Sunfish vs. ARC Fertility: IVF Packages, Refunds, and Support Compared
Sunfish vs. ARC Fertility differs most in how each program protects you if IVF takes longer than planned: Sunfish covers every eligible embryo transfer for up to a year.² The Sunfish Gold Program offers a guaranteed partial refund of up to $15,000 if you are unsuccessful,¹ while ARC's Success Refund Program refunds the cycles you don't use once you have a baby.
Sunfish and ARC Fertility are built differently, and that changes what you pay for upfront and when money comes back.
According to ARC Fertility's website, ARC connects patients with clinics and with lenders that offer monthly payment plans. ARC's Success Refund Program applies to packages with up to two or three egg retrievals and up to four or six embryo transfers.
Sunfish's IVF Success Program is bought outright, and members can apply for financing through a lending partner. The program comes as a single or double retrieval package, refunds the second cycle if you don't end up using it, includes every eligible embryo transfer for up to a year², and pairs each member with a Planning Partner. With the Gold Program, a partial refund applies if you don't achieve a live birth within the cost Sunfish forecast for you.¹
Sunfish is a fixed-price package and ARC works through lenders
Sunfish's IVF Success Program is a package a patient buys outright at a partner fertility clinic, for a price quoted before treatment begins. That price includes the treatment cycle at that clinic. A patient pays Sunfish for the program, and Sunfish pays the clinic. You can see the current list of Sunfish partner clinics before you decide.
The IVF Success Program price covers egg retrieval(s), anesthesia, embryology services, 12 months of embryo storage, in-cycle monitoring, and cycle management. Medications and PGT-A genetic testing sit outside the program price. Medications come through Sunfish's partner pharmacy with a guaranteed lowest-price match, and your clinic bills for PGT-A if you choose to opt in.
Sunfish is not a lender, and the program is not a loan. Members who want to spread the cost can apply for flexible payment options through Sunfish's lending partner, including monthly plans, split payments across multiple payment methods, and loans of up to $50,000.
ARC sells its treatment in three sizes. According to ARC Fertility's website, the One Cycle Plus package includes one retrieval and up to two embryo transfers. Two Cycle Plus includes up to two retrievals and up to four embryo transfers, and Three Cycle Plus includes up to three retrievals and up to six embryo transfers. Additionally, patients can finance through ARC's lending partners.
ARC's website describes IVF loans as personal, unsecured loans offered through its lending partners. It says lenders use credit scores to set eligibility and interest rates, and different lenders have different criteria. Terms for ARC Fertility loans come from each lender.
The difference: the two refunds protect against different outcomes
According to ARC Fertility's website, the ARC Success Refund Program is available with the Two Cycle Plus and Three Cycle Plus packages. A patient who gets pregnant and has a live birth receives a refund for any remaining cycles. ARC's website doesn't say how much is refunded per unused cycle or what happens if treatment is unsuccessful. This design pays back money for cycles the patient did not need. To use it, a patient buys two or three cycles upfront. A Sunfish member can start with a single retrieval package, so there's no need to pay for two or three cycles before treatment begins.
Sunfish prices each IVF Success Program from a predictive cost forecast, and returns a partial refund of up to $15,000, or a discount to continue treatment, if that forecast proves inaccurate¹. The refund sits on top of a fixed program price and included embryo transfers. A member's cost is capped before the refund is triggered.
ARC offers a refund when treatment succeeds early, before all purchased cycles are used. Sunfish covers both outcomes: with a double retrieval package, Sunfish refunds the second cycle if you don't use it; with the Gold Program, you receive a partial refund if the forecast proves inaccurate.¹ To see how these structures compare with other programs, read our guide to the best IVF refund programs in 2026 or learn what an IVF refund program is.
