The Fees & Finance Page Dentists Need: Clear, Compliant, and Conversion‑Friendly
Introduction: Why Your Fees & Finance Page Matters More Than You Think
For UK dentists, GP practices and other healthcare providers, the fees and finance page is one of the most visited parts of the website. Patients arrive there with three urgent questions:
- Can I afford this?
- How does payment/finance work?
- What do I do next?
If your page answers those questions clearly, quickly and confidently, you get fewer phone calls, fewer abandoned enquiries, and more patients booking online.
This article sets out a practical blueprint for a clear, compliant and conversion‑friendly fees & finance page for UK healthcare providers, with a strong focus on:
- Structure that reduces calls
- Finance explainers that reassure (and meet FCA expectations where relevant)
- Sensible, legally aware disclaimers
- Smart treatment linking
- Conversion‑optimised calls to action (CTAs)
- Page speed and Core Web Vitals (LCP/INP/CLS) – and why they directly affect trust and bookings
Although examples draw heavily from dental practices, the principles apply equally to private GP, physio, optical, and other independent healthcare providers in the UK.
The Core Job of a Fees & Finance Page
What Patients Need From This Page
A strong fees & finance page should enable a patient to:
- Understand typical costs
- Understand what affects final price
- See what’s NHS vs private (where relevant)
- See exactly how finance or payment plans work
- Know which treatments are included or excluded
- Take the next step (book/submit an enquiry) with confidence
If they can’t do all of that on the page, they will either call (adding admin load) or give up and go elsewhere.
Key Outcomes for the Practice
A well‑designed page should:
- Reduce “How much is X?” and “Do you do finance?” calls
- Increase online bookings or enquiry forms
- Reduce complaints around “I didn’t realise it would cost that much”
- Support FCA‑compliant finance promotion where applicable
- Improve accessibility and WCAG alignment
Structuring Your Fees & Finance Page to Reduce Calls
A Simple, Predictable Layout
Aim for a layout that mirrors the questions in your patients’ minds: 1. High‑level reassurance 2. Clear prices (NHS and/or private) 3. Finance and payment options 4. Key disclaimers and conditions 5. FAQs and next steps Suggested structure
- Brief introduction: who the page is for and what it covers
- Summary of fee approach: transparent, personalised, no hidden costs
- NHS fees section (if applicable)
- Private fee guide by treatment category
- Finance options section (0% / interest‑bearing, membership plans, etc.)
- “How it works” explainer for finance and payments
- Clear, plain‑English disclaimers
- FAQs to handle common edge cases
- Strong CTAs (book / enquire) throughout
Example: Reducing Calls With Smart Microcopy
Instead of:
“Call for prices”
“Prices vary”
Use:
“Most new patient consultations cost from £X–£Y. After your assessment, we’ll give you a personalised, written treatment plan and fixed quote before you decide.”
This kind of phrasing:
- Sets expectations
- Reduces “price shock”
- Makes it less likely patients will call just to ask “roughly how much?”
Why Speed = Trust & Bookings
How Page Speed Affects Patient Behaviour
Patients coming to a fees page are often anxious and time‑pressured. Slow pages create:
- A perception of disorganisation or “old‑fashioned” care
- Higher bounce rates – especially from mobile
- Fewer completed form submissions or bookings
In healthcare, that trust hit matters more than in, say, e‑commerce. A snappy page signals that your practice is:
- Technically competent
- Respectful of people’s time
- Modern and well‑run
The Trust–Speed Link in Healthcare
When a fees page loads quickly and behaves predictably:
- Patients feel more confident sharing personal and financial details
- They’re more likely to complete online forms or submit finance enquiries
- They’re less likely to abandon the journey and ring instead “just to be safe”
For practices pushing online booking and digital registration, speed is directly tied to conversion.
Run the Mobile Test First
Why Mobile Comes Before Desktop
Most patients check healthcare sites on their phone:
- On the way to work
- While in a waiting room
- After talking to family in the evening
So design and test your fees & finance experience mobile‑first. Practical checks
- Use tools like PageSpeed Insights or Lighthouse in Chrome to test mobile performance first.
