Tyro Health launches GapOnly Vet Portal for clinics

Tyro Health has launched the GapOnly Vet Portal for veterinary clinics, linking real-time pet insurance claiming and payments in a single workflow.

The portal is free for clinics to access, with charges applying only when claims and payments are raised.

The launch extends Tyro Health's partnership with GapOnly, a PetSure solution, in the Australian pet insurance market. GapOnly is already used in about 85% of Australian veterinary clinics and handles more than 3,000 real-time claims a day.

For clinics, the portal combines claim processing, payment requests, settlement and reconciliation in one system. Staff can view approved benefits, confirm a pet owner's remaining out-of-pocket amount and request payment from the same portal.

The system is designed to reduce a longstanding friction point in pet care billing, where insured owners often pay the full invoice and wait to be reimbursed later. Under the GapOnly model, eligible claims are processed at the point of care, and owners pay only the remaining amount before leaving the clinic.

Pet owners can receive payment links by SMS or email and pay using methods including Apple Pay and Google Pay. Clinics can send requests immediately or after treatment is completed, giving staff flexibility when claim outcomes are still being finalised.

The move comes as treatment costs for common conditions in dogs and cats continue to run into the hundreds or thousands of dollars. That has increased pressure on clinics to make claims and payment processes clearer for customers while managing their own back-office workload.

Clinic workflow

The portal is intended to widen access to real-time claiming regardless of a clinic's size or location. GapOnly is embedded in everyday workflows across more than 1,800 veterinary clinics nationally and is available through more than 20 pet insurance partners.

The new portal adds Tyro Health's payment tools to that network. It also gives veterinary practices another way to use Tyro Health services alongside Tyro Health Pro devices for in-clinic payments.

Adriano Perillo, Chief Executive Officer of Tyro Health, said the change was aimed at easing administrative pressure on veterinary staff.

"Vet teams should be able to focus on care, not paperwork, disconnected payment processes, or end-of-day reconciliation," Perillo said.

He said the company had adapted its existing payments and claiming systems for veterinary use.

"We've been able to take Tyro Health's deep claiming and payments capability and apply it to pet health in a practical way. By bringing that capability to the GapOnly Vet Portal, we're helping clinics simplify the financial side of the vet visit, while giving pet owners a simpler way to pay," Perillo said.

Insurance access

The companies are targeting a part of the healthcare payments market where digital claiming has become a key service feature. In pet insurance, quick confirmation of benefits at the clinic can affect whether owners can proceed with treatment without first covering the full bill themselves.

Maria Neale, General Manager of GapOnly, said the partnership was intended to bring claiming and payments closer together.

"GapOnly has already transformed pet insurance claiming at the point of care, giving veterinary clinics a simpler way to support customers through the claims process," Neale said.

"We are continuing to innovate so claims and payments work more seamlessly together, reducing complexity for clinics and giving pet owners a clearer, simpler experience of the value their insurance provides. Tyro Health's expertise supports the next stage of that ambition, helping make real-time claiming more accessible across Australia," she said.

Tyro Health is also preparing the claiming experience for integration with veterinary software systems already used by clinics. Its EFTPOS and digital payment tools will be made available through an integration interface for software partners.

That would allow clinics to access real-time claiming through their existing practice management software while linking payment acceptance and reconciliation more closely to daily operations.

Tyro Health operates across a wider payments market, serving more than 76,000 merchants in Australia and working with more than 450 partners. The veterinary rollout adds to its health sector activity as payment providers seek a larger role in specialist administrative workflows rather than only processing card transactions.

GapOnly remains one of Australia's most widely used real-time pet insurance claiming networks, with its reach across most clinics giving Tyro Health access to an established base of veterinary users.