Patient credits and overpayments

Patient credits and overpayments are managed on each patient's billing page. Use this area to separate money the patient still owes, money your practice is holding for later, and money that should go back to the patient.

How do I see held credit and overpayments?

In the left sidebar, click Patients, then click the patient's name. On the patient's Billing page, the Balance card and Credit on account list show what you are holding for the patient and what should be refunded.

1. In Balance, review Outstanding, On account, and Refund due.
2. In Credit on account, review each credit row to see where the money came from and how much is still available.
3. If a row is marked Disputed, you cannot apply or refund that credit from this list.

Outstanding is money owed on issued invoices. On account is money you are holding for the patient that is not yet on an invoice. Refund due is money the patient paid beyond what their invoices ask for.

If an insurer still owes money, Balance can also show an amount that is still with the insurer and not owed yet.

In Credit on account, each row can come from a copay, a cancelled visit, or an overpayment. The row shows the original amount, the payment method, and any history already recorded for that credit, such as money applied to an invoice or refunded. If money is still available, the row shows how much is held. If the credit has been fully used, it shows Spent.

If the patient has fully used credits, they can also appear in a separate spent list below the held items.

When a credit still has money left and is not disputed, Ona also tells you whether it will be spent automatically only on that visit's invoice or on the next invoice.

How do I apply held credit to an invoice?

On the same page, use Apply in Credit on account when the patient has held money you want to move onto an issued invoice.

1. In Credit on account, find the held credit you want to use and select Apply.
2. In Apply to an invoice, choose the invoice in the list.
3. In Amount, enter how much to apply.
4. Select Apply.

Ona only lists issued invoices that still owe something, and only in the same currency as the held credit. Draft invoices do not appear. The amount can be no more than the smaller of the held balance and the invoice's balance due.

After you apply the credit, Ona records it as paid from the patient's account, with your name on it. If part of the invoice is still unpaid, the confirmation says how much is still owed. If the full balance is covered, the invoice is paid.

If there is nothing eligible to apply the credit to, the dialog says the patient has no issued invoice that still owes something and that a draft has to be issued first. For broader invoice work, see Invoicing patients and collecting payments.

You may also see the same workflow from an invoice that still has a balance. In that version of the dialog, the eligible credit is listed in the invoice currency, and This visit marks credit taken for one of that invoice's visits.

How do refunds show in patient credit?

On the same page, refunded credit stays in the patient's credit history so you can see what was used and what was sent back.

In Credit on account, a row can show refund history alongside invoice applications. Held credits that are not disputed can also show Refund when the money should go back to the patient instead of onto an invoice.

For refund steps, see Refunds, voids, and recording offline payments.

How do I review a patient's money activity?

On the same page, the activity view shows every movement of the patient's money, newest first and grouped by day.

Use the timeline to review the most recent activity item (1) and its detail line (2), then the earlier activity item (3) and its detail line (4).

1. Review each activity item by amount and action, such as received, charged back, refunded, applied to invoice, returned to account, or moved to account.
2. Read the detail line under the amount to see the invoice number, whether the money was a copay, and the payment method when one applies.

Applied credit is not counted as a second payment in this view. It is shown as a transfer to an invoice, so the activity stays accurate without double-counting the original money.

If the activity is still loading, Ona shows Loading money activity. If it cannot load, Ona shows The activity could not be loaded. If the patient has no money movement yet, Ona shows No money has moved for this patient yet.

How does an overpayment show up if I keep it as credit?

On the same page, overpayments that are kept for later use can appear in Credit on account instead of being refunded right away.

When that happens, the credit list can show an Overpayment entry, sometimes with the invoice number it came from. In the activity view, the movement is recorded as moved to account, which lets you distinguish it from a new payment and from a refund.

If you need to send money back to the patient instead, see Refunds, voids, and recording offline payments.

What can't I do here?

On a patient's billing page, patient credit actions are limited in these ways:

• If you do not have permission to edit billing, Apply and Refund are not available from Credit on account.
• A row marked Disputed does not show Apply or Refund.
• You cannot apply more than the smaller of the held amount and the invoice balance due.
• You cannot apply held credit to a draft invoice. Only issued invoices that still owe something are listed.
• You cannot apply held credit across currencies. When you apply credit from an invoice, only held credit in that invoice's currency is listed.

Common questions

What's the difference between On account and Refund due?

On account is money your practice is holding for the patient to use later. Refund due is money paid beyond what current invoices ask for.

Why doesn't an invoice appear when I apply credit?

Only issued invoices that still owe something are listed when you apply credit. Draft invoices and invoices with no balance due are left out.

Why is one credit marked This visit?

That badge marks credit taken for one of the visits billed on that invoice. Ona shows that credit first when you apply credit from the invoice side.

Why can't I use a credit marked Disputed?

A disputed credit is excluded from apply and refund actions while it is disputed.