HFD Review

Our take: HFD (Healthcare Finance Direct) has carved out a distinctive position in dental financing with one standout number: a 99%+ approval rate. While competitors like CareCredit and LendingClub focus on prime and near-prime borrowers, HFD approves virtually every patient who applies, making it the go-to financing option for practices whose patient base includes a significant number of people with less-than-perfect credit. The trade-off is that HFD isn't the cheapest option for the practice, but for case acceptance, that approval rate is hard to beat.

---

What Is HFD?

HFD (Healthcare Finance Direct) is a patient financing company that provides installment loan products to dental, orthodontic, veterinary, MedSpa, audiology, and optometric practices. Founded in 2016 and based in Addison, Texas, HFD has built its business around one core differentiator: approving patients that other financing companies decline.

The company's lending model extends credit to the full spectrum of credit profiles -- not just prime borrowers. HFD reports that the only reasons a patient would be declined are open bankruptcy, a credit freeze, or being on a Terrorist Watch List. That near-universal approval rate has made HFD popular with practices in markets where patients often struggle to qualify for traditional financing.

In February 2025, HFD became a preferred financing partner of Align Technology (the Invisalign parent company), expanding its reach significantly in the orthodontic market.

---

Who Is HFD For?

Dental and orthodontic practices that lose cases because patients can't qualify for financing. If a significant portion of your patient base has credit scores below 660 and you're watching treatment plans go unscheduled because CareCredit or LendingClub declined them, HFD is designed to solve that exact problem. The Align Technology partnership makes HFD especially relevant for practices offering Invisalign.

---

Key Features

99%+ Approval Rate

This is the headline. HFD approves virtually every patient who applies, regardless of credit score. The company uses a proprietary underwriting model that assesses ability to pay rather than relying solely on traditional credit scoring. For practices, this means you can confidently present financing to every patient without worrying about embarrassing declines.

Fast Application Process

Patients apply and receive a decision in under 3 minutes, with no impact on their credit score during the prequalification step. The application requires only essential information, reducing friction at the front desk.

Provider Paid in Full Upfront

HFD pays the practice the full treatment amount within 2-3 business days. The practice doesn't carry any receivable -- HFD takes on the repayment risk (non-recourse). This is a meaningful distinction from some financing products where the practice retains partial risk.

Flexible Plan Options

Financing up to $25,000 with plans that include 0% interest options, $0 down payment, and terms that can extend up to 72 months for Invisalign cases. The variety of plan structures lets practices match financing terms to different treatment values and patient needs.

Align Technology Partnership

As a preferred Invisalign financing partner, HFD offers competitive merchant fees specifically for Invisalign providers. This partnership gives HFD access to Align's network of thousands of Invisalign providers, and the Align endorsement carries weight in orthodontic circles.

---

Pricing

HFD charges merchant discount fees to practices on funded transactions. Specific fee percentages are not published, but HFD describes them as "competitive" with a discount for Invisalign providers. Based on the industry range for high-approval-rate lenders, expect fees in the 6-9% range depending on the plan type and promotional terms.

There are no monthly subscription fees, setup costs, or minimum volume requirements. You only pay when a patient uses HFD financing.

---

Pros

• 99%+ approval rate is the highest in dental financing
• Provider receives full payment in 2-3 days with no recourse risk
• Fast 3-minute application with no credit score impact on prequalification
• Align Technology preferred partner status adds credibility
• No monthly fees or minimum volume requirements

Cons

• Merchant fees are higher than prime-only lenders (the cost of near-universal approval)
• Not ideal for practices whose patients primarily have strong credit (use a lower-fee option instead)
• Limited brand recognition compared to CareCredit or Lending Club
• Financing cap of $25,000 may not cover the highest-value cases
• Newer company with less track record than established financing brands

---

The Bottom Line

HFD solves a specific, painful problem: patients who want treatment but can't get approved for financing elsewhere. The 99%+ approval rate is not marketing fluff -- the company's entire underwriting model is built around saying yes. For practices in markets where credit challenges are common, HFD can meaningfully move the needle on case acceptance.

The economics are straightforward. You pay higher merchant fees than you would with a prime-only lender, but you get approvals on patients those lenders would decline. The incremental production from cases that would otherwise walk out the door is the ROI calculation. For many practices, particularly those offering Invisalign, the math works clearly in their favor.

HFD is best used as a complement to -- not a replacement for -- a prime financing option like CareCredit or LendingClub. Offer the lower-fee option first, and when patients are declined, HFD is your safety net. That two-tier approach optimizes both cost and case acceptance.