Shepherd's CareCredit integration keeps financing workflows connected to the same appointment, invoice, and checkout experience your team already uses every day. With CareCredit enabled in Shepherd, your team can manage financing conversations, launch CareCredit workflows, and track financing activity directly from Shepherd.
How the CareCredit Integration Works
Shepherd surfaces CareCredit financing statuses, dashboard actions, and payment entry points throughout the platform. When your team selects a CareCredit action, Shepherd opens the workflow to CareCredit to complete the requested action. Once completed, CareCredit sends transaction details and status updates back to Shepherd automatically.
With CareCredit enabled in Shepherd, your team can:
Quickscreen upcoming appointments to see if they are preapproved for the CareCredit credit card
Launch CareCredit card applications directly from Shepherd
Launch CareCredit payment directly from within the Shepherd software
Send secure payment or application links to clients
Look up existing CareCredit accounts
Launch CareCredit refund workflows
Track CareCredit activity in Shepherd reporting workflows
What You Need to Know
Batch Quickscreen statuses do not appear immediately after enabling.
Shepherd sends appointment information to CareCredit during the daily synchronization process. In most cases, statuses will begin appearing on the CareCredit dashboard within 1–2 business days after Batch Quickscreen is enabled.
Payment amounts are locked once a transaction begins.
To change a payment amount after a transaction has started, the current transaction must be canceled and a new payment workflow must be started from the invoice.
A negative invoice balance is required before a CareCredit refund can be issued.
A negative balance can be created by returning a product, applying a discount, or removing or canceling a line item.
CareCredit refund amounts are locked after submission.
To issue a different refund amount, the original refund submission must be completed first. Multiple partial refunds can be issued against the same payment.
Batch Quickscreen only screens clients with complete records, and there is no option to manually sync all clients at once. See Batch Quickscreen for full details.
Activating the CareCredit Integration
Required User Role Permissions
To activate or manage the CareCredit integration, users must have the following role permission enabled:
Admin > Users > Edit Role > Admin tab, Integrations (Setup, edit)
Enable CareCredit in Shepherd
Navigate to: Admin > Integrations
Find CareCredit.
Click Activate.
Complete the CareCredit setup.
Wait for the confirmation popup indicating activation was successful.
After activation:
CareCredit can be turned on or off at any time.
Access to integration settings is controlled by Shepherd role permissions.
Configure Batch Quickscreen
Batch Quickscreen automatically prescreens upcoming appointments for CareCredit eligibility and identifies cardholders. The Batch Quickscreen feature can help drive increased treatment acceptance by facilitating financial conversations with clients, determining their preapproval status with no negative impact on their credit bureau report, and highlighting how CareCredit can help them get started on your recommended treatment procedures.
When Batch Quickscreen is enabled:
Shepherd sends upcoming appointment client information to CareCredit overnight.
Results populate the next day in the CareCredit dashboard (Financial > CareCredit).
Financing status appears before checkout workflows begin.
Batch Quickscreen works with all appointment types.
Batch Quickscreen is disabled by default when CareCredit is activated. It can be enabled or disabled from the integration settings page.
Batch Quickscreen
Batch Quickscreen Timing
After Batch Quickscreen is enabled, CareCredit statuses do not appear immediately.
Shepherd sends appointment information to CareCredit during the daily synchronization process. CareCredit then reviews the submitted clients and returns eligibility results during the next synchronization cycle.
In most cases, statuses will begin appearing on the CareCredit dashboard within 1–2 business days after Batch Quickscreen is enabled.
For example, if Batch Quickscreen is enabled on Monday afternoon, CareCredit statuses will typically begin appearing on Wednesday.
Batch Quickscreen Behavior
Shepherd keeps CareCredit statuses current through a nightly screening job. There is no manual "sync all clients" option — the system is designed to screen the right clients at the right time.
When Batch Quickscreen is enabled, Shepherd automatically runs a nightly process to pre-screen upcoming clients for CareCredit eligibility. This process has two phases:
Collect results from the previous night — Shepherd retrieves CareCredit eligibility results for any clients submitted the night before and updates their status on the CareCredit dashboard.
