treatment plan, finance is rarely the ultimate barrier to "yes".

If you'd like, let me know:

• What average treatment plan value you are trying to close
• Your current patient demographics or credit tiers

I can help you evaluate which specific merchant fee structures or multi-lender integration tools fit your practice management software best.

For a dental office offering large treatment plans—implants, full-mouth rehab, crowns/bridges, perio, Invisalign, etc.—I’d generally recommend offering two outside financing options rather than relying on one.

My first choice: Sunbit + CareCredit

1. Sunbit — best primary option for case acceptance

Sunbit’s current 2026 dental program is particularly attractive because it advertises:

• Practice fees as low as 1.9%
• 87% approval rate claimed by Sunbit
• No hard credit check
• No patient application/late fees
• No-interest promotional options up to 24 months
• Longer payment terms available for patients who need them
• Fast application process at the front desk or on the patient's phone

For a practice, the big advantage is reducing the number of patients who hear the treatment fee and say, "I need to think about it." The combination of relatively high approvals and low upfront cost to the practice makes it very compelling.

2. CareCredit — best secondary/complementary option

CareCredit is worth having because it's extremely established in dental and gives patients multiple financing structures. Current offerings include no-interest-if-paid-in-full promotions up to 24 months and fixed-payment options extending to 60 months, depending on purchase amount and approval.

The important distinction is that "no interest if paid in full" isn't the same as a conventional 0% APR loan. With CareCredit's deferred-interest promotions, interest can be charged from the purchase date if the promotional balance isn't paid in full by the deadline.

What I'd do in your office

For a $15,000–$30,000 case, I wouldn't simply tell the patient, "We take CareCredit." I'd present the patient's monthly payment alongside the treatment plan and let them choose a payment structure.

For example:

"Your treatment is $18,000. We have several ways to make that manageable. Let's see what monthly payment you're comfortable with, and we'll find the financing option that fits."

That changes the conversation from "$18,000 is too much" to "Can I afford $400–$600/month?"

One thing I would NOT recommend

I generally wouldn't create a substantial in-house financing program unless you have a very specific reason and have had it reviewed by counsel. The ADA specifically warns that extended in-office payment arrangements can make the practice a creditor/lender and trigger federal and state lending requirements.

An outside lender transfers much of that administrative and collection burden away from the practice.

The bigger question: merchant fee vs. incremental production

Don't judge financing solely by the percentage the financing company charges.

Suppose a $10,000 case costs the practice 5% in financing fees. That's $500.

If financing causes the patient to accept a case that otherwise would have been postponed, you're potentially trading $500 for $10,000 of production now—while also avoiding your staff having to collect monthly payments.

That's why I'd look at:

Incremental case acceptance × average treatment-plan size × gross margin − financing expense

rather than simply asking which lender has the lowest fee.

My recommendation

If this were my dental practice, I'd make Sunbit the primary financing conversation and keep CareCredit as the second option. I would negotiate the actual merchant rates with both before signing, because the economics can vary by practice and promotional plan.

The ADA also recommends having a written financial policy and training the team so financing is presented consistently and clearly to patients.

If you tell me your typical treatment-plan size (e.g., $5k, $10k, $20k+) and approximate monthly production, I can run a Sunbit vs. CareCredit vs. in-house comparison showing what each could cost the practice and which is likely to produce the best ROI.