Hidden fees in veterinary software contracts, a pre signature checklist

You found a promising platform, the demo went well, the quote looks fine, and leadership wants to move quickly. This is where many clinics get surprised. The list price on the web page or the tidy one pager from sales rarely includes everything you will actually pay. The good news, once you know what to look for, you can spot the gotchas in minutes, ask for fixes, and sign a contract that protects your clinic.

This guide walks you through the most common hidden costs, the red flags that signal future headaches, and a practical negotiation playbook. There is also a one page checklist at the end that you can drop into your internal process. Use this as a companion to your pricing page and your five year total cost of ownership model.

Why this matters more than the sticker price

Sticker price is what you see. Total cost of ownership is what you live with. The real number includes licenses, add ons, usage fees, implementation, integrations, training, support tiers, and yearly uplift. A contract that looks affordable on day one can become an expensive option by month 18 if the fine print is not clear. Your job is to surface those details now, not after you go live.

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12 common hidden costs, what they look like, and how to handle them

Each item below includes an example of the sort of language you might see, why it matters, and the specific ask that keeps you protected.

1) Data export fee on cancellation

Typical language
“Vendor will provide Customer Data export upon termination, billed at hourly professional services rates.”

Why it matters
You will switch someday. A vague export clause becomes a blank check when you need your full records, images, and attachments.

What to ask for
A fixed export fee, the exact format, and confirmation that images and attachments are included. Example, “Flat data export fee of 1,500 dollars, full dataset including images, CSV plus S3 zip, delivered within 10 business days.”

2) Annual price uplift and whether it is capped

Typical language
“Fees are subject to annual increase at Vendor discretion” or “in line with CPI.”

Why it matters
Compounding increases turn a fair year one price into a budget problem in year three.

What to ask for
A written cap. Example, “Annual increase not to exceed 3 percent, uplift applied on anniversary date only.”

3) Early termination fee

Typical language
“Upon early termination, Customer agrees to pay all remaining fees for the current term.”

Why it matters
If the product is not a fit, you need an exit that does not drain the pharmacy budget.

What to ask for
A cap or limited obligation plus a cure period for vendor breach. Example, “Early termination fee limited to three months of subscription, waived in case of uncured material breach after 30 days.”

4) Texting and email overage rates

Typical language
“Plan includes 2,000 messages per month, overages billed per message.”

Why it matters
High volume clinics can double messaging costs without a clear overage rate.

What to ask for
Exact per message pricing, how segments are counted, and whether unused credits roll over. Example, “Overage rate 0.025 dollars per SMS segment, no carrier surcharge, rollover of up to one month.”

5) API access and rate limits

Typical language
“Basic API access included, additional capacity available on Enterprise plan.”

Why it matters
Integrations, analytics, and custom workflows may require higher limits that are only available on expensive tiers.

What to ask for
Documented rate limits that meet your needs, and price locked for the first term. Example, “60 requests per minute and 100,000 requests per month included in quoted price for the entire term.”

6) Single sign on fees

Typical language
“SSO available as an add on.”

Why it matters
Security teams expect SSO, and paying separately for it can feel like a tax on being responsible.

What to ask for
Bundle SSO at your expected size or term. Example, “SSO included at no additional cost for two or more locations, effective at start of term.”

7) Premium support tiers and SLA credits

Typical language
“Gold support available, response targets vary by priority.”

Why it matters
Response time during onboarding and after hours can make or break staff morale.

What to ask for
A defined support tier, after hours coverage, and credits for missed SLAs. Example, “Response within one hour for P1, four hours for P2, after hours pager for P1, service credits of 5 percent of monthly fee per qualified incident.”

8) Implementation scope creep

Typical language
“Implementation includes up to X hours.”

Why it matters
Those hours can vanish quickly. Overages arrive as surprise invoices.

What to ask for
A detailed plan, deliverables, and a not to exceed quote. Example, “Implementation fixed fee 4,500 dollars, includes discovery, configuration, two practice data imports, test and production migrations.”

9) Training, format and hours

Typical language
“Training provided, format at Vendor discretion.”

Why it matters
If training happens only during business hours or only for a small group, you will pay in overtime or repeat sessions.

What to ask for
A realistic training plan by role, with options for evenings or weekend time blocks. Example, “Four role based sessions of 90 minutes each, recorded and available on demand, one evening session included.”

10) Lab and imaging integrations

Typical language
“Connector fees billed by vendor partners” or “certification required.”

Why it matters
Reference labs, PACS, and device connectors can add recurring and one time costs.

