Cash Pay And Self Pay Rate Question?

Do both mean exactly the same thing when it comes to making payment at the doctor's office? I know if you choose to self pay, that means you either don't have health insurance and pay yourself or you might have health insurance but want to pay yourself and not use your health insurance.

I always hear people say that self paying costs would be cheaper and people refer to it as the cash pay or self pay rate. But does it mean exactly the same thing? When I think of cash pay discount, I think that you are actually paying physical cash. Or does the cash pay or self pay rate mean paying by credit card or debit card as well?

The thing is I know that when you go to certain stores, some will charge you a bit less if you pay in cash as opposed to a credit card. Or if you pay in card, you pay a bit extra since that business has to incur extra processing fees. I noticed that at stores but never thought much about it.

The thing is when you visit a doctor and pay the self pay rate, that is the same amount whether you pay in physical cash or credit card right? Now when it comes to self pay, do more people pay physical cash vs credit card or is it the other way around? Do some people pay debit card? When it comes to self pay, is it almost always one of these 3 methods of payment right? What is the most popular form of payment people do when they self pay at a doctor's office?

So if you are self paying, that basically means you are getting a cash discount right since you are not using health insurance and thus paying by either cash, credit card or debit card? The thing is some doctor's offices will make you pay an extra fee if you use a credit card right due to processing fees? But does that mean some offices charge you less if you pay physical cash compared to using your credit card?