Authorize Recurring Charges

Set up a recurring payment to a patient's credit/debit card or checking/savings account for regularly due charges (e.g., payment plans, repeating charges).

In Credit Card Manage, double-click a payment account.

Authorize the recurring charge amount and frequency for select patients. On the scheduled payment date, the patient's payment method is added to the Recurring Charges tool to be processed. Run the tool manually to process the payments or set payments to process automatically at a specific time each day.

Note:
  • Recurring payments are allocated to outstanding charges within the family using first in/first out logic (FIFO).
  • Multiple cards can be set up for recurring charges in a family, but this may cause unexpected behavior when the family balance becomes $0.00.
  • When using a single card, adjust Charge Frequency below as required for multiple charges in a single month. Also see Charge Logic below.

To run the tool and for set up requirements, see CC Recurring Charges.

To set up a recurring payment, in the Edit Credit Card window, enter the Authorize Recurring Charges details then select the Charge Frequency.

Authorized Recurring Charges:

Charge Frequency:

Authorized Procedures: Lists procedures that allow a recurring charge to be processed.

Note: If a date does not exist in the month (e.g., 31st or fifth Monday) for the selected charge frequency, recurring charges occur on the last calendar day of the month (e.g., 30th) instead.

Click Save to keep changes.

To exit the Credit Card Edit window without saving changes, click Cancel. To remove the payment information from the patient's account, click Delete.

Editing Recurring Charges

To edit recurring charges, double-click the credit card and update any of the information as needed (e.g., charge amount, frequency, etc). Click Save to keep changes. If the card has already been charged for the current month, update the Date Start to the next expected charge date to prevent additional charges for the current month.

To use the same credit card for multiple recurring charges (e.g., multiple patients or payment plans):

  1. From the Credit Card Manage window, highlight an existing credit card.
  2. Click Reuse Existing Card.
  3. Optional: If the card needs to be moved to a different patient, from Credit Card Manage, select the card and click Move To Patient. Select the patient to which the card should be attached.
  4. On the new copy of the credit card, enter the Authorized Recurring Charges details and select the new Charge Frequency.
  5. Click Save to keep changes.

Charge Logic

Using Authorized Procedures
A recurring charge is only processed when an authorized procedure is set complete and there is a family balance. Charges are still scheduled based on the Charge Frequency.

Payment is allocated using the selected Paysplits setting set in Allocations Setup.

Using a Single Card for Multiple Recurring Charges
If a single card is being used for multiple recurring charges, the card must be added to Credit Card Manage for any patients to which the charge is being applied. For payment plans, the card must be added to the payment plan guarantor.

To charge the same patient at different intervals (e.g., fixed day of the month and every other Friday) on the same credit card, the card must be added twice. The saved cards are charged independently of one another (i.e., the actual charge date for one card entry does not affect the actual charge date of the other card entries).

If Run charge even if no family balance present is Enabled
If a payment plan is linked to the recurring charge, the recurring charge is not processed if the patient does not have a payplan debit due.

If using Authorized Procedures, the recurring charge is only billed up to the procedure amount.

'Recurring Charge' is added below the transaction details of the payment note when the card is processed.

If Run charge even if no family balance present is Disabled
The recurring charge amount may be reduced, depending on the balance owed.

If the family balance owed is less than the recurring charge amount, the charge is reduced to the balance owed.

If the recurring charge is linked to a payment plan and the payplan debit is less than the charge amount, the charge amount is reduced if there is no additional family balance.

If the recurring charge is linked to a payment plan and the payplan debit is less than the charge amount and the family has a balance due, the entire charge amount is processed (up to the family balance). The portion of the payment that exceeds the payplan debit is posted to the account as unearned/prepayment.

If using Authorized Procedures, the recurring charge is reduced if it exceeds the family balance, even if the amount for the authorized procedure is more.