- Physically test on multiple devices (older Android, smaller iPhone) – not just a big, new phone.
- Check finance widgets, calculators and PDFs on mobile – these are common break points.
Mobile UX Essentials for Fees & Finance
On a phone, aim for:
- Short, scannable sections
- Clear headings and plenty of white space
- Font sizes large enough for easy reading
- Buttons at least 44px high, with enough spacing to avoid mis‑taps
- Sticky or frequent CTAs (“Book now”, “Ask about finance”) that don’t obscure text
Make sure tap targets for phone numbers and email addresses work correctly. Patients on mobile often want to switch between self‑service and “just call” seamlessly.
Interpreting LCP, INP and CLS for Healthcare Sites
Core Web Vitals matter because they directly affect perceived quality, and Google uses them as ranking signals.
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
- What it is: How long it takes the largest content block (usually hero text/image) to load.
- Target: Under 2.5 seconds on mobile.
- On a fees page: Often the big banner, large images of the team, or a hero finance panel.
If your LCP is slow, patients see a blank or half‑loaded page exactly when they’re most anxious about cost.
Quick wins
- Compress and resize hero images (you rarely need full‑screen, 4000px‑wide photos here).
- Avoid heavy sliders at the top of the page.
- Use modern image formats (e.g. WebP) and lazy‑load non‑critical images further down. Interaction to Next Paint (INP)
- What it is: How quickly the page responds when a user interacts (clicks a button, taps a link).
- Target: Under 200 ms for a “good” experience.
- On a fees page: Buttons for “Book now”, “Apply for finance”, “View full price list”, accordion FAQs.
If INP is poor, a patient taps “Apply for finance” and nothing seems to happen. That creates distrust right at the moment they’re asked to commit. Quick wins
- Minimise heavy JavaScript (particularly from chat widgets and third‑party booking tools).
- Avoid stacking multiple marketing scripts (analytics, heatmaps) on high‑intention pages.
- Make sure finance widgets are well‑integrated and not blocking main thread.
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
- What it is: How much elements move around as the page loads.
- Target: Less than 0.1.
- On a fees page: Shifting price tables, moving buttons, banners loading late.
High CLS is especially dangerous in healthcare:
- If a “Book now” button jumps just as someone taps, they may click something else (like a finance link or external provider) and lose trust.
- Patients with motor or visual impairments can struggle with shifting layouts, breaching WCAG principles of operability and predictability.
Quick wins
- Always specify image sizes so space is reserved during loading.
- Avoid inserting banners or cookie notices above content after load.
- Lock table and price layouts so they don’t reflow unpredictably.
Usual Speed Killers on Fees & Finance Pages
Sliders, Carousels and Animation
While they might look “premium”, sliders are some of the worst offenders for LCP and CLS:
- Multiple large images
- Heavy JavaScript
- Moving text that is hard to read for some users (and poor for accessibility)
On a fees page, sliders rarely add value. Consider replacing carousels with:
- A single, well‑chosen image
- Static highlights (e.g. “0% finance available” next to “Typical prices from £X”)
- A short bullet list of key benefits
Heavy Fonts and Over‑Designed Text
Custom fonts and large icon sets add weight and slow rendering:
- Limit to 1–2 font families and a small set of weights.
- Use system fonts where possible for body text, especially on content‑heavy pages like fees/finance.
- Minimise use of icon fonts when SVG icons or simple text can do the job.
A fast, legible, calm page will reassure patients far more than fancy typography.
What “Fixed” Looks Like: A Before/After View
Before: Common Problems
Imagine a typical underperforming fees & finance page:
- 5–7 second load time on mobile
- Carousel hero with three large images
- Finance details buried in PDFs or tiny print
- Vague text: “We offer flexible finance – ask reception”
- No clear explanation of what 0% means, who the credit provider is, or eligibility
- One weak CTA at the bottom: “Contact us for more information”
Patients respond by:
- Calling “just for a rough idea”
- Abandoning the page when the finance PDF doesn’t open well on their phone
- Being surprised by credit checks or minimum spends
After: Characteristics of a “Fixed” Page
A “fixed” fees & finance page for a UK dental or GP practice will: Clarity
- Show a simple fee table with “from” prices and clear NHS vs private distinctions.
