If your business or practice uses Weave software for communications, scheduling, or billing, you may also be using Weave Payments to accept credit cards. And while the platform itself has plenty of functionality, the way Weave handles integrated payment processing could be costing you thousands more than necessary.
Read on to learn exactly how Weave Payments works, who powers it behind the scenes, what the pricing should look like, and where many businesses overpay.
Whether you’re currently using Weave or just evaluating it for your practice, this review is a must-read before processing your next credit card transaction.
Our Quick Take on Weave
Weave is a powerful communication and payment platform built primarily for dental, medical, and optometry practices. But its integrated payment processing (branded as Weave Payments) is exclusively powered by Stripe.
We actually like Stripe a lot. They’re one of the best processors on the market in terms of pricing, technology, and support.
That said, Stripe has all the leverage when it comes to the Weave integration because they’re the only option. So we often find that businesses using Weave Payments are paying too much to accept credit cards.
Pros
- All-in-one platform for messaging, scheduling, reviews, and payments.
- Easy to collect payments via text, online payment links, or in-person terminals.
- Simple Stripe onboarding directly through Weave.
- Works well for offices that want an out-of-the-box setup.
Cons
- Flat-rate pricing through Stripe is expensive.
- No ability to use your own processor if you want integrated payments.
- You may need to meet minimum volume thresholds to get interchange-plus pricing.
- Minimal transparency into backend fees or cost breakdowns.
Weave Payment Processing Explained — What You Need to Know
Unlike other software providers that offer flexibility with different gateways or processors, Weave uses Stripe exclusively to power all of its payment capabilities.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Stripe is one of the most advanced and reliable processors in the industry (and that’s not something we say often). But it does have some important cost implications that you need to understand.
How Weave Payments Actually Works
When you enable payments in your Weave Payments, you need to create a Stripe account through Weave’s interface.
Stripe is the payment processor that powers all of the transactions, settlements, and fee structures behind the scenes. Weave operates as the Payment Facilitator (PayFac) for those transactions.
This PayFac model is common with integrated payment processing solutions because it allows for faster onboarding (you don’t need to go through a full merchant account underwriting) and simpler integration. The downside is that you have less control and transparency than you would through a traditional merchant account.
Weave sits as the facilitating layer between you and Stripe. But unlike other PayFac models where you’re a sub-merchant under the facilitator’s master umbrella, you still maintain your own Stripe merchant account.
That said, you don’t get the full Stripe experience in the same way that you would be going straight to Stripe. Your account is configured through Stripe Connect, which means you’re accessing Stripe through Weave’s integration rather than directly.
To be clear, Stripe itself is excellent. They’re transparent (by industry standards), their technology is modern and reliable, and their pricing is competitive when you’re negotiating directly with them. But the integration through Weave limits your leverage and results in less favorable pricing.
Flat-Rate Pricing Sounds Simple, But it’s Expensive
Weave advertises flat-rate pricing through Stripe, which typically starts at 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction for most card types, with slightly different rates for keyed or invoiced payments (you can see Stripe’s latest prices here).
Flat-rate pricing is easy to understand, which is legitimately appealing to most businesses using Weave. But simplicity doesn’t translate to cost savings. In fact, flat-rate processing is one of the worst pricing models for credit card processing.
Behind the scenes of every card transaction is something called an interchange rate. These are the fees set by the card networks and issuing banks. They vary widely depending on the card type and how it’s processed (a basic debit card might cost 0.05% + $0.21 in interchange, and a premium rewards card might cost 2.40% + $0.10).
With flat-rate pricing at 2.9% + $0.30, you’re paying the same amount per transaction regardless of the actual wholesale rate. This means you’re significantly overpaying on most sales, sometimes with markups over 100+ basis points.
Interchange-plus pricing may sound more complex but it’s so much better and can save you thousands of dollars every month. You pay the wholesale interchange rate, plus a small markup to the processor.
Stripe does offer interchange-plus pricing, which isn’t something you’ll see advertised by Weave when you’re getting set up for payments (Weave makes more if you pay more to Stripe). But you typically need to be processing a significant volume or have some negotiating leverage to access this pricing model.
Most businesses using Weave Payments are defaulted into flat-rate pricing and don’t realize there’s a better option available.
While Stripe is Solid, the Lack of Integrated Processing Options Can Translate to Higher Costs
Again, I want to be clear. Stripe is a good processor. If you’re going to be locked into a single integrated process, Stripe is among the better options.
But just because they’re better than market alternatives, it doesn’t mean that you’re automatically getting the best possible deal.
When you can only use one processor through your software provider, you lose some negotiating power. Stripe knows you can’t easily switch or make changes without disrupting your entire workflow. Weave knows this, too. And that lack of competition means less incentive to offer you the best possible pricing.
