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Billing & Payments Guide

Billing is how you track money owed, process payments, and manage your clinic’s finances. This guide walks you through creating charges, invoicing patients, and receiving payments.

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Core Concepts

Charge - A bill for services or products provided to a patient Cart - A draft collection of charges before converting to an invoice Invoice - A formal bill sent to patient Payment - Money received from patient toward their charges Credit - Prepaid balance available for future charges

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Getting Started

Access billing by clicking Billing from the main menu.

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The Billing Dashboard

Your dashboard shows:

• Total Revenue - All money received this period
• Outstanding Balance - Money patients still owe
• Pending Invoices - Unpaid bills sent to patients
• Recent Transactions - Latest charges and payments
• Aging Report - How long invoices have been unpaid

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Creating Charges

Charges are created from services provided to patients.

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Automatic Charges

When you complete an appointment, charges auto-create based on:

• Service type and rate
• Duration of appointment
• Any add-ons or extras

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Manual Charges

Create charges directly:

1. Go to Billing > Charges
2. Click Create Charge
3. Select patient
4. Add line items:
   • Service name
   • Quantity
   • Unit price
5. Review subtotal
6. Click Save

The charge now appears in your system and patient’s balance.

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Using Carts (Quotes & Drafts)

A cart is a temporary collection of items before creating an invoice. Use carts to:

• Show patients a quote before they commit
• Collect multiple items before invoicing
• Get approval before charging

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Creating a Cart

1. Go to Billing > Carts
2. Click New Cart
3. Select patient
4. Add items:
   • Services and products
   • Packages or memberships
   • Discounts or promotions
5. Set due date
6. Click Save

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Converting Cart to Invoice

1. Open cart
2. Click Create Invoice
3. Review details
4. Choose delivery method:
   • Email to patient
   • In-person (print)
   • SMS link
5. Click Send

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Sharing a Quote with Patient

Before converting to invoice:

1. Open cart
2. Click Share Quote
3. Patient receives link via email
4. They can review and approve
5. You can track if they viewed it

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Processing Payments

When patient pays, record the payment immediately.

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Methods of Payment

Credit/Debit Card

• Customer pays directly using card terminal or online form
• Automatic authorization and settlement
• Receipt generated immediately

Cash

• Received in person at clinic
• Record manually in system
• Include bill count for cash reconciliation

Check

• Received from patient
• Record in system
• Note check number and bank details

Bank Transfer / ACH

• Patient sends directly to clinic bank
• Match payment to patient in system
• Process takes 1-3 business days

Patient Credit

• Deduct from prepaid credits
• Useful for package or membership holders

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Recording a Payment

1. Go to Billing > Payments
2. Click Record Payment
3. Select patient
4. Enter amount
5. Select payment method
6. Add optional notes
7. Click Save

Payment is applied to oldest unpaid invoices first (by default).

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Processing Card Payments

For credit/debit cards processed through Decoda:

1. Patient is in clinic
2. Click Check Out on their appointment
3. Display total owed
4. Patient swipes/taps card
5. Get authorization
6. Receipt prints automatically
7. Payment records immediately

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Invoices & Statements

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Creating an Invoice

Invoices are formal bills with payment terms and due dates.

1. Go to Billing > Invoices
2. Click Create Invoice
3. Select patient
4. Add charges/items
5. Set payment terms (Net 15, Net 30, etc.)
6. Set due date
7. Click Send

Patient receives invoice via email with payment link.

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Invoice Reminder

If invoice unpaid past due date:

1. Go to Invoices
2. Click Send Reminder
3. Patient receives email notice
4. Include payment link

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Patient Statements

Monthly statement shows all charges, payments, and balance:

1. Go to Billing > Statements
2. Select patient
3. Choose date range
4. Click Generate Statement
5. Email or print for patient

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Payment Plans

Break large charges into manageable installments.

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Creating a Payment Plan

1. Open patient’s invoice or charge
2. Click Create Payment Plan
3. Enter:
   • Total amount
   • Number of payments
   • Start date
4. System calculates installments
5. Click Create

Patient sees:

• Due date for each payment
• Amount due each period
• Payment links

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Automatic Recurring Payments

With recurring enabled:

• Card automatically charged on due dates
• Failures retry after 3 days
• Patient notified of any issues
• Update stored card anytime

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Managing Patient Credits

Credits are prepaid amounts applied to future charges.

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Adding Credit

1. Go to Billing > Deposits
2. Click Add Deposit
3. Select patient
4. Enter amount received
5. Note payment method
6. Click Save

Credit now available on patient’s account.