- Use short, plain‑English explanations of what affects the final cost.
- Include a short “How our pricing works” section near the top.
Finance Explainer
-
Summarise key finance options (e.g. 0% over 12 months; interest‑bearing options up to 60 months).
-
Clearly state that finance is subject to status and provided by a named, FCA‑authorised lender or partner.
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Outline application steps: when patients apply, what information is needed, what happens if they are declined. Speed & UX
-
Loads in under 2.5 seconds on mobile.
-
Has no sliders; just one static banner.
-
Finance widgets and calculators load quickly and are easy to use on small screens.
Accessibility & WCAG Alignment
-
Clear heading hierarchy (H1 > H2/H3/H4).
-
High contrast text on backgrounds.
-
Links and buttons with descriptive labels (e.g. “Apply for 0% finance” instead of “Click here”).
-
No text embedded in images as the only way of displaying important information. Calls to Action
-
Short, repeated CTAs in context:
- Under the fee table: “Book a consultation”
- Below the finance explainer: “Ask our team about finance”
- Near FAQs: “Still unsure? Send us your question”
Writing a Finance Explainer That Reassures (and Complies)
What Patients Worry About
Most patients don’t want a lecture on APR. They want to know:
- Will this make treatment genuinely more affordable?
- What happens if my circumstances change?
- Is this a trusted, regulated finance product?
- Are there any hidden catches?
Core Elements of a Strong Finance Explainer
Headline reassurance
-
“Spread the cost of your treatment with monthly payments”
-
“0% and low‑interest options available, subject to status” Simple, concrete examples
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“Example: £3,000 treatment over 12 months = 12 payments of £250. 0% APR representative. Subject to status. Full terms and conditions apply.”
Clear process
-
“How it works”
-
After your consultation, we confirm your treatment plan and cost.
-
If you’d like to use finance, our team will send you a secure online application.
-
You get an instant decision in most cases.
-
Once approved, you sign the agreement electronically and we can usually start treatment straight away. Eligibility and checks
-
Outline basic criteria in plain English:
- Minimum/maximum loan amounts
- Age and residency requirements
- That finance is subject to credit and affordability checks
Who provides the finance
- Clearly name the finance provider and note that they are authorised and regulated by the FCA (using their official wording, not a paraphrase you invented).
This builds reassurance and reduces “Is this safe?” phone calls.
Sensible, Legally Aware Disclaimers
Why Disclaimers Matter
In the UK, healthcare providers offering or promoting patient finance must be careful about:
- FCA regulations on consumer credit promotion
- Advertising standards (CAP Code)
- Being transparent that fees are indicative until a clinical assessment is carried out
Disclaimers should not be scary; their role is to:
- Clarify that prices are guides
- Clarify that finance is credit, with conditions
- Set boundaries on what the practice can promise on the website
Practical Disclaimer Examples
For indicative pricing
- “All fees shown are guides only. You will receive a personalised treatment plan and cost estimate after your clinical assessment.”
For NHS vs private
-
“NHS charges are set nationally in bands and may change each year. Private fees are set by the practice and reflect the complexity and time involved in your treatment.” For finance
-
“Credit is subject to status and affordability checks. Terms and conditions apply. Finance is arranged through [Provider Name], authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.”
For changes and updates
- “We make every effort to keep this page up to date, but fees and finance options may change. We will confirm all costs with you before you commit to any treatment or finance agreement.”
Keep disclaimers close to the content they relate to, not tucked in a tiny footer that patients will never see.
