> ## 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.

# Auto Pay

> Charge a patient's saved card automatically when their appointment is confirmed or completed, and know exactly who gets charged and who does not.

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="Essential and above" roles="Owner only to change · manager or accountant can read" note="Also needs a connected Stripe account" />

Auto Pay takes the invoicing step out of routine outpatient visits: when an appointment reaches the status you nominate, the card the patient already saved is charged for the unpaid invoice. Nobody chases, nobody re-keys a card number.

<Path steps={['Sidebar', 'Settings', 'Billing', 'Auto Pay']} />

<TaskHeader before="A connected Stripe account with charging enabled, on the Essential plan or above" time="2 minutes" after="Confirmed or completed visits paid automatically for patients with a card on file" />

## What this tab controls

The card describes itself: "Automatically charge a patient's saved card on file when their appointment is confirmed or completed — no manual invoicing."

| Control                            | What it does                                                                                                                         | Default |
| ---------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------- |
| **Enable Auto Pay**                | Master switch. "Charge the card on file for unpaid appointment invoices automatically." Everything below appears only while it is on | Off     |
| **Confirmed**                      | "Charge as soon as the visit is confirmed."                                                                                          | Off     |
| **Completed**                      | "Charge once the visit is marked completed."                                                                                         | On      |
| **Email a receipt to the patient** | "Send a payment confirmation each time a card is charged."                                                                           | On      |
| **Save changes**                   | Enabled only once something has actually changed                                                                                     | —       |

A badge on the card header reads **● On** or **◌ Off** so you can see the state without scrolling. Non-owners see "Only the clinic owner can change Auto Pay."

<Warning>
  Auto Pay charges real money without anyone pressing a button, and **a 1.9% platform fee applies per charge** on top of your provider's own fees. Turn it on only when your billing team agrees which trigger to use, and tell reception before you do — a patient who expected to pay at the desk will instead see a card charge land.
</Warning>

## Set it up

<Steps>
  <Step title="Connect Stripe first">
    Without it the card shows "Connect Stripe to use Auto Pay" and nothing can be switched on. Finish the setup in [Online payments](/hospital/settings/online-payments).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Turn on Enable Auto Pay">
    The trigger and receipt rows appear underneath.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose when the card is charged">
    Under "Charge when the appointment is…", switch on **Confirmed**, **Completed**, or both. At least one is required — saving with neither is refused with "Choose at least one trigger — confirmed or completed."
  </Step>

  <Step title="Decide on the receipt">
    Leave **Email a receipt to the patient** on unless your finance team sends its own.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Select **Save changes**. It confirms with "Auto Pay is on".
  </Step>
</Steps>

Most hospitals pick **Completed** alone: the visit has happened, so the amount is final. **Confirmed** collects earlier but can charge for a visit that is later changed, which then needs a refund.

## What changes once you save

From the moment it is on, appointments that reach your chosen status start being charged in the background rather than waiting for someone to raise and send an invoice.

* **Who is charged:** "Only patients with a saved card are charged." Anyone without a card on file is skipped and left for manual collection — Auto Pay never blocks a visit or forces a card to be added.
* **What is charged:** the unpaid invoice for that appointment. "Each invoice is only ever charged once", so switching both triggers on does not double-charge — the confirmed trigger fires first and the completed one finds nothing owing.
* **A declined card is never forced.** "A card that's declined or needs extra verification (3-D Secure) is never force-charged — you'll be notified to collect it manually." That invoice stays open for your desk to settle.
* **The patient gets a receipt email** for each successful charge, unless you turned that off.
* **Existing appointments are unaffected** until they next change status. Turning Auto Pay on does not sweep up a backlog of unpaid invoices.

Switching Auto Pay off stops future charges immediately and refunds nothing already taken. Card details continue to be held by the provider, never by ClinikEHR: "Card data is stored securely by Stripe and never touches ClinikEHR servers."

## Check it worked

The header badge reads **● On**. Take one appointment for a patient who has a card on file, move it to your chosen status, and check the invoice — it should show as paid without anyone touching it, and the patient should have a receipt. Then repeat with a patient who has no card: that invoice should stay open, which is the correct outcome.

## Common issues

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Auto Pay is part of the Essential plan and above">
    The whole tab is replaced by that line and an **Upgrade** button. See [Change your plan](/platform/plans/change-plan).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Connect Stripe to use Auto Pay">
    "Auto Pay charges saved cards through your connected Stripe account. Finish the Stripe setup in **Online Payments** to turn it on." Both onboarding and charging must be complete there, not just started.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Save changes will not respond">
    Either nothing has changed since it loaded, or you have Auto Pay on with both triggers off — the red line reads "Select at least one — confirmed or completed."
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="A patient was not charged">
    They have no card on file. Auto Pay skips them silently and by design; collect at the desk or send the invoice.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I can see the settings but cannot move them">
    "Only the clinic owner can change Auto Pay." Managers and accountants get a read-only view.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="A charge failed and nothing happened">
    Declines and cards needing extra verification are reported rather than retried. Settle that invoice manually.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<StillStuck />