A clinic’s payment collection policy needs five things in writing: the moment payment is taken, the methods you accept, how deposits work, what is recorded for part payments and instalments, and who takes the money and who checks it. Once the rule is written, everyone on the team tells patients the same thing, balances stop piling up and the end-of-day count adds up by itself.
This article is about the rules of collecting payment. How to close the cash drawer at the end of the day is in our end-of-day cash reconciliation guide, and how to follow open balances is in the patient balances and instalments guide.
Why write the policy down?
Without a written rule, collecting payment runs on habit: one patient pays before treatment, another after, a third says "I’ll bring it next week". Because habits vary from person to person, the same situation gets handled two different ways, and patients notice.
A written policy removes that uncertainty. The receptionist can state the price without hesitation, the doctor does not have to talk about money during treatment, and the owner knows why each open balance exists.
When is payment taken?
Set the moment by type of service and give each situation one rule. The table below is a starting point; adapt it to your clinic.
| Situation | When payment is taken | Note |
|---|---|---|
| One-off consultation or procedure | At the end of the visit, before the patient leaves | Completed at the desk, not in the waiting room. |
| Session package | When the package starts, in full or the first instalment | The dates of the remaining instalments are written down that day. |
| Long treatment | When the treatment plan is agreed, with a payment schedule | At each stage, tell the patient what is paid and what remains. |
| High-demand slots | A deposit when the appointment is booked | Explain up front how the deposit is deducted or refunded. |
The mistake to avoid is leaving payment for "later". A payment requested after the patient has left is harder to collect and turns into an awkward conversation for both sides.
Which methods, and how are they recorded?
Decide which methods you accept, such as cash, card and bank transfer, and record each payment with the method it actually came in by. If a patient pays part in cash and the rest by card, that is one transaction with two methods.
The reason is simple: at the end of the day you compare cash with the drawer, card with the terminal’s report and transfers with the bank account. If methods are mixed, you may find the total is right but never find which line is wrong.
How do deposits work?
A deposit shares the risk of an empty slot, especially for long or popular appointments. If you take deposits, decide three things in advance:
- The amount or percentage.
- That the deposit is deducted from the total when the patient comes.
- What happens to the deposit if the patient cancels or does not show, and how much notice they must give.
A deposit is not a debt; it is money the patient has paid in advance. Record it as a payment of its own and count it towards the amount paid when the treatment is closed. The rules for patients who do not show are covered in detail in our no-show policy article.
Part payments and instalments
Some patients cannot pay the whole amount at once. Rather than refusing a part payment, record it: the amount paid, the amount remaining and a date for the rest. If you allow instalments, write down each amount and due date separately and give the patient a copy.
Set two limits as well: above which amount instalments are possible, and the maximum number of instalments. Flexibility without limits slowly turns into a list of balances nobody can follow.
Who collects and who checks?
Separating the person who takes the money from the person who checks the records reduces both errors and misunderstandings. In a small clinic that can be as simple as the receptionist collecting and the owner looking at the totals at the end of the day.
- Decide who may take payments; not everyone needs access to the cash drawer.
- Write down who may grant a discount or agree to postpone a payment.
- Decide how a wrongly entered payment is corrected and where that is noted.
How to talk about price
The price conversation is easy when it happens before treatment and in the open. Tell the patient how much they will pay, when, and by which methods, either when booking or when presenting the treatment plan.
For long treatments, give the plan and payment schedule in writing. A sentence such as "this much today, the rest on these dates" prevents most later disputes. Follow your accountant’s advice on receipts, invoices and tax.
How payments are recorded in Clinigim
In Clinigim every transaction is recorded with its amount and payment method, as cash, credit card or bank transfer; a split payment is entered as one transaction with more than one method. The transaction line shows the amount, the paid part and the remainder separately. For a transaction with a remaining balance you use Set Up Installment Plan, and an installment past its due date is marked overdue. A deposit marked Deposit Received on the appointment becomes a payment record and is also listed in Reports.
Totals come from these records; cash, card and transfer are added up separately. A wrong payment can be reversed with Undo, and the entry stays in the audit log. Who may take payments and who sees the amounts is set by permissions. Clinigim is not connected to any government e-invoicing system; for official documents, work with your accountant. All payment and cash features are on the features page.
Frequently asked questions
Should a clinic take payment before or after treatment?
For one-off consultations and procedures, take payment at the end of the visit, before the patient leaves. For session packages, take the full amount or the first instalment when the package starts; for long treatments, agree the payment schedule when the plan is accepted. What matters is one rule per situation, so everyone on the team tells patients the same thing.
Will asking for a deposit put patients off?
A deposit is easy to understand when the rule is explained clearly and up front. Keep the amount reasonable, say that it is deducted from the total and tell the patient in writing how much notice a cancellation needs. Another option is to ask for a deposit only for long appointments or slots that are always in demand.
How should I follow a patient who pays in part?
Keep the amount paid, the amount remaining and the agreed date for the rest on the same record. If there are instalments, write each amount and due date separately and give the patient a copy. Look at open balances once a week on a fixed day and call those past their due date in the same week. The balances guide has the detailed steps.
Who should take payments in a clinic?
Keep the number of people who can take payments small, and separate the person who takes the money from the person who checks the records. In a small clinic, the receptionist collecting and the owner checking the totals at the end of the day is enough. Also write down who may grant discounts or postpone payments, so promises to patients do not vary by person.