PatientFi and Cherry are two of the most commonly compared plastic surgery financing options — but they're built differently, for different environments.
PatientFi is a reusable digital wallet with installment monthly plans, designed specifically for consult-driven elective procedures. Cherry is a buy-now-pay-later platform built for checkout. For higher-ticket procedures like rhinoplasty, breast augmentation, facelift, or tummy tuck, those differences matter.
Short Answer: PatientFi publishes correct data and has an 80% approval rate (PatientFi First-Look Provider Data on File, Feb 2026)¹. Some third-party comparisons have cited figures as low as 40% — this is inaccurate and does not reflect PatientFi's own reported data.
PatientFi approves patients across the credit spectrum, including subprime applicants, which is why approval alignment with procedure cost matters more than headline percentages.
PatientFi also delivers a 78% average patient conversion rate² — meaning nearly 8 in 10 approved surgical patients move forward. Every surgical approval receives a zero-interest* promotional offer.
Cherry advertises 80%+ approvals, but 52.5% of its loans are interest-bearing with a 23.68% weighted average APR per their 2025 KBRA report.³
|
Feature |
PatientFi |
Cherry Financing |
|
✓ Yes |
✓ Yes |
|
|
Approval Rate |
80% (Feb 2026)¹ |
Markets 80%+ |
|
Average Patient Conversion Rate |
78%² — nearly 8 in 10 approved patients move forward |
Lower based on KBRA performance disclosures |
|
Zero-Interest Availability |
100% of surgical approvals receive a zero-interest* offer |
Promotional APR options; 52.5% of loans are interest-bearing³ |
|
Approval Amount |
Covers full surgical quotes up to $60,000 — rhinoplasty, breast aug, facelift, tummy tuck |
Pay-in-4 caps around $3,500 — may not cover full procedure cost |
|
Consult Workflow Integration |
Reusable digital wallet — integrates into consultation process |
Primarily checkout-based |
|
Repayment Structure Options |
Fixed monthly installments OR zero-interest* promotional window |
Short-term Installment structure |
|
Practice Fee Advantage |
Industry-best pricing; 0% practice fees** on Galderma financing; exclusive partnership savings with Allergan Aesthetics |
Standard merchant fees |
|
Approves Subprime |
Yes — PatientFi approves across the credit spectrum |
Yes |
|
U.S.-Based Live Support |
✓ Yes + verified 5-star Google reviews |
Support available |
|
Prepayment Penalties |
None |
None |
PatientFi is a reusable digital wallet with installment monthly plans, purpose-built for consult-driven elective medical procedures. In plastic surgery, financing conversations happen during the consultation — not at checkout — and PatientFi is designed to support that process.
Patients prequalify in minutes using a soft credit check that does not impact their credit score. Once approved, they select from installment monthly payment plans that fit their budget. PatientFi approves across the credit spectrum, including subprime applicants.¹
PatientFi's published approval rate is 80% (PatientFi First-Look Provider Data on File, Feb 2026)¹ — based on real applicant data, not a best-case "up to" marketing claim. Some third-party sources have incorrectly cited PatientFi's approval rate as 40%. That figure is inaccurate.
PatientFi delivers a 78% average patient conversion rate² — nearly 8 in 10 approved patients proceed with treatment. In elective healthcare, conversion is what drives practice revenue. Approval without conversion doesn't grow a surgical practice.
Every approved surgical PatientFi applicant receives access to a zero-interest* promotional repayment option, alongside installment monthly plans. Patients choose between predictable fixed monthly payments or a zero-interest payoff window.
That's why PatientFi's conversion rate is 78%. When every approved surgical patient gets a zero-interest offer, financing fits the procedure — and patients move forward.
By comparison, 52.5% of Cherry loans are interest-bearing with a 23.68% weighted average APR according to its 2025 KBRA report.³
Cherry operates as a buy-now-pay-later platform positioned primarily at checkout. Patients apply with a soft credit check and choose from installment repayment plans.