Submit upcoming appointments — Shepherd sends client information to CareCredit for any client with a non-cancelled appointment in the next 72 hours.
For a client to be submitted, their record must include all of the following:
First and last name
Street address, city, state, and zip code
At least one phone number
Clients missing any of these fields will be skipped and will display a Check Now status instead.
Real-Time Status Updates
Separately from the nightly process, CareCredit sends Shepherd an immediate update whenever a client takes action. These updates happen automatically and do not require Batch Quickscreen to be enabled.
Client statuses update in real time when any of the following occur:
A CareCredit application is submitted
A Quickscreen or prequalification is completed
A CareCredit payment is processed
A CareCredit refund is issued
Understanding CareCredit Statuses
Shepherd surfaces CareCredit financing statuses throughout the platform so your team can quickly identify financing opportunities during scheduling, medical, and checkout workflows.
CareCredit status icons appear:
On SOAP pages within Signalment
On invoice and payment pages
On appointment schedule tiles
Within the CareCredit dashboard (Financial > CareCredit)
Hovering over a status icon displays additional status details. Statuses update automatically as new CareCredit responses are received.
CareCredit Status Definitions
The CareCredit dashboard uses color-coded status indicators to display financing eligibility and account status.
Status | Icon | Description |
Cardholder | Blue CareCredit icon | Existing CareCredit cardholder |
Preapproved | Green CareCredit icon | Client has a preapproved CareCredit offer available |
Check Now | Orange CareCredit icon | Client can be screened for CareCredit prequalification |
Status Actions and Workflows
The action available in the CareCredit dashboard depends on the client's current CareCredit status. Dashboard actions open to the appropriate CareCredit workflow based on the selected status.
Cardholder Status
When a client is identified as an existing CareCredit cardholder:
The dashboard displays a Refresh button to update the client's current available credit from CareCredit
Updated available credit information displays with the latest refresh date
Preapproved Status
When a client has a preapproved CareCredit offer:
The dashboard displays an Accept Offer button
Accept Offer opens the CareCredit offer workflow
If the client is preapproved for the CareCredit credit card, the button will open the offer to "Accept or Decline"
If offer is Accepted, the client will provide the additional information required and accept the terms and conditions of the account to finalize the application
Check Now Status
When a client does not yet have a known financing status:
The dashboard displays a Check Now button
Check Now opens the CareCredit prequalification workflow
If Batch Quickscreen is disabled:
Individual Check Now actions are hidden
Shepherd instead displays a Review CareCredit Status button in the dashboard header
Review CareCredit Status opens the same CareCredit application workflow manually
CareCredit Applications
CareCredit applications can be launched from Shepherd in three places:
Batch Quickscreen results
The CareCredit dashboard
The checkout workflow
When available, Shepherd pre-fills client information including name, address, phone number, and email address. Clients still need to provide required personal and financial information such as date of birth, Social Security Number, housing status, and income information.
Shepherd links users to CareCredit to complete applications either in-office or by secure mobile link.
Account Lookup
Account lookup can be performed using:
Name and phone number
Account number
Social Security Number
Payment Processing
To process a CareCredit payment, the CareCredit integration must be active. When the CareCredit integration is enabled, a CareCredit payment option appears on the checkout screen and can be selected alongside existing payment workflows. The CareCredit payment option is available regardless of the client's current CareCredit status.
During checkout:
Open the invoice.
Click Take Payment.
Select CareCredit as the payment method.
Select Check Out.
Complete the CareCredit workflow after the checkout is initiated from Shepherd.
Payment Routing by CareCredit Status
Based on the client's current CareCredit status, Shepherd links the user to the appropriate CareCredit workflow.
Cardholder — Shepherd opens the CareCredit payment workflow directly. Staff can enter a card number, look up an account, or send a payment link to the client.
Preapproved — Shepherd opens the CareCredit offer workflow. Clients can review and accept their available offer before payment.
Check Now — Shepherd opens the CareCredit prequalification workflow. With their consent, see if they prequalify for the CareCredit credit card.
