A Fertilization Report Worth Celebrating
Not long ago, one of our intended parents received a fertilization report from HRC Fertility. By any clinic's standards, the numbers from this egg donation cycle were remarkable:
- 52 eggs retrieved
- 42 successfully injected with sperm using ICSI
- 33 of those 42 fertilized normally
- 27 embryos developed into blastocysts
- 18 came back euploid (chromosomally normal) after PGT-A testing
First things first: congratulations to these intended parents. Twenty-seven quality blastocysts and 18 euploid embryos from a single cycle is a result worth celebrating, whichever way you look at it.
At the same time, let's be clear about what this case is and isn't. This outcome is well above what most cycles produce, and it's directly tied to the donor's age and ovarian reserve. It is not a benchmark, and we're not presenting it as one. What we want to do with it is something different: run the math on a question most intended parents never think to ask.
Because here's the thing almost nobody realizes until the invoice arrives: under some clinic package structures, the better your cycle goes, the more you pay.
Why Do Great Results Sometimes Cost More?
Clinic packages are priced around a "typical" cycle — a typical number of eggs, a typical number of blastocysts, a typical number of transfers. Anything beyond that typical range gets billed separately, per embryo or per procedure.
This isn't a trap clinics set on purpose. It's simply how pricing works across the industry. And here's the nuance most people miss: even packages that carry the same "international client" label differ widely from one clinic to the next — and that clinic-to-clinic difference is exactly what this article compares. The problem is that almost no one signing a contract expects their own cycle to exceed the typical range — even though in egg donation cycles, exceeding it is exactly what tends to happen.
On the final invoice, the difference usually comes down to two line items.
.webp?prefix=www%2Fmedia)
Fee #1: PGT-A Testing — How Many Embryos Does "Included" Actually Cover?
At most clinics — international client packages included — the contract advertises that PGT-A testing is covered. Read the fine print, though, and the coverage usually stops at around 8 blastocysts. For every embryo beyond that, the ranges we commonly see in cases we've handled run about $300–500 apiece.
Apply that to this case: 27 blastocysts under a package that covers 8 means 19 embryos billed separately — an extra $5,700–9,500. That number appears nowhere on the initial quote. It only shows up when your cycle performs too well.
These intended parents were on HRC's international client package, which covers PGT-A testing for every blastocyst the cycle produces. All 27 were tested. Not one generated an additional charge.
Fee #2: Transfers — the Gap Between "One Included" and "Repeat Transfers Covered"
At most clinics, the package includes a single embryo transfer. If the first transfer doesn't result in implantation, each additional attempt commonly runs $5,000–6,000 in the cases we've handled — plus medication costs for each cycle.
The package in this case works differently. It includes an unlimited transfer provision: until the surrogate "graduates" from HRC — meaning the pregnancy is stable and her care transfers to an OB — repeat transfers carry no transfer fee. The intended parents pay only the medication costs for each cycle.
It's worth knowing that even a PGT-A-normal embryo can fail to implant on any single transfer. That's precisely where a repeat-transfer provision earns its keep: it locks down the cost uncertainty of the transfer stage before you ever get there.
The boundary matters too, so let's spell it out: this benefit applies to the journey toward one baby. If the intended parents later want to use their remaining euploid embryos for a second or third child, that's a new cycle, and transfer fees are billed at the rates in effect at that time. Every package term has its limits — and pinning down those limits before you sign matters far more than the reassurance of seeing the word "unlimited."
One recent addition worth knowing about: HRC now also offers a two-baby unlimited transfer package. If your family plan clearly includes two children, it's worth putting that option on the table at the planning stage — and, as always, confirming its exact boundaries before signing.
Which Cycles Benefit Most From This Kind of Package?
Here's the key judgment call: an "all-blastocysts PGT-A plus repeat transfers" package is not equally worthwhile for everyone. Its value depends on how many embryos your cycle is likely to produce.
Egg donation cycles are the textbook case. Donors are young, and their ovarian reserve markers — AMH and antral follicle count — have already been screened, so egg and blastocyst counts tend to run high. The more embryos you have, the more exposure you carry to per-embryo billing, and the more an all-inclusive provision is worth.
That's exactly how this case unfolded. We suggested HRC's package to these intended parents at the planning stage for one specific reason: this donor's AMH and antral follicle count were both favorable, which pointed to a high-yield cycle. The final numbers bore that judgment out.
The flip side is just as true. In an own-egg cycle, or any cycle where the expected embryo count is modest, all-inclusive PGT-A coverage matters far less, and a package with typical coverage may serve you perfectly well. There's no universally "better" package — only the one that matches your expected numbers.
Four Questions to Ask the Clinic Before You Sign
- How many embryos does the PGT-A coverage include, and what's the per-embryo charge beyond that?
- How many transfers does the package include, and what does each additional transfer cost?
- If there's an "unlimited transfer" provision, where exactly are its boundaries — how is "graduation" defined, and is it limited to one baby?
- Are medication costs billed separately for each transfer cycle, and what's the typical range?
None of these are hard questions. A clinic's financial coordinator can answer them in minutes. The hard part is thinking to ask before you sign.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How many embryos does PGT-A coverage in an IVF package usually include?
Coverage varies widely from clinic to clinic: most packages — including those aimed at international clients — cover PGT-A testing for roughly 8 blastocysts, with embryos beyond that billed individually, commonly $300–500 each. Some clinics' international client packages, such as HRC's in this case, cover testing for every blastocyst the cycle produces. Confirm the terms line by line before signing.
2. If a transfer fails, what does the next transfer cost?
Most clinics' packages include one transfer; each additional transfer commonly runs $5,000–6,000, with cycle medications billed separately. Some packages waive the transfer fee for repeat transfers, in which case intended parents pay only the medication costs for each cycle.
3. What are the limits of an "unlimited transfer" provision?
Using the package in this article as an example: the benefit covers repeat transfers until the surrogate graduates from the clinic (stable pregnancy, care transferred to an OB), and it applies to the journey toward one baby — transfers for a future second or third child are billed separately. HRC has also recently introduced a comparable package covering two babies, which families planning for two children may want to compare before signing. Terms vary by clinic, so confirm the exact boundaries in advance.
4. Why does the fee structure matter so much in egg donation cycles?
Egg donors are typically young with strong ovarian reserve, so egg and blastocyst counts tend to run high. The more embryos a cycle produces, the larger the potential per-embryo PGT-A charges — and the more valuable an all-inclusive package becomes. For a full picture of what egg donation costs, see our egg donation cost guide. Cycles with modest expected embryo counts, on the other hand, may be perfectly well served by a package with typical coverage.
One last thing worth knowing: US-based intended parents who approach clinics directly usually can't access these international client packages — they're generally available only through a partner agency channel. At Ivy Surrogacy, we look at the donor's ovarian reserve and your family plan together, and help you choose the right clinic and package at the planning stage — because some of the savings are decided the moment you sign.