Linking to the Right Treatments (Without Overwhelming Users)
Help Patients Join the Dots
Patients often land on your fees & finance page from Google without having seen specific treatment pages. Use this page to:
-
Introduce key treatment categories
-
Link to focused pages for people who want more clinical detail Treatment linking tips
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Group fees into logical categories: check‑ups, hygiene, restorative, cosmetic, orthodontics.
-
For each group, add a short description and a link:
- “Braces and aligners – from £X. Learn more about orthodontic options.”
- “Dental implants – from £X. See our implant page for full details.”
This lets cost‑sensitive patients skim prices while giving “research mode” patients a clear path to deeper information.
Cross‑Page Consistency
Ensure that:
- Pricing claims on treatment pages match the ranges shown on the fees page.
- Finance references are consistent (same providers, term lengths, and wording).
- CTAs on treatment pages cross‑link logically to the fees & finance page (e.g. “See example costs and finance options”).
This consistency reduces confusion and follow‑up calls.
Conversion CTAs Done Right
Where to Place CTAs
On a fees & finance page, CTAs should feel like a natural next step, not a hard sell. Place them:
- Near the top: “Book an appointment to get a personalised quote”
- Under fee tables: “Book a new patient consultation”
- After the finance explainer: “Ask us about using finance for your treatment”
- At the end: “Ready to get started? Book online or send us your question.”
What Your CTAs Should Say
Avoid generic labels like “Submit” or “Click here”. Use clear, outcome‑focused text:
- “Book a consultation”
- “Request a finance illustration”
- “Ask a question about fees”
- “Check if this treatment is right for me”
For accessibility, ensure:
- Buttons have sufficient colour contrast
- The button text makes sense on its own (for screen readers)
- You don’t rely solely on colour to distinguish CTAs from other elements
Minimising Form Friction
Because cost is a sensitive topic, patients will abandon if forms feel onerous or intrusive. On a fees page, keep forms:
- Short: name, contact details, and a simple free‑text field (“How can we help?”)
- Transparent: explain how you’ll use their data and how quickly you’ll respond
- Optional for finance: let patients ask questions about finance without committing to apply.
Key Takeaways
- A strong fees & finance page answers the questions “How much?”, “How does payment work?” and “What next?” without the patient needing to call.
- Page speed and Core Web Vitals (LCP, INP, CLS) are not just technical metrics – they directly influence trust and conversion, especially on mobile.
- Avoid heavy sliders and unnecessary fonts; prioritise speed, clarity, and accessibility in line with WCAG guidelines.
- A clear, plain‑English finance explainer with transparent examples, provider details and eligibility information reassures patients and supports UK regulatory expectations.
- Sensible disclaimers should clarify that prices are indicative, NHS and private fees differ, and finance is credit subject to status.
- Linking to key treatment pages from your fees & finance page helps patients connect cost with clinical information without feeling overwhelmed.
- Conversion‑friendly CTAs, placed contextually and written in patient‑friendly language, gently guide users towards booking or enquiring.
Conclusion & Next Steps
To build or improve your fees & finance page:
-
Audit your current page
- How long does it take to load on a mid‑range mobile?
- Can a new visitor answer “How much, how does it work, what next?” within 30 seconds?
- Are prices, finance details and disclaimers clear and consistent across the site? 2. Fix the fundamentals
- Remove sliders and reduce heavy fonts.
- Optimise images and scripts to improve LCP, INP and CLS.
- Ensure headings, contrast and CTAs are WCAG‑aligned.
-
Rewrite for clarity and reassurance
- Add indicative fee tables with short explanations.
- Create a concise finance explainer with concrete examples and named providers.
- Add clear, calm disclaimers next to relevant content.
-
Connect journeys and conversions
- Link from the fees page to major treatment pages (and back again).
- Add clear, accessible CTAs to book, enquire or request finance information at logical moments.
- Keep forms short and transparent.
By treating your fees & finance page as a critical part of the patient journey—not a legal afterthought—you can reduce phone pressure on your team, support compliance, and help more patients move confidently from “Can I afford this?” to “I’ve booked my appointment.”