Paying for dental treatment in Turkey, without the surprises.

With us, you pay the clinic directly for your treatment, at the price in your written quote. We don’t take payments for treatment, and you don’t pay us anything. See how we’re paid.

Many clinics ask for a deposit to hold your appointment dates, usually by card or bank transfer. The rest is paid at the clinic, often after the dentist has examined you and confirmed the plan. For implants and All-on-4, the cost is often split between the two trips: surgery on the first, the final teeth on the second.

• Pay a deposit only against a written quote that names the clinic, the treatment and the total price
• Check whether the deposit is refundable, and in what circumstances
• Check the deposit is deducted from the total, not added to it
• Be wary of being asked for most of the cost before anyone has examined you

Timelines and payment stages go hand in hand. If you’re unsure how many trips your treatment takes, see how many trips for dental implants.

Whichever you use, ask in advance whether the clinic adds a surcharge for card payments, and make sure the name on any bank account or card receipt matches the clinic named on your quote.

Clinics that treat UK patients often quote in pounds or euros, while card machines in Turkey normally charge in lira. That leaves room for the price to drift between quote and payment:

• Know which currency your quote is fixed in. A quote in euros will cost more or less in pounds depending on the exchange rate when you pay. The NHS treatment abroad checklist specifically reminds people to factor in exchange rates.
• Decline the offer to pay in pounds on a card machine. This is dynamic currency conversion. Which? says it’s almost always best to pay in the local currency, because choosing pounds lets the merchant or terminal set the exchange rate instead of your card provider.
• Check your card’s non-sterling fees. Many cards add a percentage fee on foreign transactions, and some add a fixed fee too. On a payment of several thousand pounds, that adds up.
• For bank transfers, compare the total cost. The exchange rate and transfer fees together decide what you really pay.

Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 makes your credit card provider jointly responsible with the seller if something you bought goes wrong, for example if a business doesn’t provide what you paid for or goes out of business. According to Citizens Advice and MoneyHelper:

• It applies to credit cards, not debit cards or charge cards
• The item or service must cost more than £100 and no more than £30,000
• Paying even part of the cost, such as a deposit, by credit card can let you claim for the full amount
• It usually doesn't apply if you paid through a third party, such as a payment wallet or an agent, rather than the business directly
• In 2007 the House of Lords ruled that it applies to purchases made abroad

Chargeback is different. It’s a process run by the card schemes, not a legal right, and it works on debit, credit and prepaid cards. Claims generally need to be made within 120 days, and your card provider can’t promise to get the money back.

A discount for paying in cash can look like easy money. Before you take it, weigh up what you give up:

• No Section 75 and no chargeback: once it's handed over, there's no card provider to turn to
• Little paper trail, which makes any dispute harder, so always get an official receipt in the clinic's name
• Carrying a large sum through two airports and around a city
• Cash of £10,000 or more taken out of Great Britain must be declared to HMRC, including combined cash in a family group

A clinic that insists on cash only, or offers a much lower price without a receipt, is a warning sign in itself.

Refunds are where a lot of disputes start. Ask for written answers to these:

• Is the deposit refundable if you cancel, and up to how close to the date?
• What happens if the dentist examines you on arrival and the plan has to change?
• If the plan changes, do you get a refund of the difference, and how fast?
• If treatment stops part-way, what do you pay for, and what's refunded? Lab work already made is often not refundable.
• If the clinic cancels or moves your dates, are your flights and hotel covered?
• How refunds are paid: back to the card you used, or by another method?

Refund terms sit alongside the clinic’s warranty, which covers what happens if the work itself fails. See if something goes wrong for who pays for corrective work, flights and hotel.

1. Citizens Advice: Getting your money back if you paid by card or PayPal
2. MoneyHelper: Section 75 and chargeback protection
3. Which?: Can I claim on my credit card when something goes wrong?
4. Which?: Spending abroad, the dos and don'ts
5. Choose: Section 75 applies to purchases abroad, rules House of Lords (2007)
6. GOV.UK: Take cash in and out of the UK
7. NHS: Treatment abroad checklist (costs and exchange rates)
8. FCA: Consumer credit brokers
9. FCA: Financial Services Register
10. Financial Ombudsman Service

This guide is general information about how payments and consumer protections work. It isn’t financial or legal advice. Rules and thresholds can change; we last checked them on the date above.