Stax vs. Echo Payment Provider: Which Solution is Best for Healthcare Merchants?
Frustrating patient account interfaces and high payment amounts. These are just two reasons why paying medical bills is widely recognized as an unpleasant hassle. And processing payments isn’t always a walk in the park for healthcare providers either.
At Stax, we believe all payment processing should be simple and affordable, especially in healthcare, an industry we proudly serve. Some payment processors specialize in healthcare payment processing, one of which is Echo Payment Provider. In this post, we’ll compare Stax and Echo Health Payments.
TL;DR
- Echo specializes in healthcare payment processing, property and casualty, and specialty insurance. Stax is a full-service payment processor serving a variety of industries, including healthcare.
- Echo Payments has a difficult user interface and multiple websites offering little information about pricing and other critical information.
- Both Stax and Echo Payments are HIPAA and PCI-compliant to protect patient payment information.
Stax Payment Processing Overview
Stax is a subscription-based, full-service payment processing partner, based in Florida and founded in 2014. One of our differentiators is that we’re the only all-in-one platform that offers financial analytics, payment processing, invoicing, inventory management, and more. Stax is well suited for various industries, including healthcare, and scalable for small and medium businesses to large enterprises.
We also offer contactless payments, customized billing, invoicing, and recurring payments which is a helpful option for healthcare payment plans. Stax prioritizes security; the platform is HIPAA compliant and adheres to the highest level of PCI standards.
At Stax, our subscription-based pricing can save businesses up to 40% on payment processing costs—keep reading for more about Stax pricing in the comparison section.
Echo Payments Provider Background
Echo Payments was founded in 1997 and is based in Westlake, Ohio. Echo specializes in healthcare payment processing, property and casualty, and other specialty insurance. According to their website, they process over 600 million claims and more than $110 billion in payments annually. Echo consolidates payments from individual providers and vendor payments, provides electronic payments, and sends explanations of payment (EOP) details to providers.
Echo Payments offers four solutions:
- Core Payments
- Simplicity
- Premium Payment Manager
- PayPilot
Core Payments, Simplicity, and PayPilot are all directed at healthcare payment processing and allow for various payment options, including digital payments, patient returns, and provider and vendor payments. Echo also manages a virtual credit card payment option through the website echovcards.com.
Because Echo is healthcare-focused, its provider payments portal, www.providerpayments.com, has limited access and information available. However, some information is provided on their provider portal enrollment website, https://enrollments.echohealthinc.com.
Those seeking to work with Echo Payments would need to complete an EFT (electronic funds transfer) or electronic remittance advice, ERA enrollment form for more information. Further, Echo Payments allow providers to enroll with NPI and TIN identification.
Pricing for Echo Payments is not listed on their website, so payment processing fees must be requested in a quote on their inquiry page.
Comparing Stax and Echo Payment Providers
Worth mentioning early on is that Echo Health Inc’s payment processing services are not accredited by the Better Business Bureau. There are several recent complaints listed on the BBB website, some including frustration at paper checks being used for payment, people not receiving their virtual credit cards, poor customer service, changed fees, and several others. As mentioned earlier, pricing is unavailable on their website, and several complaints to the BBB indicate that “billing/collection issues” is a common theme.
Regarding security and patient data protection, Echo Payments state they are HIPAA and PCI-compliant, along with a few other certifications. There do not appear to be application programming interface (API) integrations available with most Echo Payments products, except for Premium Payment Manager.
Simply put, information about Echo is difficult to find, and their use of multiple websites makes the lack of a single source of truth a challenging user interface. If you’re a healthcare provider considering a new payment processor, the lack of BBB accreditation and large number of complaints, and the lack of transparent information available should be considered.
At Stax, we help businesses of all kinds save on payment processing costs, while also offering specialized healthcare services and resources. Not only will we keep your healthcare business PCI and HIPAA compliant, but we are also well-suited for healthcare payment preferences with customized invoices, recurring payments, and EFT payments.
Stax has transparent pricing models, starting at $99 per month, and does not mark up interchange fees for credit and debit card transactions. Stax can accept any digital payment method, including ACH payments which are processed using the customer’s bank account number and routing number—eliminating the need for check payments. We also have customer service available 24/7 if you need assistance—or for whenever you’re ready to learn more!
Stax offers over 100 APIs for the most popular business applications, meaning your healthcare business can integrate payments securely and benefit from analytics like the ability to track claim payment status updates and other helpful tools.
Case Studies and Merchant Reviews
Echo Payments has a sparse website with no case studies featured and no reviews on G2 or Capterra. Most of the reviews online for Echo Health Inc. come from the BBB, where it has one out of five stars with 47 reviews at the time of this writing.
On the other hand, Stax has several success stories that we’re proud to share, including our partnership with Shelterluv, where we simplified their reporting and increased their donations by streamlining the payment process. We also help our partners increase their ROI by saving thousands of dollars yearly in fees, like we did with leading vision care provider, Pearle Vision.
Stax has a 95% customer satisfaction rating, a net promoter score (NPS) of 73, and a 9.2 rating on Trustpilot.
Final Words
Looking to change healthcare payment systems for your business?
While Echo Payments specializes in healthcare payment processing, we recommend a thorough vetting process if they’re on your shortlist.
If you’re looking to save on payment processing with a secure, simple, and trusted payment processor, Stax should be on your shortlist. Interested in learning more? Reach out today!
FAQs
What are the key features and services offered by Stax Payment Processing?
Stax Payment Processing offers a range of features and services including financial analytics, payment processing, customized billing, recurring payments, and more. We cater to various industries, including healthcare.
How does Stax prioritize security and compliance with healthcare industry standards?
Stax Payment Processing prioritizes security and compliance by being HIPAA compliant and adhering to the highest level of PCI standards. We ensure the protection of patient payment information and offer secure payment processing solutions for healthcare businesses.
What are the solutions provided by Echo Payments for healthcare payment processing?
Echo Payments provides several solutions for healthcare payment processing, including Core Payments, Simplicity, Premium Payment Manager, and PayPilot. These solutions offer options for digital payments, patient returns, provider and vendor payments, as well as a virtual credit card payment option.
What are some concerns raised about Echo Payments, according to the Better Business Bureau (BBB)?
According to the BBB, concerns raised about Echo Payments include frustration with paper checks being used for payment, issues with receiving virtual credit cards, poor customer service, unexpected fee changes, and billing/collection issues. It’s important to consider these factors when evaluating Echo Payments as a potential payment processor.