> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.clinikehr.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Record and collect payments

> Record what a patient pays at the desk, send a secure payment link, chase what is outstanding, and void a payment taken in error.

export const AuditNote = ({action = 'This action'}) => <div className="ck-callout ck-callout--info" role="note">
    <p className="ck-callout__body">
      {action} is written to your workspace's audit log with your name, the
      record touched and the time — a HIPAA requirement, and one you can review
      yourself under <strong>Audit Log</strong>. See{' '}
      <a href="/platform/security/audit-log">Audit log</a>.
    </p>
  </div>;

export const StillStuck = ({topic}) => <div className="ck-callout ck-callout--note" role="note">
    <p className="ck-callout__body">
      <strong>Still stuck{topic ? ` with ${topic}` : ''}?</strong>{' '}
      Check <a href="/platform/help/troubleshooting">Troubleshooting</a> first —
      it covers the failures we see most often. If that does not resolve it,{' '}
      <a href="/platform/help/contact-support">contact support</a> and include
      your workspace name and the time the problem happened, so we can find the
      matching entry in your audit log.
    </p>
  </div>;

export const TaskHeader = ({before, time, after}) => <div className="ck-task">
    {before ? <div className="ck-task__cell">
        <div className="ck-task__title">Before you start</div>
        <p className="ck-task__body">{before}</p>
      </div> : null}

    {time ? <div className="ck-task__cell">
        <div className="ck-task__title">Takes about</div>
        <p className="ck-task__body">{time}</p>
      </div> : null}

    {after ? <div className="ck-task__cell">
        <div className="ck-task__title">When you're done</div>
        <p className="ck-task__body">{after}</p>
      </div> : null}
  </div>;

export const Path = ({steps = []}) => <span className="ck-path">
    {steps.map((s, i) => <span key={i} className="ck-path__step">
        {i > 0 ? <span className="ck-path__sep" aria-hidden="true">
            ›
          </span> : null}
        {s}
      </span>)}
  </span>;

export const Availability = ({editions = ['all'], plans, roles, note}) => {
  const list = editions.includes('all') ? ['clinic', 'pharmacy', 'lims'] : editions;
  return <div className="ck-avail" role="note" aria-label="Feature availability">
      <span className="ck-avail__label">Available in</span>

      {list.map(e => <span key={e} className={`ck-pill ck-pill--${e}`}>
          {EDITION_LABELS[e] || e}
        </span>)}

      {plans ? <span className="ck-avail__label">Plan</span> : null}
      {plans ? <span className="ck-pill ck-pill--plan">{plans}</span> : null}

      {roles ? <span className="ck-avail__label">Who</span> : null}
      {roles ? <span className="ck-pill ck-pill--role">{roles}</span> : null}

      {note ? <span className="ck-avail__note">{note}</span> : null}
    </div>;
};

<Availability editions={['clinic']} plans="Enterprise; payment links need a connected payment account" roles="Anyone permitted to add payments" />

Money reaches a hospital two ways: somebody hands it over at a desk and you record it, or you send a link and they pay by card. **Payments Management** covers both, and shows what is still outstanding.

<Path steps={['Sidebar', 'Billing', 'Payments']} />

<TaskHeader before="An invoice with a balance due, or a service to charge for" time="Under a minute" after="A recorded payment and an invoice that reflects it" />

## What you're looking at

The heading reads **Payments Management** — "Process and track payments from patients for services, medications, and more". A date-range picker, **Refresh** and **New Payment** sit beside it.

Three tabs:

| Tab          | What it holds                                                                                                                 |
| ------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Overview** | **Total Collected**, **Pending Balance**, **Recent Payments** and **Top Method**, with a method breakdown and recent activity |
| **Payments** | Every payment recorded, searchable and filterable                                                                             |
| **Pending**  | Patients with an outstanding balance                                                                                          |

The **Payments** table shows **Date**, **Patient**, **Invoice**, **Amount**, **Method**, **Type**, **Reference** and **Received By**. **Filter by Method** narrows it to **Cash**, **Card**, **Bank Transfer**, **Mobile Money** or **Insurance**. Each row's **Actions** menu offers **View Details**, **Download Receipt**, **Void Payment**, **Copy Payment ID** and **Copy Payment Info**.

The **Pending** table lists **Patient Name**, **Patient ID**, **Items**, **Oldest Item** and **Total Pending**, with **Process Payment** on the row. **Oldest Item** is what to sort a chase list by.

**Empty states.** With nothing outstanding, **Pending** reads **No Pending Payments** and "All patients have cleared their pending payments. Great job!" A search that matches nobody says "No patients found matching your search with pending payments." instead.

