Nelly Review 2026

Last updated: May 2026

What Is Nelly?

Nelly Solutions is the German fintech providing instant payment factoring for healthcare practices. The company pays doctors, dentists, and clinics the full invoice amount immediately while collecting from patients over time, with installment options that improve patient payment success rates.

The pitch matters in German healthcare. Private practices commonly wait 30-90 days for patient payments, with significant uncollectible debt. Nelly removes that delay by purchasing receivables. The practice books the invoice as cash on day one; Nelly takes on the collection risk and patient communication.

The product is built specifically for the German Privatleistungen (private medical services) and IGeL markets. Most patients in these segments are responsible for direct payment without insurance reimbursement. Cash flow in these practices is the operational bottleneck, and Nelly's value prop is removing it.

How Nelly Works

The practice issues an invoice through Nelly's billing flow at the end of a patient visit. The invoice is generated on Nelly's letterhead with the practice's branding alongside. Nelly pays the practice the full invoice amount within 1-3 banking days minus the agreed discount.

Nelly then handles collection. Patients can pay in full immediately, set up installment plans (typically 2-12 months), or pay by various methods including SEPA debit, card, or PayPal. If a patient defaults, Nelly absorbs the loss. The practice never sees the receivable risk.

The patient experience is white-labeled. Communications appear to come from the practice with Nelly handling the back-end financial relationship. Modern email and SMS reminders replace paper invoices, which improves collection rates.

The platform integrates with the major German medical practice management systems (PVS), so invoice data flows directly from existing workflows. No double-entry. The practice's existing billing process gains a financing layer without operational disruption.

Nelly Pricing in 2026

Pricing is transaction-based. The exact discount rate depends on:

• Patient risk profile (creditworthiness, insurance status)
• Invoice amount (larger invoices typically have lower percentage discounts)
• Term length of patient installment
• Practice volume (high-volume practices negotiate better rates)

Typical discount ranges fall between 3% and 8% of invoice value. A €1,000 dental procedure invoice might net the practice €920-€970 after Nelly's fees, paid immediately rather than collected over months with bad-debt risk.

Most practices find the math works when comparing Nelly's fees to the combined cost of: a) the time value of money waiting 30-90 days, b) administrative overhead of collecting, c) bad-debt losses on unpaid invoices.

Where Nelly Wins

• Cash flow predictability: invoices convert to cash within days rather than months. Operational planning becomes easier.
• Patient-friendly installments: practices can offer 2-12 month payment plans without taking on the credit risk themselves.
• No collection workload: Nelly handles reminders, communications, and dunning processes. Practice staff stop chasing patient payments.
• Bad-debt risk transferred: practices receive full payment regardless of patient default. Removes a real source of revenue volatility.
• German market specialization: tax treatment, legal compliance, and patient experience all tuned for the German healthcare market.

Where It Falls Short

• Germany-only: international practices need country-specific alternatives.
• Discount fees reduce margin: practices pay 3-8% to gain liquidity. For practices already collecting efficiently with minimal bad debt, the fee may exceed the value gained.
• Patient onboarding takes a moment: first-time patients need to set up payment methods. Small friction at point of care.
• Patient credit decisions can decline: Nelly evaluates patient creditworthiness. Some patients may not qualify for instalment options, requiring upfront payment.

Nelly vs PVS vs Healthcare Practice Factoring

PVS (Privatärztliche Verrechnungsstelle) is the traditional German medical billing service. Established, trusted, but typically charges higher fees and offers less modern patient communication.

Other healthcare factoring providers exist in Germany with similar models. The differences come down to specific fee structures, patient experience, and practice management system integrations.

Self-collection remains the baseline alternative. Practices that collect efficiently with low bad-debt rates may find self-collection more economical, especially for smaller practices with patient relationships that support direct payment expectations.

Who Should Use Nelly

Private dental practices: high-value procedures with significant cash flow gaps. Strong fit.

Aesthetic medicine and dermatology clinics: high-ticket cosmetic procedures with patients expecting financing options.

Specialist medical practices with private patient mix: orthopedics, fertility, vision correction with substantial Privatleistungen.

New practices with limited cash reserves: removing the cash flow gap helps young practices reinvest in growth.

Skip it if: you operate primarily on insurance reimbursement (GKV) rather than private payments, your patient base reliably pays on receipt (rare for high-ticket private services), or you operate outside Germany.

Frequently Asked Questions