The printed estimate goes home in a folder and never comes back.
Most clinics still hand over a printed estimate, or read the numbers out loud at the counter. It costs nothing and it works. Right up to the moment the owner leaves. After that there is no trace of what was agreed, no deposit holding the slot, and someone at the front desk has to make a phone call that rarely happens on a busy day.
Who each one is for
Keep paper if…
Your acceptance rate is already where you want it, and nobody is chasing signatures.
- You do a handful of scheduled procedures a month and know every client by name.
- Your clients pay in full on the day and no-shows are not a problem you recognise.
- You do not take card payments online and have no intention of starting.
Move to a link if…
You recognise the pattern: the plan was explained, the owner said they would think about it, and nothing happened.
- You want to know who opened the estimate, who signed, and who never looked.
- You want the slot held by a deposit rather than by a promise.
- You want the reminder to leave by itself on day 1 and day 3 instead of sitting on a sticky note.
Line by line, without the marketing.
Every row is something a clinic asked us about. Where paper is better, the table says so.
| Criterion | VetApprove | Paper or verbal |
|---|---|---|
| Written proof of what was agreed | sealed PDF with hash | |
| Did the client actually read it? | open receipt, timestamped | |
| Deposit before the procedure | to your Stripe | at the counter, if they come |
| Options the owner can accept or decline | circled by hand | |
| Automatic follow-up | day 1 and day 3 | a phone call somebody has to make |
| Cost | free during the beta, then one plan per clinic | free |
| Works when the owner is at home deciding | ||
| Needs nothing installed by the client |
Context: 81% of veterinarians report clients being more cost-sensitive than a year earlier and visits fell about 3% in 2025 after 2.3% in 2024 (AVMA, 2025). We publish these figures because they explain why an unaccepted plan is expensive, not to imply any result for your clinic.
Product names are trademarks of their respective owners. VetApprove is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.
When you should not pick VetApprove.
We would rather lose a signup than take a clinic's time when it does not need us. If one of these describes you, close the tab.
You are a single-vet practice doing very few scheduled procedures. Even free, a tool you open twice a month is a tool you forget.
Your clients are not comfortable with a phone link and you have no email or mobile numbers on file.
You cannot open a Stripe account for the clinic. Without it there is no deposit, and half the value disappears.
You want the software to write your prices or your policy. It will not: the numbers and the terms are yours.
Questions clinics ask.
Our clients are older. Will they use a link?
Most will: it opens in the phone browser with no account and no app, and the text is large by default. For the ones who will not, keep printing. VetApprove does not force anything, and you can still take the deposit at the counter.
Is a paper signature not stronger?
Not obviously. A signed link records a timestamp, the IP address, the device, the hash of the accepted content and the moment the link was opened. A paper copy records a pen stroke and whatever the folder still contains a year later.
What does it cost to try?
Nothing during the beta. Your workspace opens from one email, there is no card on file and no contract; when pricing arrives it is one flat plan per clinic, announced at least 30 days ahead.
Do we have to charge a deposit on everything?
No. You decide per template: no deposit, a percentage, or a fixed amount. Many clinics start with surgery and dentals only.
Open your workspace. It takes one email.
Tell us about the clinic and we send your sign-in link right away. No password, no card, nothing to install. Your first estimate can go out today.
