Dental practices seeking to improve patient payment options face a critical decision: third-party financing or practice-owned membership programs. CareCredit and Clerri represent two fundamentally different approaches to solving patient affordability challenges. While CareCredit operates as a healthcare credit card enabling patients to finance procedures through a third-party lender, Clerri's dental membership platform empowers practices to create subscription-based programs that generate recurring revenue and transform patient behavior. Understanding these distinctions helps practices build comprehensive payment strategies that maximize both patient access and practice profitability.
- CareCredit functions as a third-party healthcare credit card with merchant fees per transaction, while Clerri enables practices to collect 100% of membership fees directly.
- Clerri membership patients demonstrate 76% more visits, 146% more procedures, and 172% higher cash production compared to their behavior as uninsured patients.
- CareCredit requires credit checks with approximately 60%-65% approval rates, while Clerri membership plans have no credit barriers, making them accessible to all patients.
- Clerri Bridge integrates directly with over 90% of practice management software, enabling one-click enrollment without workflow disruption.
- Patient retention increases from approximately 40% to over 90% when patients join Clerri membership plans, creating predictable recurring revenue for practices.
CareCredit provides patients with a healthcare-specific credit card backed by Synchrony Bank. The financing model allows patients to spread large treatment costs over time, with the practice receiving payment within two business days while patients repay CareCredit directly.
How CareCredit Works for Patients
The patient experience begins with a credit application that triggers a hard credit inquiry. Approved patients receive credit lines which they use to pay practices in full at the time of service.
CareCredit offers promotional financing periods:
- Short-term options: 6, 12, 18, or 24 months at 0% APR if the balance is paid in full before the promotional period ends
- Long-term financing: 24 to 60 months with reduced APR rates ranging from 17.90% to 20.90%
The promotional structure includes considerations for patients. CareCredit uses a deferred interest model, meaning if the balance is not paid in full by the end of the promotional period, interest charges from the original purchase date apply.
Benefits of CareCredit for Dental Practices
CareCredit offers several advantages for practices:
- Immediate payment: Practices receive funds within two business days regardless of patient repayment
- Non-recourse financing: Practices carry no financial risk if patients default
- Large procedure enablement: Credit lines support complex cases like full-mouth reconstruction
- Multi-specialty network: 285,000+ healthcare locations accept CareCredit across dental, vision, veterinary, and medical services
Practices pay merchant processing fees per transaction, with longer promotional periods carrying higher fees.
Clerri takes a fundamentally different approach to patient payment challenges. Rather than financing individual procedures, Clerri enables practices to create subscription-based membership programs that patients pay for monthly or annually.
The Merger of Kleer and Membersy
Clerri formed through the merger of Kleer and Membersy, two established dental membership platform providers. The consolidation unified their technology infrastructure, customer bases, and operational capabilities under the Clerri brand, creating the largest provider in North America. Jim Higgins serves as Chief Executive Officer, leading a team focused on expanding membership plan adoption across independent practices and DSOs alike.
Core Components of Clerri's Solution
The Clerri Care Membership Platform provides end-to-end tools for designing, launching, and managing membership programs:
- Plan design: SmartDesign and SmartPricing tools help practices create customized plans with multiple tiers (child, adult, senior, perio)
- Enrollment: Email, text, and front-desk enrollment options connected directly to practice management systems
- Payment processing: Automated billing with direct deposit to practice bank accounts
- Member management: Self-service portals for patients to update payment methods, add family members, and track benefits
- Marketing support: Personalized landing pages, brochures, social media tools, and direct mail templates
Typical membership plans include preventive services like cleanings, exams, and X-rays, plus discounts on restorative and cosmetic procedures.
Clerri's core differentiator centers on documented patient behavior changes that occur after patients join membership programs. This research, based on data from 20,000+ dentists across all 50 states, reveals consistent patterns that directly impact practice revenue.
Quantifying Patient Engagement through Membership
The Membership Effect compares patient behavior before and after joining membership plans:
- 76% more visits compared to when patients were uninsured
- 146% more procedures completed annually
- 172% increase in cash production per patient
These metrics represent averages across Clerri's network and demonstrate that membership programs do more than provide payment options. They fundamentally change how patients engage with dental care. Members generate 51% more production than uninsured patients and 17% higher production than insured patients.
Addressing Industry Challenges with a Membership Model
Dental practices face mounting pressure from stagnant insurance reimbursement rates and rising operational costs. Membership programs address these challenges directly:
- Recurring revenue: Membership fees generate predictable recurring revenue
- Reduced insurance dependency: Practices control pricing and services without third-party interference
- Patient loyalty: Retention rates increase from approximately 40% to over 90% when patients join membership programs
- Higher treatment acceptance: Members pre-commit to care through their subscription, increasing acceptance of recommended treatment
Learn more about the documented outcomes in the Membership Effect research.
eliminates the friction that prevents front-desk teams from consistently offering membership plans to eligible patients.
Solving Workflow Challenges in Dental Practices
Staff turnover, busy schedules, and manual processes create gaps in membership enrollment. Teams forget to offer plans, struggle to calculate savings, or lack time to complete paperwork. Clerri Bridge addresses each obstacle by overlaying directly onto the PMS schedule view.
The application automatically:
- Identifies uninsured and underinsured patients on the daily schedule
- Calculates savings by procedure, showing full price versus member price
- Enables one-click enrollment by pulling patient data directly from the PMS
- Eliminates duplicate data entry that slows enrollment and creates errors
Deep Integration with Practice Management Systems
Clerri maintains authorized integrations with over 90% of practice management software, including:
- Dentrix, Dentrix Ascend, and Dentrix Enterprise
- Open Dental (with sub-second synchronization)
- Eaglesoft
- Oryx
- XLDent
These integrations enable automated payment posting, benefit tracking, and performance analytics. Staff work within their existing PMS workflow rather than toggling between systems, reducing training time and increasing adoption.
