Hidden IVF Fees: What Clinics Don’t Always Tell You

When planning for IVF, most patients focus on the headline price — the base cost of a single treatment cycle. But beyond the quoted fee lies a series of additional charges that can significantly increase your overall spend. In this blog, we’ll walk through the most common hidden IVF fees in the UK so you can go into treatment with your eyes open and your budget intact.

1. Medication Costs: Often excluded from package pricing, medications can add £1,000–£2,000 per cycle. The exact cost depends on your dose, duration of stimulation, and whether extras like trigger shots or progesterone are needed.
   
2. Blood Tests and Scans: Some clinics charge separately for hormone panels, AMH testing, and even routine ultrasounds — especially if done outside a defined treatment window. These tests can add £300–£500 in early-stage costs.
   
3. Embryo Freezing and Storage: Freezing surplus embryos and storing them for future use is often a separate fee. Expect to pay £400–£600 for the initial freezing and £300–£500 annually for storage thereafter.
   
4. Sedation and Anaesthesia: While egg collection requires sedation, not all clinics include this in the base fee. Sedation charges can range from £200 to £500 depending on the type and provider.
   
5. Embryology Lab Fees: Procedures such as ICSI, embryo biopsy, and assisted hatching may be billed individually. ICSI alone can cost £1,000–£1,500 and is sometimes recommended after poor fertilisation outcomes.
   
6. Blastocyst Culture or Time-Lapse Imaging: Keeping embryos in culture longer or using time-lapse monitoring for selection can be helpful — but these often cost £400–£800 extra.
   
7. Follow-Up Consultations: If your cycle is unsuccessful, clinics may charge for review appointments or treatment planning discussions. These sessions typically cost £100–£250.
   
8. Refund Plan Admin Fees: If using a money-back guarantee scheme or multi-cycle plan, some clinics charge administrative fees upfront, or add a surcharge for refund eligibility.
   
9. Courier Fees: If donor eggs or sperm are shipped from external banks, expect additional charges of £100–£300 for handling, transportation, and documentation.
   
10. Cancellation or Cycle Abandonment Fees: If a cycle is cancelled due to poor response, overstimulation, or personal choice, some clinics still retain part of the payment — or charge separately for monitoring already done.

Real-life example: Tom and Natasha budgeted £6,000 for their first IVF cycle. By the end of treatment, they’d spent nearly £9,000 after paying for medications, embryo freezing, and ICSI. None of those costs were flagged in the initial consultation.

IVF pricing can be complex, but it doesn’t have to be a surprise. Always request a fully itemised quote before starting, and ask your clinic which services are included — and which are not. With the right information, you can make smarter financial decisions and avoid budget shortfalls mid-treatment.