Then when a charge comes up, often due to a no-show, the clinician can charge the card in the client’s absence and immediately collect payment.
In order to prevent losses from such situations – and sometimes to simplify the process for both clinician and client – some therapists ask clients to provide credit card information for the therapist to keep on file. It may be more innocent, where the client is willing to pay but has poor organization. It may be your no-show fee, wherein the client not only no-shows but doesn’t communicate with you again.
If you’re in private practice for long enough, you’ll have that experience where a client fails to pay something they owe you.