Can I refund a patient?
There are several ways to process a refund in Dentally:
Refund electronically via an integrated terminal (AU only 🇦🇺)
How do I refund a patient for payment linked to an invoice?
If the patient has an invoice for a treatment, and you have taken payment which has been allocated to that invoice:
Go to the patient's 'Account' tab.
Create an invoice manually.
Add a line item for the amount you wish to refund, and name it 'Refund'. Make sure the amount is written as a negative.
Then save the invoice.
Click 'Payment' to take a payment. Enter the amount you are refunding, but ensure the amount matches the negative invoice you created, and is a minus amount eg. -£10 or -$10.
Once the payment is recorded, it will show as a minus payment in your 'Payments' tab, and should be automatically allocated to the negative invoice, but if not you can manually allocate it using the three dot menu to the right of the payment and clicking 'Allocate to invoice'.
How do I refund a patient for payment that's not linked to any invoice?
If you have taken payment which is not currently allocated to an invoice and which you'd like to refund, first check whether it is supposed to be allocated to an invoice. If it is, allocate it and then follow different steps instead.
If it's intentionally not allocated to an invoice:
Go to the patient's 'Account' tab.
Take a payment, and enter the amount you are refunding, but ensure the amount entered is a minus/negative amount eg. -£10 or -$10.
On both the positive and negative payments, click the three dot menu select 'Allocate to invoice'.
Instead of selecting an invoice, in the 'Notes' section type 'Refund' for the negative amount and 'Refunded' for the positive amount.
Do this for both the positive and the negative. The patient's balance will be updated to reflect this.
📝 Please note: If you wish for the refund to be taken from the practitioner's income and NOT the practice, they will need to chart a refund item and charge this through instead, or you can chart this on their behalf, being sure to set the practitioner accordingly. The example below shows a refund for £300.