From conversation to payment: Sierra and Stripe
Payments are becoming increasingly important, as agents move from one-and-done support conversations to interactions that can drive revenue. Yet all too often at the moment of purchase, customers are transferred to another system or sent a payment link — bifurcating what should be a seamless process.
Our partnership with Stripe removes this friction so customers can have a conversation, pay, and get their receipt all on the same call.
Cedar shows how it works
Cedar was one of the first companies to take payments over the phone through Sierra’s integration with Stripe. Medical bills can be confusing and stressful to navigate. One visit can produce separate charges or insurance adjustments that are hard to follow. Cedar helps health systems and physician groups make billing and payments easier for patients.
Now patients who call about a bill can get their questions answered and pay in the same conversation. When it’s time to pay, the agent moves into a secure payment mode. The customer then enters their card details on the keypad, which are routed to Stripe to process the payment. Once it’s gone through, the agent comes back on the line to confirm the transaction and help with whatever the patient needs next.
When patients start a payment with Kora, Cedar’s agent, 71.3% of those calls end in a successful payment.
“Medical bills create a moment of real anxiety for patients, and historically, getting a question answered and actually paying the bill have been two separate, disconnected steps. Working with Sierra and Stripe, we’ve closed that gap. A patient can call confused about a charge and leave the conversation with clarity and a resolved balance, in the same call. ”
What’s next
Sierra is now listed in the Stripe App Marketplace, so any business can connect their agent to their Stripe account without a one-off integration. And payments are just one part of a broader collaboration with Stripe. We’re also working with Stripe and other partners on Personal Agent Protocol, the open standard Meta and Sierra are building to define how personal agents interact with businesses. That includes how payments should work when a personal agent interacts with a business on someone’s behalf.
If your business already uses Stripe, install Sierra from the Stripe App Marketplace or get in touch with our team.