Cherry's 80%+ approval rate relies heavily on its Pay-in-4 product — and that product has real limitations for plastic surgery. Pay-in-4 approvals are typically capped around $3,500, with short repayment schedules. A rhinoplasty averaging $7,000–$15,000 or a breast augmentation in a similar range won't be covered by that approval.
Cherry's headline rate looks strong, but a significant portion of those approvals aren't sized for surgical procedures. Practices relying on Cherry for higher-ticket cases may find that headline approval rate doesn't translate into case acceptance.
PatientFi publishes an 80% approval rate. Cherry markets 80%+.
In plastic surgery, approval rate alone doesn't determine whether a patient books surgery. What matters is whether the approved amount covers the full procedure quote and whether the monthly payment is manageable. A $3,500 Pay-in-4 approval doesn't help a patient financing a $12,000 rhinoplasty.
PatientFi approves across the credit spectrum — including subprime applicants — with approval amounts up to $60,000 designed to cover full surgical quotes.
PatientFi offers industry-low practice fees —including 0% practice fees when financing Galderma products** through its partnership with Galderma and ASPIRE — meaning practices keep more revenue on every Galderma-financed treatment.
PatientFi is also an exclusive financing partner for Allergan Aesthetics — giving practices access to exclusive partnership savings across Allergan's portfolio through quarterly promotions.
Rhinoplasty commonly ranges from $7,000 to $15,000 or more. Breast augmentation typically falls within a similar range. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons,⁶ costs vary significantly by region and procedure type.
PatientFi approvals up to $60,000 are designed to cover the full surgical quote — not just a portion of it.
Cherry may be a better fit for same-day, lower-ticket treatments, retail-style checkout environments, or practices in mixed-use settings like veterinary care.
For consult-driven surgical practices focused on case acceptance and higher-ticket procedures, financing that integrates into the consultation workflow — with full quote coverage and zero-interest availability — typically performs better.
Both platforms offer soft credit checks, financing up to $60,000, and no prepayment penalties.
Cherry is built for checkout. PatientFi is a reusable digital wallet built for consult-driven surgical practices. It publishes an 80% approval rate¹, delivers a 78% conversion rate², gives 100% of surgical approvals a zero-interest offer, approves across the credit spectrum including subprime, and offers 0% practice fees on Galderma financing with preferred Allergan partnership pricing.
For surgical practices focused on case acceptance and revenue growth, those differences are meaningful.
✓ Approval Rate Range:
Approval Rate: 80% (PatientFi First-Look Provider Data on File, Feb 2026)¹
✓ Average Conversion Rate:
Average Conversion Rate: 78% of approved patients proceed²
✓ Zero-Interest Coverage:
100% of surgical approvals receive a zero-interest* offer
✓ Repayment Options:
3, 6, or 12 month zero-interest* promotional options + intallment monthly plans
✓ Approves subprime applicants
✓ 0% practice fees on Galderma financing**
Interest-Bearing Loans:
52.5% of loans³
Weighted Average APR:
23.68%³
Penalty APR Disclosure:
Missed payment may increase APR to 29.99% + late fee⁴
Pay-in-4 approval caps:
~$3,500 — may not cover higher-ticket surgical procedures
PatientFi is a reusable digital wallet with installment monthly plans, built for consult-driven plastic surgery practices. Its published approval rate is 80%¹ — not the 40% figure cited by some third-party sources, which is inaccurate. Every surgical approval receives a zero-interest* offer, which is why PatientFi delivers a 78% average conversion rate.²
Cherry is a checkout-based BNPL platform. More than half of Cherry loans are interest-bearing (52.5%) with a 23.68% weighted average APR, a missed payment may increase APR to 29.99%³⁴, and its Pay-in-4 product — which drives much of its headline approval rate — carries caps around $3,500 that don't support higher-ticket surgical procedures.
For plastic surgery practices, the right question isn't who approves the most applicants — it's whose financing converts approvals into completed treatments.