How We Are Different

Our Promise To You

We will provide you with a professional and personable service.

You will pay fees for the following:

  • Set up costs – £400
  • Training (normally face to face but can be done remotely) – Free
  • Marketing materials and advice – Free
  • Monthly account costs – £20.83
  • Subsidy charges

Because we are a small, friendly, personable company you will always speak to the same two people – Kelly or Bethan. Because of this, your level of service, support and rapport with us will be invaluable. We even answer our mobiles to you out of office hours as we appreciate that your business operates outside of our hours.

We will reward you for referring another dental practice to us – once your referred dental practice starts putting deals through, we will pay you a percentage of their loan amounts after 12 months as a little thank you.

You will be able to get a better rate on our other service, Monthly Membership Plans, through our parent company, Smilecare Limited.

Did You Know?

Dentists can offer credit without an FCA licence

You are able to offer up to 12 months interest free credit without being regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

The Choice Is Yours

Patient Credit Facility Accounts

We offer three different types of account for you to offer patient credit facilities.

If you do not hold a credit licence with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), you can have our instalment exemption account which will give you the opportunity to offer up to 12 months interest free credit to your patients.

This account can be set up immediately subject to you providing us with all of the paperwork we require.

If you require longer repayment periods for your patients then you will need a licence through the Financial Conduct Authority, or you can become and Appointed Representative.

10 months 0% interest free

You are able to offer your patients up to 10 months interest free credit without any licence in place.

You will be paid once the patient electronically signs the finance agreement and confirms the treatment date.  These agreements are classified as non-regulated, which means your patients are not covered by Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.

You will paid upfront, into your bank within 3 working days less your subsidy charge.  Useful for those patients who only want to borrow over a shorter period of time and would like to pay 0% APR on their treatment.

up to 48 months 0% APR

up to 120 months 9.9% APR

You are able to offer your patients up to 48 months interest free credit and loans from 12 months to 120 months at 9.9% APR if you have a licence with the FCA.

Any loans that are more than 12 months interest free credit and all interest bearing loans are classed as “regulated” which means they are covered by Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.

Our finance providers will only pay out on commencement of treatment. Please see our FAQs below to see solutions where treatment requires lab work and orthodontics.

Useful for those patients who have bigger treatment plans and need to repay over a longer period of time. We will assist you with your FCA paperwork if needs be.

up to 48 months 0% APR

up to 120 months 9.9% APR

If you do not hold a licence but would like to offer your patients up to 48 months interest free credit and loans from 12 months to 120 months at 9.9% APR, then you may use our providers FCA licence and become their Appointed Representatives.

You will not be directly regulated by the FCA but you will need to comply with regulations set by them to ensure that you operate correctly within guidelines.

Any loans that are more than 12 months interest free credit and all interest bearing loans are classed as “regulated” which means they are covered by Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.

Our finance providers will only pay out on commencement of treatment. Please see our FAQs below to see solutions where treatment requires lab work and orthodontics.

Useful for those patients who have bigger treatment plans and need to repay over a longer period of time.

To be able to offer our full finance package (i.e. interest free credit up to 24 months and any interest bearing loan), you will either:

  1. Need to be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority with “limited permission credit brokerage”. As you will be offering credit in a brokering capacity, you will need “limited permission” on a new licence. The FCA’s licence application charge is £100 for a firm whose subsidy charges (defined as “income from credit activities”) does not exceed £50,000 and £500 for those whose subsidy charges do. Unlike the OFT where a credit licence lasted 5 years, the FCA will renew them annually. Currently for a licence holder whose credit income does not exceed £50,000 (the subsidy charges) the annual fee is approx £161.  The FCA are far more complex and applications can take up to six months although in our experience the average is 4 weeks.  We are more than happy to apply on your behalf. More information can be found by logging on the FCA website.
  2. Need to become an Appointed Representative and use our providers FCA licence. This is included in the monthly £20.83 fee.
  3. If you wish to offer interest free credit on loans of 12 months and under, you will not require an FCA licence to use our facility.

With some credit options, and always with interest free credit, as the patient is paying no or little interest, the interest charge cost is borne by the practice by way of a subsidy.

A subsidy is charged at a percentage calculated on the patient’s borrowing amount. These subsidies will vary depending on the loan amount and the term of the agreement.

To calculate your subsidies use the following calculation;
Amount borrowed x subsidy percentage = subsidy amount payable.

Once you have your licence, we will need to register you with our provider. We will ask you to complete an application form and we will need sight of:

  • FCA approval
  • Professional Indemnity Insurance Liability (minimum £2million)
  • ICO registration number • CQC registration
  • Malpractice Liability Insurance if doing surgery (minimum £5million)
  • Public & Product Liability insurance (minimum £5million)
  • Privacy Policy
  • Complaints Policy

We have interest free loans and interest bearing loans.

0% Interest Free Credit
Interest-Free Credit is an extremely effective sales and marketing tool and when used in advertising is a great way to encourage enquiries and new patients to your practice.

Interest-Free Credit is available on balances of £350 – £2,500, from 6 months to 4 years, flexible enough to suit everyone’s budget and a variety of treatments. Contact us for our current subsidy charges.

Interest-Bearing Credit
The most cost effective form of finance for your practice. Our Interest-Bearing Credit product has an APR that is lower than most major credit cards and offers an excellent option to the patient.

Interest-Bearing Credit is used when the subsidy charged to the practice for Interest Free Credit becomes financially unviable. Our interest bearing offering ranges from 12 months to 120 months.

Applications are completed either at home by the patient in their own time or by the practice online with the patient. The online process takes minutes and your patient’s application can be accepted immediately.  Once the application has been accepted the patient can be booked in to commence treatment. Receipt of payment depends on when treatment starts.

You will be paid direct into your bank account in full less any subsidy charges if applicable. Payment is made by BACS and so will take three working days to show in your account once the money has been released. You will receive a remittance advice by email when the loan has been released into your bank account.

We will come to the practice and fully train your staff not only how to use the system, but how finance works, and how to use the products available correctly.  We will advise you on advertising guidelines and how to market the finance within your practice.  We will provide literature and advertising material for your practice.  Help is only ever a telephone call away and you will have a personal relationship with one of our team members.

If you would like a call back then please call us on 01844 396990 or use the contact form and we will call you at a time convenient to you.

If you would like to join us, then please request a registration form from us for the most suitable provider for your practice.

“We started working with DDF for more than 11 years ago. From day one the service has been excellent they have never let us down. They value us as customer in an amazing way and you feel that you are the most important customer for them. I can’t thank them enough for the services they have provided us and how much my business has improved because of DDF. Life at work is so much easier now since we started with DDF, patients understand the terms and conditions and they love it.”

Dr Ramin Kardel, Green Lane Dental Care

“We have now been using DDF for patient finance since 2014. The finance application is run very efficiently for our patients with immediate decisions, so treatments can be planned & started with minimal delay.

The Team at DDF – Kelly and Bethan – are caring, motivated and efficient.

We have no hesitation in recommending their services to the profession.”

Dr Khalid Khan, Khan Dental Care