Sunfish includes every eligible embryo transfer for up to a year, whereas ARC limits transfers by package
Sunfish's IVF Success Program includes every transfer of a patient's eligible embryos at one program price, for up to a year.² A fertility clinic bills each frozen embryo transfer separately, so if one doesn't result in a pregnancy, the next attempt is another four-figure payment. Under a Sunfish program, the transfers are already paid for, and membership runs until a year has passed or all eligible embryos have been transferred, whichever comes first.²
According to ARC Fertility's website, the number of transfers depends on the package: up to two transfers with One Cycle Plus, up to four with Two Cycle Plus, and up to six with Three Cycle Plus. Transfers can be fresh or frozen, and the packages run for a benefit period of 9, 18, or 36 months. So a patient on ARC's One Cycle Plus package who has more than two viable embryos has two transfers included, while a Sunfish member can transfer every eligible embryo within the year at no additional cost.²
An RMA study of 4,515 patients aged 31 to 39 found that 94.9% achieved a pregnancy across up to three consecutive single transfers of chromosomally normal embryos. Results vary by patient, and no program can promise an outcome.
Sunfish accepts patients into its IVF Success Program at 100% eligibility
Sunfish accepts patients into its IVF Success Program at 100% eligibility, with no exclusions on age, diagnosis, or insurance, where many IVF programs screen applicants out by age or health factors.
Every participant completes a required physical evaluation with an eligible clinic, and program terms apply. You can read more about who qualifies for the Success Program.
Support looks different at each program
Every Sunfish member has a Planning Partner. This person handles billing support, checks in at each stage of treatment, and points members to educational resources and evidence-based digital tools. Clinical decisions stay with you and your clinic.
According to ARC Fertility's website, its patient services team and care navigators help patients find a clinic in the network, get a quote once a treatment plan is set, and move through the financing process.
Sunfish and ARC Fertility side by side
See if your clinic offers the Sunfish IVF Success Program
FAQs
How does ARC Fertility work?
According to ARC Fertility's website, ARC connects patients with fertility clinics through its network and offers treatment packages. Patients can pay with cash or a credit card, or finance through lending partners. Its Success Refund Program pairs with the Two Cycle Plus and Three Cycle Plus packages and refunds unused cycles after a live birth.
How much does IVF cost with Sunfish?
Sunfish gives you one all-inclusive price before treatment begins. Each partner clinic has its own pricing, and the standard package price is the same regardless of a patient's medical profile. Medications and PGT-A sit outside the program price, and both are named at the quote.
Is Sunfish a loan?
No. Sunfish is not a lender or an insurance company. The IVF Success Program is a package you buy outright, and members who want to spread the cost can apply for monthly plans, split payments, or loans of up to $50,000 through Sunfish's lending partner.
What happens if IVF doesn't work with Sunfish vs. ARC Fertility?
With Sunfish's Gold Program, if a live birth is not achieved within the cost Sunfish's software predicted for your plan, eligible patients may receive a partial refund of up to $15,000 or a discount to continue treatment.¹ According to ARC Fertility's website, its Two and Three Cycle Plus packages include additional retrievals and embryo transfers up to the package limit, and the Success Refund Program applies when a patient has a live birth and covers any remaining cycles. Confirm ARC's current terms for other outcomes with ARC Fertility.
Which program has fewer eligibility requirements?
Sunfish applies zero exclusions to its IVF Success Program on age, diagnosis, or insurance. According to ARC Fertility's website, its multicycle and refund programs have no eligibility requirements.
How many embryo transfers does each program include?
Sunfish includes every eligible embryo transfer for up to a year.² According to ARC Fertility's website, ARC includes up to two, four, or six transfers, depending on the package, over a 9, 18, or 36 month benefit period.
¹ As part of the Sunfish IVF Success Program, Sunfish provides a Custom Financial Plan using Sunfish’s proprietary software that calculates the expected financial costs for each family to achieve a Live Birth based on a range of factors. If you fail to achieve a Live Birth within your custom financial plan budget and there are unexpected financial costs that were not accurately predicted by the Financial Planning Tool, our software Warranty may entitle you to receive a partial refund of your treatment package costs. Additional costs may be incurred outside of the Treatment Package Costs. See our Sunfish IVF Success Program Agreement for conditions and details.
² See contract for eligibility requirements.
