diff --git a/adminapp/src/pages/VendorConfigurationDetailPage.jsx b/adminapp/src/pages/VendorConfigurationDetailPage.jsx
index 8600d9aa5..33c22419a 100644
--- a/adminapp/src/pages/VendorConfigurationDetailPage.jsx
+++ b/adminapp/src/pages/VendorConfigurationDetailPage.jsx
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ export default function VendorConfigurationDetailPage() {
         },
         { label: "Auth-to-Vendor", value: model.authToVendorKey },
         { label: "Enabled", value: <BoolCheckmark>{model.enabled}</BoolCheckmark> },
+        {
+          label: "Platform Payment Never Required",
+          value: <BoolCheckmark>{model.platformPaymentNeverRequired}</BoolCheckmark>,
+        },
         { label: "Description (En)", value: model.descriptionText.en },
         { label: "Description (Es)", value: model.descriptionText.es },
         { label: "Help (En)", value: model.helpText.en },
diff --git a/adminapp/src/pages/VendorConfigurationForm.jsx b/adminapp/src/pages/VendorConfigurationForm.jsx
index 09318c361..93026de66 100644
--- a/adminapp/src/pages/VendorConfigurationForm.jsx
+++ b/adminapp/src/pages/VendorConfigurationForm.jsx
@@ -43,6 +43,13 @@ export default function VendorConfigurationForm({
           checked={resource.enabled}
           onChange={setFieldFromInput}
         />
+        <FormControlLabel
+          control={<Switch />}
+          label="Platform Payment Never Required"
+          name="platformPaymentNeverRequired"
+          checked={resource.platformPaymentNeverRequired}
+          onChange={setFieldFromInput}
+        />
         <FormLabel>Description</FormLabel>
         <ResponsiveStack>
           <MultiLingualText
diff --git a/db/migrations/112_vendor_config_platform_payment.rb b/db/migrations/112_vendor_config_platform_payment.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8f4bb247b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrations/112_vendor_config_platform_payment.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+Sequel.migration do
+  change do
+    alter_table(:anon_proxy_vendor_configurations) do
+      add_column :platform_payment_never_required, :boolean, null: false, default: false
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/suma/admin_api/anon_proxy_vendor_configurations.rb b/lib/suma/admin_api/anon_proxy_vendor_configurations.rb
index 11700ffbd..de0b703b6 100644
--- a/lib/suma/admin_api/anon_proxy_vendor_configurations.rb
+++ b/lib/suma/admin_api/anon_proxy_vendor_configurations.rb
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ class DetailedVendorConfigurationEntity < AnonProxyVendorConfigurationEntity
 
     expose_related :audit_activities, with: ActivityEntity, inherit_permissions: true
     expose_related :programs, with: ProgramEntity
+    expose :platform_payment_never_required
     expose :description_text, with: TranslatedTextEntity
     expose :help_text, with: TranslatedTextEntity
     expose :terms_text, with: TranslatedTextEntity
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@ class DetailedVendorConfigurationEntity < AnonProxyVendorConfigurationEntity
     ) do
       params do
         optional :enabled, type: Boolean
+        optional :platform_payment_never_required, type: Boolean
         optional :app_install_link, type: String
         optional(:description_text, type: JSON) { use :translated_text }
         optional(:help_text, type: JSON) { use :translated_text }
diff --git a/lib/suma/anon_proxy/vendor_account.rb b/lib/suma/anon_proxy/vendor_account.rb
index a0cdd4c82..cbf6c3d35 100644
--- a/lib/suma/anon_proxy/vendor_account.rb
+++ b/lib/suma/anon_proxy/vendor_account.rb
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ def needs_linking?(now:) = self.auth_to_vendor.needs_linking?(now:)
   # If we have any results from this, we probably need pricing,
   # and can ask the user to set up payment before provisioning/linking a vendor account.
   def require_payment_instrument?(as_of:)
+    return false if self.configuration.platform_payment_never_required?
     programs = self.configuration.programs_eligible_to(self.member, as_of:)
     nonzero_same_vendor_programs = Suma::Program.where(id: programs.map(&:id)).
       where(
@@ -149,7 +150,11 @@ def ui_state_v1(now:)
                         :relink
                       end
     cash_ledger = self.member.payment_account&.cash_ledger!
-    balance_payoff_needed = has_payment_method && cash_ledger && Suma::Payment.chargeable_balance?(cash_ledger.balance)
+    balance_payoff_needed =
+      requires_payment_method &&
+      has_payment_method &&
+      cash_ledger &&
+      Suma::Payment.chargeable_balance?(cash_ledger.balance)
     return UIStateV1.new(
       index_card_mode:,
       needs_linking:,
diff --git a/lib/suma/anon_proxy/vendor_configuration.rb b/lib/suma/anon_proxy/vendor_configuration.rb
index 3bbeda0e5..c688264f9 100644
--- a/lib/suma/anon_proxy/vendor_configuration.rb
+++ b/lib/suma/anon_proxy/vendor_configuration.rb
@@ -32,6 +32,12 @@ def enabled
   # True if the instance is enabled/should show in the UI.
   def enabled? = self.enabled
 
