Invoices: creating and sending
Create patient invoices, process payments, and manage balances.
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- Updated
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- invoicesbillingpayments
Invoices are how you bill patients directly (as opposed to claims which bill insurance). This article covers creating invoices, sending them, processing payments, and handling refunds.
Create an invoice
Go to Billing → Invoices → New invoice. Select the patient. Add line items: either pick from your fee schedule (CPT codes with prices) or add a custom description and amount. Set the due date (default is 30 days). You can attach the invoice to a specific appointment or leave it unlinked.
Send to patient
Click Send to email the invoice and/or send an SMS with a payment link. The patient sees a secure payment page where they can pay by card or bank transfer (ACH). You can also print the invoice and hand it to the patient or mail it. The status changes from Draft → Sent when you send it.
Record payments
When a patient pays online, the payment auto-applies and the status becomes Paid. For cash/check payments received in office, open the invoice and click Record payment. Enter the amount, method (cash/check/card), and reference number. Partial payments are supported — the status becomes Partially paid and the balance updates.
Refunds
To refund, open the invoice and click Refund. Choose full or partial. Refunds to cards process in 5-10 business days. Refunds for cash/check must be issued manually; record the refund in the system for audit purposes. Refunds require the manage_billing role.
Patient statements
Patients with multiple unpaid invoices can receive a monthly statement summarizing all balances. Enable statements under Billing → Settings → Patient statements. Statements are sent by email on the 1st of each month to patients with a balance > $0.
Write-offs and adjustments
For bad debt or courtesy adjustments, open the invoice and click Adjust balance. Enter the amount and reason (bad debt, courtesy, prompt-pay discount). Adjustments require a reason and are auditable. The balance is reduced and the adjustment appears on reports.
Frequently asked questions
Can I set up payment plans?
What if a patient overpays?
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