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

# Collecting and Recording Patient Payments

> How to record a patient payment at time of service, apply it correctly in StrataEMR, and mark it as collected on the patient's profile and correct a payment made in error.

## Overview

Recording a patient payment in StrataEMR does two things: it creates an accurate financial record for the visit and holds the funds as unapplied until the claim is adjudicated. Once the claim processes, StrataEMR automatically applies those funds to the patient's balance.

This guide covers collecting a payment at time of service. Online payments made by the patient through the portal are documented separately.

***

## Record a Payment at Time of Service

1. Open the patient's case in StrataEMR.
2. Navigate to Payments: **Patient Menu Bar > Financial > Payments**
3. Enter the payment amount.
4. Select the **date of service** the payment applies to. If the patient is paying for today's visit, select today's date.
5. Select the **payment type** — cash, check, or credit card.
6. Add any notes you would like to document for the payment.
7. Select if the payment is related to an invoice (see below).
8. Click **Add Payment**.

<Note>
  **Note:** The payment is held as unapplied funds until the claim for that date of service is adjudicated. This is expected behavior — the payment has been recorded and will be applied automatically once the payer responds.
</Note>

***

## Apply a Payment to an Invoice vs. a Deductible

When recording a payment, you will see a **Related to Invoice** option. Here is how to use it:

* **Yes**: Use this when the patient is paying a known balance on a claim that has already been adjudicated. The payment is applied directly to the outstanding balance on that date of service.
* **No**: Use this when collecting at time of service, before the claim has processed. The payment is held as unapplied and applied automatically after adjudication.

<Warning>
  **Warning:** Applying a payment to the wrong date of service or invoice can cause balance discrepancies in the Clarity Panel that are difficult to untangle. Double-check the date of service before saving.
</Warning>

***

## Mark a Payment as Collected on the Patient's Profile

After recording the payment, it will appear in the patient's payment history in the **Financial** section. You do not need to take any additional steps to mark it as collected — saving the payment record is sufficient.

If you are working from a task that prompted you to collect a copay, the task will resolve automatically once the payment is recorded against the correct date of service.

<Note>
  **Note:** If the task does not resolve after recording the payment, confirm that the payment was applied to the correct date of service. A mismatch between the payment date and the task date of service is the most common cause.
</Note>

***

## Authorize.net and Online Payment Timing

If your practice uses Authorize.net for credit card processing, payments collected through the patient portal are batched on a schedule set by Authorize.net — typically within 1–2 business days. The payment will appear in StrataEMR immediately after it is recorded, but the deposit to your bank account follows Authorize.net's settlement schedule.

If you are not seeing expected deposits, confirm the payment was processed successfully in StrataEMR before contacting Authorize.net support.

***

## Correct a Payment Charged in Error

If you charge a patient's card by mistake, the wrong amount, the wrong patient, or a duplicate charge, how you correct it in Authorize.net depends on whether the charge has settled yet.

<Note>
  **This is different from a Refund Task.** The steps below apply when you need to correct a charge you just took in error. If you're clearing a credit balance that built up from unapplied funds, the scenario behind a system-generated refund task, see [Refund Tasks](/documentation/patients/issuing-a-patient-refund#refund-tasks). Completing a refund task only balances the patient's account in StrataEMR; it does not touch Authorize.net. That refund still has to be issued separately, the same way described below.
</Note>

### Delete the Payment in StrataEMR First

If your practice has Authorize.net integrated with StrataEMR, deleting the payment record in StrataEMR automatically voids the matching transaction in Authorize.net, as long as it hasn't settled.

1. Navigate to the payment: **Patient Menu Bar > Financial > Payments**
2. Locate the mistaken payment.
3. Delete the payment record.

<Note>
  **Note:** Authorize.net holds a charge as **unsettled** for approximately 24 hours after it's taken. Deleting the payment during this window voids the unsettled charge and removes it from StrataEMR's ledgers — you don't need to take any separate action in Authorize.net. We still recommend logging in to Authorize.net once to confirm the void went through as expected.
</Note>

### If the Charge Has Already Settled

If more than 24 hours have passed, the charge has likely settled. Voiding it is no longer possible. Deleting the payment removes it from StrataEMR's records, but it does not return funds to the patient. You'll need to issue a manual refund directly in Authorize.net.

1. Sign in to the [Authorize.net Merchant Interface](https://login.authorize.net).
2. Confirm you're using the New Merchant Interface (2.0).
3. Go to **Payments > Manage Transactions** and locate the original transaction.
4. Open the transaction and click **Refund**.
5. Adjust the amount if issuing a partial refund, then confirm. Credit card refunds typically take 3–5 business days to appear on the patient's statement. You can only issue refunds to the same card used for the original charge.

<Warning>
  **Warning:** You cannot reverse a void once you submit it, and you can only refund to the original card on file. Confirm the transaction and amount before proceeding. StrataPT cannot reverse actions you take directly in Authorize.net.
</Warning>

For full step-by-step instructions and troubleshooting directly from Authorize.net, see their guides on [voiding a transaction](https://support.authorize.net/knowledgebase/Knowledgearticle/?code=KA-09355) and [issuing a refund](https://support.authorize.net/knowledgebase/Knowledgearticle/?code=KA-09324).