Deposits: How Much Is Normal, and When You Should Refuse

Prices on this page are MedMatch Global's own published figures, checked against our partner clinics' current written price lists on August 11, 2026. Comparison figures for the U.S. and Canada are published private-pay averages, sourced separately. This page is general information, not medical advice.

The right order of events

Nearly every bad medical-travel story starts with these steps happening in the wrong sequence. The correct order costs nothing and protects everything:

1. You send records — x-rays, CBCT, photographs, a medication list, relevant history.
2. The surgeon reviews them and produces a treatment plan, not a price list.
3. You speak to that surgeon on video — the person who will actually operate, not a coordinator or a sales adviser.
4. You receive a written quote naming the procedure, materials or implant brand, unit count, what is included, and what would make the number change.
5. You receive the refund and complication policy in writing.
6. Then, and only then, you pay a deposit to hold a date.

What a normal deposit looks like

Between 10% and 25% of the treatment cost, or a fixed few hundred dollars, to reserve theatre time and the surgeon's diary. The balance is paid at the clinic, usually on the day of treatment or across the treatment days.

• Under 10% is common for hair and dental and is entirely normal.
• 25% or above starts to need a reason — a bespoke implant order, a booked theatre slot with a cancellation cost to the hospital, an imported component.
• Full payment in advance is not normal for any of the treatments on this site. Decline it. The one lever you retain if something is wrong is the balance you have not yet paid.

MedMatch's own $300 coordination fee is separate from any clinic deposit and does not replace it.

How to pay: card, not wire

This is the most practical piece of advice on this page.

• Credit card, wherever the clinic accepts it. A card payment carries a chargeback route if services are not delivered as described. That protection is worth more than the 2–3% surcharge a clinic may add — pay the surcharge.
• Bank transfer is normal in Türkiye and not a red flag in itself, but it is effectively irreversible. If you must wire, wire only the deposit and pay the balance by card on arrival.
• Never send money to a personal account. The account name must match the clinic or hospital's registered business name. A mismatch ends the conversation.
• Never pay in cryptocurrency, whatever discount is offered. There is no recovery route and no legitimate reason for a hospital to prefer it.
• Keep every receipt and the written quote. A chargeback claim depends on documented promises.

The four terms to get in writing before paying anything

1. What the price includes and excludes, itemised — including whether grafting, sedation, imaging and the second trip are inside it.
2. What happens if the plan changes after your in-person examination. The single most common on-arrival surprise. Ask for the maximum the number can move, and what triggers it.
3. The refund and rescheduling terms if you cancel, and if the clinic cancels.
4. The complication and revision policy — who pays for a revision, for how long after treatment, and whether it must be performed in Türkiye.

Ask for all four in one email. Any legitimate clinic can produce them in a day, because they already exist.

If you need to cancel

Cancellations happen — illness, a family emergency, a change of mind after a second opinion. Reputable clinics generally hold a deposit as credit against a rescheduled date rather than refunding it outright, and many will hold it for six to twelve months. That is a reasonable position given the theatre time reserved.

What is not reasonable is a policy that appears for the first time after you have cancelled. If the terms were not stated in writing before you paid, say so plainly and ask them to honour a credit. And if you paid by card and the clinic refuses to honour terms it agreed to in writing, that written quote is exactly the evidence a chargeback needs.

Frequently asked questions

Should I pay a deposit before speaking to the surgeon?+

No. Get the video consultation with the surgeon who will actually operate, the written quote and the complication policy first — then pay a deposit. Paying a deposit is normal; paying it before that conversation is the wrong order and removes your leverage.

How much deposit is normal for surgery in Türkiye?+

Ten to twenty-five per cent of the treatment cost, or a fixed few hundred dollars, to hold theatre time. Above 25% needs a specific reason. Full payment in advance is not normal for dental, hair, rhinoplasty or knee surgery — decline it.

Is it safe to wire money to a Turkish clinic?+

Bank transfer is a normal payment method there and is not itself a warning sign, but it is effectively irreversible. Wire only the deposit if you must, pay the balance by card on arrival, and never send money to a personal account — the account name must match the registered clinic or hospital.

Can I pay by credit card?+

Most established clinics accept cards, sometimes with a 2–3% surcharge. Pay the surcharge. A card payment carries a chargeback route if services are not delivered as described, and that protection is worth considerably more than the fee.

What if I need to cancel?+

Most reputable clinics hold the deposit as credit against a rescheduled date, often for six to twelve months, rather than refunding it. That is reasonable — but the terms must have been given to you in writing before you paid. If they were not, say so and ask for a credit.

Is MedMatch's fee the same as a deposit?+

No, they are separate. The $300 Patient Care & Coordination Fee is paid to us for coordinating your care; any clinic deposit is paid to the clinic to hold your date and comes off your treatment balance.

Should I ever pay in cryptocurrency?+

No, regardless of the discount offered. There is no recovery route, no chargeback, and no legitimate reason a hospital would prefer it over a card or a bank transfer.

This page is general information, not medical advice. Always consult a licensed dentist or physician about your individual case before making treatment decisions. Prices are estimates and depend on your clinical assessment.