Payment Amount Handling
Payment amounts are locked after the transaction begins to prevent invoice/payment discrepancies between Shepherd and CareCredit. If the payment amount needs to change, the current transaction must be canceled and a new payment workflow must be started from the invoice.
Payment Completion and Writeback
After a CareCredit payment is approved, Shepherd automatically records the payment on the invoice. The invoice balance updates automatically, payment details write back to the client financial record, and payment records include CareCredit reference information.
Send-to-Device Workflows
Shepherd can send secure CareCredit links directly to a client's mobile device for applications, preapproved credit offer acceptance, and payment completion. This workflow is useful for contactless checkout, exam room payment collection, and remote approvals.
In order for a payment to successfully process, you must have the client’s name, address and phone number.
Refunds
Shepherd can link users to CareCredit refund workflows from the invoice payment experience. Refund approval and processing occur within CareCredit before completed refund details sync back into Shepherd.
Before You Can Issue a Refund
A negative invoice balance is required before a CareCredit refund can be issued. A negative balance can be created by:
Returning a product
Applying a discount
Removing or canceling a line item
How to Issue a CareCredit Refund
Once the invoice shows a negative balance:
Open the invoice.
Click Issue Refund.
Turn the Shepherd Pay toggle off.
Select CareCredit as the refund method.
Enter the refund amount.
Click Check Out.
Refund Behavior
Full refunds can be issued from the payment record
Partial refunds can be issued from the invoice workflow
Refund amounts are locked after submission
Multiple partial refunds can be issued against the same payment
Refund history updates automatically in the client financial record
Refund records can be reviewed from Client Profile > Financial Tab > Payments. The payment will be listed as CareCredit Integration.
Reporting and Reconciliation
Shepherd tracks CareCredit transactions in the End of Day Report (Reporting > End of Day Report).
The End of Day Report distinguishes between two CareCredit payment types:
CareCredit — Legacy standalone CareCredit workflows processed via the Provider Center environment
CareCredit Integration — Payments processed through the integrated Shepherd workflow
This separation preserves historical reporting for practices that previously used standalone CareCredit workflows before enabling the integration. Learn more about the End of Day Report.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why isn't CareCredit showing as an option at checkout?
If CareCredit is not appearing as a payment option at checkout, the integration may not be active. To verify, go to Admin > Integrations and confirm that CareCredit is enabled. The CareCredit payment option is available at checkout regardless of the client's current CareCredit status, so if the integration is active and the option is still missing, contact Shepherd Support via the in-app chat.
Why don't I see any CareCredit statuses after enabling Batch Quickscreen?
CareCredit statuses do not appear immediately after Batch Quickscreen is enabled. Shepherd sends appointment information to CareCredit during the daily synchronization process, and CareCredit returns eligibility results during the next synchronization cycle. In most cases, statuses will begin appearing on the CareCredit dashboard within 1–2 business days. For example, if Batch Quickscreen is enabled on Monday afternoon, statuses will typically begin appearing on Wednesday.
Why does the invoice still show a balance after a CareCredit refund?
Refund approval and processing occur within CareCredit before completed refund details sync back into Shepherd. If the invoice balance is not reflecting the refund, the refund may still be processing on CareCredit's platform. Refund records can be reviewed from Client Profile > Financial Tab > Payments, where the payment will be listed as CareCredit Integration.
A CareCredit payment was applied to the wrong invoice. How do I fix it?
CareCredit payments cannot be reassigned between invoices from within Shepherd. To resolve a misapplied payment, contact Shepherd Support via the in-app chat for guidance on the correct workflow for your situation.
Can I change the payment amount after a CareCredit transaction has started?
No. Payment amounts are locked after the transaction begins to prevent invoice/payment discrepancies between Shepherd and CareCredit. To change the amount, the current transaction must be canceled and a new payment workflow must be started from the invoice.
Need Help?
For CareCredit enrollment, financing, or account questions, contact the CareCredit support team — (800) 859-9975, Option 1, then 6.
For Shepherd workflow or integration behavior questions, contact Shepherd Support via the in-app chat.