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Using Credits

Credits auto-apply to new invoices or:

1. Open patient’s account
2. Click Apply Credit
3. Select which invoice(s) to apply toward
4. Confirm

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Refunding Credits

If patient requests refund:

1. Go to Refunds
2. Click Create Refund
3. Select payment to refund
4. Enter amount
5. Choose refund method (card, check, deposit)
6. Click Process

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Advanced Billing

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Discounts

Apply discounts to charges:

• Percentage discount (10% off)
• Fixed amount ($50 off)
• Write-offs (patient can’t pay)

1. Open invoice or charge
2. Click Add Discount
3. Select type and amount
4. Save

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Refunds

Reverse charges already paid:

1. Go to Billing > Refunds
2. Click Create Refund
3. Select original payment
4. Enter refund amount
5. Choose refund method
6. Process

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Adjustments

Modify charges after creation:

1. Go to Billing > Adjustments
2. Click New Adjustment
3. Select invoice to adjust
4. Change amounts or remove items
5. Note reason
6. Save

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Commission Tracking

If paying providers/staff commissions:

1. Go to Billing > Commissions
2. View provider commissions for period
3. Commission calculated on services they provided
4. Pay via deposit or manual payment

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Advanced Billing Scenarios

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Reconciliation

Balance your records with actual money received.

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Daily Cash Reconciliation

1. Go to Billing > Cash Balances
2. Enter cash counted
3. System shows recorded cash payments
4. Click Reconcile
5. Note any discrepancies

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Monthly Reconciliation

1. Go to Billing > Statements
2. Generate statement for period
3. Compare to bank deposits
4. Note any unmatched items

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Reports & Analytics

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Revenue Dashboard

View financial performance:

• Revenue by Service - Which services generate most income
• Revenue by Provider - Performance by staff member
• Daily Revenue - Trends over time
• Outstanding Aging - Invoice aging analysis

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Payment Methods Report

See breakdown of how patients pay:

• Credit card vs cash vs check
• Identify payment trends
• Plan for payment processing

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Charge & Payment History

View complete transaction history for:

• Individual patient
• Date range
• Payment status
• All adjustments and refunds

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Billing Settings

Configure billing behavior in Settings > Payment Management: Default Rates

• Standard rates for services
• Override per appointment if needed

Payment Terms

• Default due date (Net 15, Net 30, etc.)
• Grace period before late notice

Auto-Charges

• Services auto-bill on completion
• Memberships auto-renew per schedule
• Payment plans auto-charge on schedule

Email Templates

• Customize invoice email
• Customize payment reminder
• Customize receipt

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Payment Processors

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Rainforest Payments (Primary)

Default credit card processor:

• Accepts all major cards
• Real-time authorization
• Automatic settlement
• PCI compliant

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Multiple Payment Methods

Configure which methods patients can use:

• Credit/debit cards
• ACH bank transfers
• Checks
• Patient credit

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Best Practices

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Invoice Promptly

• Create invoices same day service provided
• Send immediately to avoid delays
• Include payment link

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Follow Up on Past Due

• First reminder at 15 days past due
• Second reminder at 30 days
• Consider collection at 60+ days
• Write off uncollectible at 90+ days

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Reconcile Weekly

• Match payments to invoices
• Clear discrepancies quickly
• Maintain accurate records

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Monitor Aging

• Review outstanding invoices weekly
• Identify slow payers early
• Adjust credit terms if needed

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Use Payment Plans

• Offer plans for larger amounts
• Improve payment collection
• Reduce patient stress

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Common Tasks

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Applying Payment to Wrong Invoice

1. Go to Billing > Payments
2. Find the payment
3. Click Reallocate
4. Select correct invoice
5. Save

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Splitting a Charge Among Providers

1. Open charge
2. Click Allocate Commission
3. Enter percentage for each provider
4. Commission calculated accordingly

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Creating Bulk Invoices

1. Go to Invoices
2. Click Bulk Create
3. Upload CSV with patient IDs and amounts
4. System creates invoices
5. Automatically sends to patients

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Troubleshooting

“Payment declined”

• Check card details
• Verify not expired
• Try different payment method
• Contact card issuer

“Patient can’t see invoice”

• Check email was sent
• Verify patient email address
• Resend invoice link
• Check spam folder

“Balance doesn’t match”

• Run reconciliation report
• Check for pending credits
• Verify all adjustments recorded
• Contact support if unresolved

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Related Features

• Appointments - Services create charges
• Inventory - Products create charges
• Memberships - Recurring charges
• Insurance Verification - Insurance pays portions
• Receipts - Proof of payment

For advanced payment processing, merchant accounts, or POS device setup, see Settings > Payment Management.