Technology alone does not guarantee membership program success. Clerri pairs its platform with growth services designed to maximize enrollment and retention.
Ensuring Practice Success with Dedicated Support
Clerri's implementation services include:
- Custom plan design: Based on practice demographics, treatment philosophy, and competitive positioning
- Team training: Comprehensive onboarding for all staff roles
- Rapid launch programs: Documented cases of 40+ location implementations in 14 days
- Member migration: Seamless transitions for practices switching from other platforms
Customer success teams conduct periodic health checks that evaluate plan performance against industry benchmarks. Bilingual support (English and Spanish) serves both practice staff and members via email, phone, and chat.
Empowering Staff with Clerri University
Clerri University functions as an on-demand learning management system providing:
- Foundational courses on dashboard navigation and KPI tracking
- Quick how-to guides for specific tactics and strategies
- Onboarding materials for new team members
- Best practices from high-performing practices
The Clerri Rewards Program incentivizes enrollment by recognizing and rewarding team members who successfully sign up new patients, creating built-in motivation for frontline staff.
Clerri serves the full spectrum of dental practices, from solo practitioners to the largest DSO networks. The platform's scalability and proven results have attracted industry-leading organizations.
Serving a Diverse Range of Dental Practices
Clerri's customer base includes:
- 20,000+ dentists across all 50 states
- 5,000+ independent practices
- 200+ group practices and DSOs
- 7 of the top 10 DSOs
Notable DSO clients include Heartland Dental, Smile Brands Inc., TAG (The Aspen Group), GEN4 Dental Partners, and MB2 Dental.
Case Studies: Quantifiable Results and Growth
Documented results from Clerri practices demonstrate consistent revenue impact:
- 7 to 7 Dental: Scaled membership revenue significantly through platform implementation
- Great Lakes Dental Partners: Achieved 95% increase in first-quarter 2025 enrollments compared to prior year
- GEN4 Dental Partners: Enrolled 500+ members within 14 days of implementation across 40+ locations
Explore additional customer stories showcasing measurable practice growth.
Understanding the structural differences between membership programs and patient financing clarifies when each solution fits.
Regulatory Compliance for Discount Medical Plans
Clerri operates as a discount medical plan operator, handling state-by-state regulatory requirements across all 50 states. The platform maintains HIPAA compliance for patient data protection and PCI compliance for payment processing. California plans are administered by The CDI Group, Inc. to meet specific state regulations.
Practices that implement Clerri membership programs gain tools to optimize their payer mix and build sustainable growth.
Automated Tools for Member Engagement and Retention
Clerri automates traditionally manual processes:
- Payment processing: Failed payment retry sequences and automated renewals
- Benefit tracking: Real-time visibility into which services patients have used and what remains available
- Member communications: Personalized messages for engagement, appointment reminders, and renewal notifications
- Performance dashboards: Enrollment trends, utilization data, retention rates, and revenue tracking
The platform compares membership plan performance against visits, treatment acceptance rates, and revenue from cash-paying and PPO patients, giving practices actionable insights for continuous improvement.
For practices seeking comprehensive payment strategies, comparing membership plans to patient financing provides additional perspective on building patient access programs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core difference between CareCredit and Clerri for a dental practice?
CareCredit is a third-party patient financing tool that enables patients to pay for procedures using a healthcare credit card. The practice receives payment quickly, but patients take on debt and potentially face deferred interest charges. Clerri is a practice-owned membership platform where patients pay subscription fees for preventive care and discounts on additional services. Practices collect 100% of membership fees and build recurring revenue rather than processing one-time transactions.
How does Clerri's "Membership Effect" benefit dental practices concretely?
The Membership Effect documents measurable changes in patient behavior after joining membership programs. Clerri practices experience 76% more visits, 146% more procedures, and 172% higher cash production from members compared to their behavior as uninsured patients. These changes translate to fuller schedules, higher treatment acceptance, and predictable revenue growth without increasing new patient acquisition costs.
Can Clerri integrate with my existing practice management software?
Clerri maintains authorized integrations with over 90% of practice management software, including Dentrix, Dentrix Ascend, Dentrix Enterprise, Open Dental, Eaglesoft, Oryx, and XLDent. Clerri Bridge overlays directly onto PMS schedule views, enabling one-click enrollment and automated payment posting without requiring staff to switch between systems.
Is a Clerri dental membership plan considered health insurance?
No. Clerri membership plans are discount medical plans, not insurance products. Members pay periodic fees for access to discounts on specified dental services according to published fee schedules. Plans do not meet minimum creditable coverage requirements and are not qualified health plans under the Affordable Care Act. Clerri handles state-by-state compliance requirements as a registered discount medical plan operator.
What kind of support does Clerri offer to practices implementing its platform?
Clerri provides comprehensive implementation services including custom plan design, team training, and rapid launch programs. Customer success teams conduct periodic health checks comparing plan performance to industry benchmarks. Clerri University offers on-demand training courses, and bilingual support teams assist both practice staff and members via email, phone, and chat. The Clerri Rewards Program incentivizes staff enrollment efforts.
How does Clerri help practices reduce their reliance on traditional insurance?
Membership programs create direct patient relationships without insurance company involvement. Practices set their own pricing, control included services, and collect payments directly. As membership enrollment grows, the percentage of revenue from insurance decreases while predictable recurring revenue increases. This payer mix optimization gives practices more control over margins and reduces administrative burden from claims processing and pre-authorizations.