## Record a payment against an invoice

This is the usual route, because it settles a specific balance.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Find the invoice">
    Under **Billing → Invoices**, open **Invoice Actions** and select **Record Payment**. The dialog names the invoice and its balance due.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check the amount">
    **Amount** is prefilled with the balance due. Overtype it for a part payment — the invoice then reads **Partially paid** and keeps the remainder outstanding. Zero is refused: "Enter an amount greater than zero".
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose the method">
    **Payment Method** defaults to **Cash**, with **Card**, **Bank Transfer**, **Mobile Money**, **Insurance** and **Other** alongside. Record what actually happened — the **Overview** tab breaks takings down by method, and a transfer logged as cash quietly ruins that.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a reference and save">
    **Reference (optional)** takes the transfer reference, cheque number or terminal receipt number. It is what makes a payment findable when a patient queries it months later. Select **Record Payment**: you get **Payment recorded** and the balance drops immediately.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Take a payment with no invoice behind it

**New Payment** opens a fuller form for money taken at a desk against services rather than a bill.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Choose the patient">
    **Patient Details** searches with "Search for a patient...". Any consultation or flat-rate credits they hold are shown here.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick what is being paid for">
    **Payment Items** — "Select what is being paid for" — has two inner tabs: **Direct Payment** for services and consultation rates, and **Pay Invoice** to settle an existing bill. Each item takes a **Pay:** amount, so a part payment is badged **Partial Payment**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the method and amount">
    **Payment Method** offers six tiles — **Cash**, **Card**, **Insurance**, **Mobile Money**, **Bank Transfer** and **Other** — then **Amount to Pay**, **Reference (Optional)** and **Notes (Optional)**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Process it">
    A **Payment Successful** dialog shows the reference, date and method, and offers **Print Receipt**. Part-paid items are called out: "⚠️ This includes partial payments. Some items have remaining balances."
  </Step>
</Steps>

<AuditNote action="Recording, viewing or voiding a payment" />

## Send a payment link instead

If the patient is not in front of you, send a link and let them pay by card.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the patient's record">
    Select **Send payment link** — "Collect payment via a secure link sent to contact".
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose what it covers">
    Pick the invoices the link should settle, then enter the **Recipient Email Address**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Send it">
    Select **Send Link**. You get "Payment link sent to \{email}", and the invoices it covers are marked as sent.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  **A payment link expires 24 hours after it is sent** — the email says so, and offers a fresh one on request. Links also need a connected payment account under **Settings → Online Payments**. A hospital collecting through Paystack cannot use Stripe links: "This clinic collects payments via Paystack — Stripe payment links are not available." Send your bank details on the invoice instead.
</Note>

## Void a payment taken in error

<Warning>
  Voiding is the only way back, and only these roles can do it: "Only a clinic owner, manager or accountant can void a payment." The dialog explains what happens — the payment "will be marked voided and the invoice balance restored. The record is kept for your books and audit trail." Give a **Reason (optional)** anyway; a voided payment with no reason is a question somebody will ask later.
</Warning>

Nothing is deleted. The voided row stays visible, struck through and badged **Voided**, and the invoice returns to its outstanding balance.

## Who can do this

**Role** decides whether **Payments** opens; an owner sets that per role under **Settings → Role Navigation**.

**Permission** decides what you may do inside:

| Action                                | Who by default                | Permission                                               |
| ------------------------------------- | ----------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| Record a payment                      | Front desk, billers           | **Add client payments**                                  |
| Record an insurer's settlement        | Billers                       | **Add insurance payments**                               |
| See the money figures on **Overview** | Owners, managers, executives  | **View financial dashboard**                             |
| Open the payment reports              | Owners, managers, billers     | **View Payment Reports**                                 |
| Reverse money already taken           | Owners, managers, accountants | **Refund payments**, plus a server check nobody bypasses |

Enforcement is **opt-in per person** — someone never saved in the permissions sheet is unrestricted, and the sheet warns **"Saving starts enforcing"**. A **denied action is recorded**; an allowed one is not. A figure not yours to see shows as a dash, never as **0**.

## Check it worked

* The payment is under **Payments** with your name in **Received By**, the method and your reference.
* The invoice reads **Paid**, or **Partially paid** with the correct remaining balance.
* The **Pending** tab no longer lists that balance.
* A voided payment is struck through and badged **Voided**, and the invoice balance is back.

## Common issues

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="The prefilled amount is not what they paid">
    Overtype it. The prefill is the balance due, not a fixed value.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I recorded a payment against the wrong invoice">
    Void it with a reason, then record it correctly. You cannot delete an invoice once it has a payment, and voiding is limited to owners, managers and accountants.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Send payment link is not offered, or is refused">
    Either no account is connected under **Settings → Online Payments**, or your hospital collects through Paystack and Stripe links are unavailable. There is also a small minimum amount.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The patient says the link no longer works">
    Links last 24 hours. Send a fresh one.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="They paid online but the invoice still says Pending">
    Online payments record themselves, but not always instantly. Select **Refresh** before recording it by hand — recording it manually as well would double-count the money.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Figures on Overview show as dashes">
    You may open the screen but not see the financial figures. Viewing the dashboard and viewing payment reports are separate permissions.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What is the difference between a direct payment and an invoice payment?">
    A direct payment is money taken against a service with no bill raised — common at a hospital front desk. An invoice payment settles a specific document. Both appear under **Payments**.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does voiding refund the patient's card?">
    No. It corrects your record and restores the invoice balance. Returning money charged to a card is done with your payment provider.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Where do pharmacy counter takings appear?">
    In [Pharmacy sales](/hospital/pharmacy/sales), not here. A counter sale is settled on the spot and is not an invoice.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I print a receipt later?">
    Yes — **Download Receipt** on the payment's row, or **Print Receipt** from the payment view.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<StillStuck topic="a payment" />