What to ask for
All required connectors in the quote, including any certification or storage fees. Example, “IDEXX lab, Antech lab, and PACS connectors included in subscription, no additional certification fees.”

11) Payment terminals and processing markup

Typical language
“Payment terminals billed monthly, processing fees vary.”

Why it matters
A small basis point change on card volume is real money in a busy clinic.

What to ask for
Terminal model and rental cost, processing markup in basis points, and whether you can bring your own processor. Example, “Lane 3000 terminals 60 dollars per month each, processing markup 30 bps over interchange, option to use existing processor.”

12) Backups and disaster recovery

Typical language
“Backups maintained, recovery at Vendor discretion.”

Why it matters
You pay for retention, and you pay again when you need a restore.

What to ask for
Retention period, off site storage, restore test cadence, and any restore fees. Example, “Thirty day retention, off site encrypted storage, quarterly restore test, no fee for a standard restore.”

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Red flags in proposals that deserve a pause

• Vague or discretionary language, phrases like “as available,” “market rate,” or “may change without notice.” These mask cost and service commitments. Ask for numbers and dates.

• No uplift cap listed anywhere. If it is not in the order form, you do not have it.

• Required integrations quoted separately by a third party, especially when the core workflow depends on them. Bundle those costs into your primary quote.

• Professional services as time and materials with no estimate. Ask for a fixed fee or a not to exceed number.

• Auto renewal with a long notice window, for example 90 days. If you miss the window, you are locked into another year. Aim for 30 days.

• SLA without credits. A response time promise without consequences is just marketing.

• Export rights missing, or data export defined only as “available upon request.” Get the when, the what, and the how.

• Scope defined by a screenshot, not by a list of deliverables. Screenshots age quickly. Deliverables travel better.

• Price dependencies on unnamed partners. If a partner changes their price, your clinic should not absorb an arbitrary increase mid term.

• Sales promises not reflected in the order form. If it matters, write it into the contract.
  
  

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A negotiation playbook that works for busy clinics

You do not need a drawn out process. A few focused asks and a short list of trade offs will protect your budget and your team.

1. Write your three non negotiables. For example, uplift cap, export fee, required connectors included. Share them early.

2. Offer a fair trade. Vendors move when you move. Tie your asks to term, to a quicker signature, or to a case study. “We will sign a 24 month term, in exchange please cap uplift at 3 percent and include SSO.”

3. Put critical items on the order form. Email promises are easy to forget. The order form is what billing and support teams will follow.

4. Fix the things that get expensive later. Lock the export fee, the uplift cap, the API tier, and the SSO decision now. You will not have leverage later.

5. Ask for a short opt out after go-live. Thirty or sixty days gives you a safety valve if reality does not match the demo.

6. Use a small services bank. Many clinics need a little help after go-live. Ask for 10 to 20 hours of services included, to be used within the first six months.

7. Get a not to exceed quote for implementation. If the vendor cannot commit, ask why.

8. Confirm who pays partner fees. Labs, devices, and terminals, get those costs on the page.

9. Ask what they often waive. Setup fees, SSO, and small overages are commonly waived for multi location clinics or longer terms. If they say “we often waive,” ask them to waive for you.

10. Use a TCO model to compare. When two quotes are close, run the five year math. The lower sticker price is not always the lower cost.
    
    

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One page printable checklist

Paste this into your internal wiki or your CMS and run the list before you sign. Keep the square brackets to make it checkbox friendly.

Hidden fees pre signature checklist

• Uplift percent written and capped on the order form

• Data export fee fixed, format confirmed, images and attachments included

• Early termination limited, with a cure period for vendor breach

• Messaging overage rate per SMS segment written and understood

• API rate limits documented and sufficient for our needs

• SSO included or waived at our size or term

• Support tier chosen, after hours coverage, SLA credits specified

• Implementation scope defined, fixed fee or not to exceed

• Training plan by role, with recordings and after hours options

• Required lab and imaging connectors included in the quote

• Payment terminals specified, processing markup in basis points listed

• Backup retention, restore testing, and restore fees documented

• Auto renewal notice period 30 days, not 90

• All sales promises reflected in the order form, not only in email
  

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Final thought and next steps

Hidden fees are not a sign that a vendor is bad. They are a sign that software is complex and sales quotes are simplified for speed. Your role is to turn a quick quote into a clear agreement that fits your clinic. Use the checklist, ask for the cap, lock the export, and confirm the integrations. You will save real money and real time.

Download the TCO calculator and walkthrough, then plug in two vendors side by side. If the totals are close, your checklist will be the tie breaker. Add both links to your pricing pages so your team and your peers can make faster, better decisions.