+  # True if this vendor configuration will never process payments over Suma;
+  # that is, the integration has the member pay natively in the 3rd party app,
+  # NOT through suma. Vendor service rates end up describing the off-platform cost
+  # but can otherwise be ignored (for example, we would not limit service access).
+  def platform_payment_never_required? = self.platform_payment_never_required
+
   def rel_admin_link = "/vendor-configuration/#{self.id}"
 
   def hybrid_search_fields
diff --git a/lib/suma/api/anon_proxy.rb b/lib/suma/api/anon_proxy.rb
index eaab62ffc..7144ef274 100644
--- a/lib/suma/api/anon_proxy.rb
+++ b/lib/suma/api/anon_proxy.rb
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ def lookup
         post :make_auth_request do
           apva = lookup
           if (code = Suma::Payment.service_usage_prohibited_reason(apva.member.payment_account))
+            if code == "usage_prohibited_cash_balance" &&
             merror!(402, "Account cannot use services", code:)
           end
           apva.auth_to_vendor.auth(now: current_time)
diff --git a/spec/suma/anon_proxy/vendor_account_spec.rb b/spec/suma/anon_proxy/vendor_account_spec.rb
index a3bde4a8a..6362d83ba 100644
--- a/spec/suma/anon_proxy/vendor_account_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/suma/anon_proxy/vendor_account_spec.rb
@@ -198,6 +198,11 @@
           Suma::Eligibility::Assignment.dataset.delete
           expect(va).to_not be_require_payment_instrument(as_of:)
         end
+
+        it "the vendor config never uses platform payments" do
+          vc.update(platform_payment_never_required: true)
+          expect(va).to_not be_require_payment_instrument(as_of:)
+        end
       end
     end
 
@@ -268,6 +273,17 @@
             balance_payoff_needed: false,
           )
         end
+
+        it "does not require a balance payoff if the vendor config does not use platform payments" do
+          va.configuration.update(platform_payment_never_required: true)
+          expect(va.ui_state_v1(now: as_of)).to have_attributes(
+            index_card_mode: :link,
+            needs_linking: true,
+            requires_payment_method: false,
+            has_payment_method: true,
+            balance_payoff_needed: false,
+          )
+        end
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/suma/api/anon_proxy_spec.rb b/spec/suma/api/anon_proxy_spec.rb
index da9daeea4..505526917 100644
--- a/spec/suma/api/anon_proxy_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/suma/api/anon_proxy_spec.rb
@@ -151,13 +151,26 @@
       expect(last_response).to have_json_body.that_includes(error: include(message: match(/config is not enabled/)))
     end
 
-    it "402s if the member cannot use services" do
-      Suma::Payment.minimum_cash_balance_for_services_cents = 5
-      expect(Suma::Payment).to_not be_can_use_services(member.payment_account)
+    describe "when the member cannot use services due to balance" do
+      before(:each) do
+        Suma::Payment.minimum_cash_balance_for_services_cents = 5
+        expect(Suma::Payment).to_not be_can_use_services(member.payment_account)
+      end
 
-      post "/v1/anon_proxy/vendor_accounts/#{va.id}/make_auth_request"
+      it "402s" do
+        post "/v1/anon_proxy/vendor_accounts/#{va.id}/make_auth_request"
+
+        expect(last_response).to have_status(402)
+      end
 
-      expect(last_response).to have_status(402)
+      it "succeeds if the configuration does not use off-platform payments" do
+        va.configuration.update(platform_payment_never_required: true)
+
+        post "/v1/anon_proxy/vendor_accounts/#{va.id}/make_auth_request"
+
+        expect(last_response).to have_status(200)
+        expect(Suma::AnonProxy::AuthToVendor::Fake.calls).to eq(1)
+      end
     end
 
     it "auths to vendor and marks the code as requested" do