Other practice management systems and customer communication platforms today offer multiple processing integrations which helps create competition and gives you leverage.
Weave doesn’t offer this flexibility. It’s either you use Stripe via Weave, or you don’t get integrated payments. And while Stripe is solid, you’re still paying more than you would be if you had other options.
How to Lower Your Weave Payment Processing Rates
Despite the lack of competition, there are still ways for you to save money if you’re accepting payments via Weave.
The first thing you need to do is audit your statements to determine your effective rate. I can almost guarantee that your total cost of processing is going to exceed 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction when you factor in other fees. Some of you might be paying upwards of 3.5% to 4% or more, when in reality, you could be paying closer to 2.2% to 2.5%.
Next, ask Stripe about interchange-plus pricing.
Stripe and Weave won’t advertise this, but I know 100% that it’s an option. They may not offer it to you if you aren’t meeting minimum volume requirements, but you should still ask and start the conversation.
Switching processors or canceling your Stripe account is not something we recommend.
For one, you’ll lose out on your integrated processing setup via Weave. But even if you could switch processors and keep everything within Weave, it’s still not advisable to go that route.
Changing providers is complex and expensive, and any potential savings are usually offset by other hidden costs. It’s always better to negotiate directly with your current provider (in this case, Stripe). And based on our experience dealing with Stripe on behalf of our clients, we know for a fact that they’re receptive to negotiations.
Check out our Stripe review to learn more about how we’ve negotiated better terms for our clients using Stripe. Examples include a flat rate of 2.40% + $0.20 per transaction (way cheaper than 2.9% + $0.30), and 0.22% + $0.15 per transaction over the interchange rate (even cheaper).
About Weave Software
Weave is a customer communication and engagement platform designed primarily for healthcare practices and other service-based businesses. The software consolidates phone systems, texting, scheduling, reviews management, and payment processing into a single platform.
Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Utah, Weave has grown to serve over 30,000 locations across North America. The company went public in 2021 and continues to expand its feature set and market reach.
Weave is all about operational efficiency through consolidation. It’s their goal to help you replace multiple solutions with one integrated system to improve workflows and better communicate with customers.
Plans and Pricing
Weave doesn’t publish pricing on its website, which is frustrating but pretty standard in this software space. Pricing is customized based on number of locations, users, and features.
Based on our industry sources and clients using Weave, it’s typically billed per location on a monthly subscription model, starting at around a few hundred per location every month.
Payment processing fees are completely separate and flow through Stripe’s pricing model.
Key Features
Weave’s platform includes a comprehensive set of features for both customer communication and practice management. Highlights include:
- Two-way texting and call management
- Online scheduling with automated reminders
- Review requests and reputation management tools
- Integrated payment collection and billing (text-to-pay, terminal, online checkout)
- Digital patient forms
- Team chat
These features are useful for healthcare practices managing high volumes of appointments and patient communication. They’re all pretty solid, though some users report some issues with the phone system’s reliability (though this is pretty common in the VoIP phone space).
Use Cases and Industries Served
Weave is popular in the healthcare space, particularly for practices in the dental industry. The entire software is built around workflows for appointment-based services with recurring customer relationships.
The primary industries we see using weave are:
- Medical and healthcare
- Dental and orthodontics
- Optometry
- Veterinary
- Physical therapy
- Mental health
- Primary care
- Plastic surgery
- Podietry
- Medical spa
In addition to small, individual practices, Weave can support enterprise organizations like medical groups and dental service organizations.
It’s also worth noting that Weave integrates with other practice management tools, including Dentrix, Eaglesoft, Curve Dental, Planet DDS, Carestream, Ortho2, and more.
Final Thoughts on Weave Payments
Weave is a legitimate option to consider for healthcare practices and similar businesses. The consolidated communication tools and customer engagement capabilities can genuinely improve your operations and the patient experience.
So if the software fits your workflow and the pricing makes sense, it’s a reasonable choice to consider.
But the payment processing side of things deserves some scrutiny. Not because Stripe is bad (they’re actually quite good), but because the pricing structure and lack of options often leads to most businesses paying too much.
Flat-rate processing is far too expensive compared to interchange-plus, and only having one processor option eliminates some of your negotiating leverage.
The good news is that you don’t have to choose between keeping Weave and paying fair processing rates. There are other ways you can save money while keeping everything the same.
If you’re currently using Weave Payments and processing more than $10,000 per month and in credit card transactions, you should have your costs analyzed. Our team here at MCC can review your statements for free and show you exactly what you’re paying compared to how much you should be paying.
No obligation, no pressure, and no strings attached. Contact us today for a free consultation. We’ll help you understand your costs and show you realistic options for reducing them while keeping everything in place with Weave and Stripe.