Why the Deposit Deserves Its Own Checklist
Up to the point of paying a deposit, everything in a medical quote process is reversible. You can compare replies, ask more questions, walk away. Once you pay, you have a booking, a date, and usually a set of terms you agreed to without reading closely because the important part felt like the surgery itself.
The deposit is where most avoidable disputes begin: a refund the patient believed was guaranteed, a date change the clinic treated as a cancellation, an exchange rate nobody mentioned, or a payment sent to an account that turned out not to belong to the clinic at all. Almost all of these come down to questions that were not asked, or were answered in a voice note rather than in writing.
This checklist is organized in the order you will usually encounter the issues. Use it as a script.
Part 1: What Exactly Are You Paying For?
Start by pinning down what the deposit secures and how it fits into the total.
- What does the deposit reserve? The surgeon's time, the operating room, a hospital bed, or simply a place in the queue?
- Is it part of the total price or an additional fee? Ask for the remaining balance stated as a number.
- Which quote does it attach to? Reference the quote by date or number so there is no ambiguity about which version of the price you accepted.
- Which items are included in the total? The CDC Yellow Book (2026 edition) advises medical travelers to confirm which services are included in a quoted price, noting that some facilities charge substantial additional fees for follow-up care.
If the quote was not itemized, this is the last good moment to ask for that. Our guide on asking for an itemized quote covers how to do it politely.
Part 2: The Refund and Change Rules
Refund policies differ widely between clinics. There is no standard to assume, so ask about every scenario below and get each answer written into the agreement or a confirming email.
| Scenario | Question to ask |
|---|---|
| You cancel well in advance | Up to what date is the deposit fully refundable? Is any part kept as an administrative fee? |
| You cancel close to the date | What portion, if any, is refunded? Can it be credited toward a later date instead? |
| You need to reschedule | How many date changes are allowed, with how much notice, and at what cost? |
| The clinic or surgeon reschedules | Do you get a full refund if you cannot make the new date? Are your non-refundable flight costs considered? |
| You are found unsuitable after the in-person exam | Is the deposit refunded? Are consultation or test fees deducted? |
| Your health changes before travel | If a doctor advises you not to proceed, how is that treated? |
| A travel disruption stops you arriving | Flight cancellations, border issues, a family emergency: is any of this covered? |
The "unsuitable after the exam" row deserves special attention. Remote quotes are built on photos, imaging and questionnaires. A surgeon who examines you in person may recommend a different procedure or advise against surgery entirely. A clinic that has thought this through will have a clear answer.
How refunds are actually paid
Ask how a refund would be returned: to the original card, by bank transfer, in which currency, and how long it typically takes. A refund converted back from Colombian pesos may not match what you paid in dollars or another currency.
Part 3: Paying Safely
Payment safety has two parts: choosing a method with some protection, and making sure the money reaches the clinic you think you are paying.
Method
The US Federal Trade Commission (2026) warns that insisting on payment only by bank transfer, wire, cryptocurrency, payment app or gift card is a hallmark of scams, because those methods make it difficult to recover money. The FTC recommends paying by credit card where possible because cards allow you to dispute charges.
That does not mean every clinic requesting a transfer is dishonest. International card fees are real, and some legitimate providers prefer transfers. But it does mean a transfer should only go to a payee you have independently verified, and that you should treat pressure to pay a particular way, quickly, as a warning sign.
If you pay by US credit card, know your dispute window. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (reviewed 2024) says to contact the card company promptly and send a written billing error notice within 60 days of the charge first appearing on your statement. Surgery dates are often more than 60 days after a deposit, so do not assume a dispute will be available months later. Check with your card issuer about how they handle disputes over services that have not yet been delivered.
Payee verification
- Request a formal invoice that names the clinic's legal entity and shows the same name as the receiving account.
- Confirm the account details by phone using a number from the clinic's official website, not one supplied in the same message as the bank details.
- Be very cautious if bank details change partway through the process, or arrive from a new email address or phone number.
- Avoid paying an individual's personal account unless you understand and have confirmed why.
- Send a small test amount first if you are unsure, and confirm receipt before sending the rest.
Part 4: Currency and Fees
Quotes from Colombian providers to international patients may be written in US dollars, Colombian pesos, or both. Before paying, ask:
- In which currency is the price fixed?
- If the quote is in pesos and you pay in another currency, whose exchange rate applies, and on which date?
- Does the clinic add a surcharge for card payments?
- Who pays the transfer fees on each side?
- Is the balance due before surgery, on arrival, or after discharge, and by what method?
Currency movement between deposit and balance can change what you pay in your own money. That is not the clinic's fault, but you should know who carries the risk.
Part 5: Get It in Writing, in One Place
Many patients in Colombia communicate with clinics through WhatsApp, which is convenient but scatters important terms across voice notes and chat bubbles. Before paying, ask for a single written document, or at least a single summarizing email, that includes:
The deposit confirmation should state
- Patient name and the procedure(s) booked
- Surgeon name and facility
- Procedure date and expected length of stay
- Total price, deposit amount, balance and currency
- What the total includes and excludes
- Refund and rescheduling terms for each scenario
- Payment method and receiving account details
- Name and contact of the person responsible for your booking
If a clinic is reluctant to put its terms in writing, treat that as information. Clear terms protect both sides.
Signals That Should Make You Pause
- Pressure to pay immediately to "lock in" a discount that expires today
- Payment requested before you have spoken with the surgeon or a qualified clinician
- Refusal to describe what happens if you are found unsuitable
- Bank details that do not match the clinic's legal name
- Requests for gift cards, cryptocurrency or payment to a third party you have not heard of
None of these automatically means fraud, but each one is reason to slow down and ask more questions before paying.
After You Pay
Save the receipt, the invoice, the written terms and a screenshot of any chat confirmation in one folder. Note the date of the charge for any card dispute window. Ask the clinic to confirm receipt in writing and to send the next steps: pre-op instructions, required tests and arrival logistics.
This article is general consumer guidance, not legal or financial advice, and terms vary between providers and countries. Read any patient agreement in full, and confirm medical aspects of your booking with qualified clinicians.
Want to See the Numbers First?
Check procedure-specific cost estimates before you submit your request. US cash-pay vs Colombia ranges, worked through line by line. How we build an estimate →