Yes. The South African Veterinary Council's Code of Conduct says a vet may request a deposit when an animal is admitted, and calls it advisable where treatment will be extensive. A client you consider a doubtful payer may be asked to pay the estimated fee upfront or a reasonable deposit. Two conditions sit alongside that: the owner must be given an estimate of fees, and in an emergency you must relieve immediate pain and suffering whether or not a deposit is paid.
Money conversations are some of the hardest a practice has, usually with an upset owner at the counter. Here is what the SAVC actually says, and how to set up your practice so fewer bills go unpaid in the first place.
This is a plain-language summary of SAVC rules and guidance, not legal advice. Ask the SAVC or an attorney about a specific case.
The estimate comes first
Rule 9 of the SAVC's Rules relating to the practising of veterinary professions requires a veterinary professional to tell the client the approximate fee:
- as soon as reasonably practical after the patient has been examined
- in an emergency, as soon as the patient is stabilised
- when a service is needed in addition to the one originally expected
The vet must also keep the client up to date with costs on an ongoing basis (except in an emergency) and send an itemised account as soon as possible, and no later than 30 days after the service. Fees for standard procedures may be displayed in reception instead of giving a separate estimate.
An estimate does more than satisfy the rule. It is the moment where a deposit request makes sense to the owner.
When you may ask for a deposit
The SAVC Code of Conduct covers deposits in section 3.9. It says vets may request a deposit on admission, and that it is advisable for extensive treatment because it:
- avoids confrontations with clients unwilling or unable to pay
- avoids animals being abandoned at the clinic
- gives the owner the chance to discuss an alternative or cheaper treatment
- avoids bad debts
For questionable payers, section 3.1.2 says the client "may be requested to pay the estimated fee upfront or to pay a reasonable deposit, which should at least cover the veterinarian's expenses and a part of the fee". If they will not, they can be referred to a welfare organisation or a colleague. The Code is also clear that "a veterinarian is not obliged to extend credit to a client".
It also warns against assumptions: "the veterinarian must not assume that because a client is not rich he/she does not intend to pay."
The emergency exception
Section 3.9 ends with the limit that matters most. If an owner is unwilling or unable to pay a deposit, the vet "shall alleviate immediate pain and suffering, in the case of an emergency, or refuse to treat the animal in the case of a non-emergency and refer the client elsewhere". Elsewhere the Code repeats that initial emergency treatment should always be given regardless of a client's history of non-payment.
So a deposit policy can never be the reason an animal in acute distress is turned away untreated.
A deposit policy at a glance
| Situation | What the SAVC guidance allows |
|---|---|
| Routine consultation | Fee can be shown in reception; no deposit guidance specific to this |
| Admission for extensive treatment | Deposit may be requested and is advisable |
| Client you consider a questionable payer | Estimated fee upfront, or a deposit covering at least your expenses and part of the fee |
| Owner will not pay, non-emergency | You may decline and refer elsewhere |
| Owner will not pay, emergency | Relieve immediate pain and suffering first |
| Client with a history of not paying | May be grounds to refuse treatment, except initial emergency care |
Can you keep the animal until the bill is paid?
This is where the Code is most cautious. Section 3.8 says releasing an animal without payment, except in obvious hardship, is unacceptable, and suggests preventing the situation by offering card payment, discussing the fee in advance and accepting genuine offers to pay in instalments. It then adds that "there is little to be gained by retaining an animal pending payment", because costs keep accruing and public sympathy shifts to the owner, and that it may be better to release the animal and collect the debt through legal channels.
The SAVC says it is not prescriptive on this and will not entertain complaints about it. In other words, it is your judgement, and the Code's own leaning is towards release plus collection.
Stopping bad debt before it starts
Most unpaid vet bills come from the same few gaps:
- No written estimate, so the final account feels like a surprise.
- No update when costs change, which rule 9 requires anyway.
- No easy way to pay, especially for owners who left in a hurry.
- No follow-up, because the team is busy and chasing money feels uncomfortable.
The last one is the most common and the most fixable. Send the itemised account promptly, include a way to pay, and follow up on a set schedule rather than when someone remembers. Remi's PaidUp invoice chasing (R299 a month) does that follow-up for you with polite reminders and a payment link, so the conversation stays friendly and the practice gets paid.
Where the phone comes in
Many money questions arrive by phone before the animal does: "How much is a consult?", "Do you need a deposit for a spay?", "Can I pay it off?". When those calls go unanswered, owners turn up without knowing your policy, and that is where confrontations start. An AI receptionist set up for vets can answer at any hour, explain the policies you have given it, book the visit and send a payment link where you take deposits. Remi never gives veterinary advice and puts urgent calls straight through to the vet on duty.
The short version
- Give the owner an approximate fee after examination, update it as costs change, and send an itemised account within 30 days.
- You may request a deposit on admission, and it is advisable for extensive treatment.
- A doubtful payer may be asked to pay the estimated fee upfront or a reasonable deposit. You do not have to extend credit.
- In an emergency, relieve immediate pain and suffering whether or not a deposit is paid.
- Holding an animal over a bill is your call, but the Code leans towards releasing it and collecting the debt legally.
- Most bad debt is a follow-up problem. Chase on a schedule, with a payment link.