Can we charge the patient portion without asking again?

Yes, when the signed authorisation covers charging the patient portion once the claim settles, and a receipt is sent with each charge.

What if the estimate was too high?

Refund the difference to the original card as soon as the claim settles; the refund appears against the same patient record.

Can reminders go out automatically?

Yes. Balance reminders with a payment link are scheduled by the platform and included in the subscription.

Dental practices

Collecting the patient portion after insurance pays

Updated 10 September 2026 · 6 min read

The patient portion is easiest to collect the moment the claim settles, not weeks later on a statement. With written authorisation and a card on file you can charge the agreed portion automatically and email a receipt; where a card is not held, a texted checkout link the same day collects most of the rest.

The gap that creates bad debt

The patient leaves before anyone knows the final number, the claim settles two weeks later, and by the time a statement goes out the treatment feels like ancient history. That gap, not unwillingness to pay, is where most dental bad debt comes from.

Closing it means deciding the collection method before the patient leaves, even if the amount is not known yet.

Estimate, then confirm

Take the estimated patient portion at the visit and settle the difference when the claim comes back — refund the overpayment or charge the shortfall against the authorised card.

Patients accept this readily when it is explained at the start. What they dislike is a surprise number arriving in the post.

Automatic charges, with a receipt every time

With authorisation in place, the remaining portion can be charged as soon as it is known, and a receipt sent immediately showing the procedure, the insurance payment and the balance taken.

The receipt is what stops the phone call. A charge the patient understands is not a charge they dispute.

For everyone else, links and reminders

Where no card is held, send a checkout link by text the day the claim settles, then let scheduled reminders handle the follow-up with the link attached each time.

Receivables ageing then shows a short, real list rather than a full ledger, which is what makes the remaining collections work manageable.

Frequently asked

Can we charge the patient portion without asking again?: Yes, when the signed authorisation covers charging the patient portion once the claim settles, and a receipt is sent with each charge.
What if the estimate was too high?: Refund the difference to the original card as soon as the claim settles; the refund appears against the same patient record.
Can reminders go out automatically?: Yes. Balance reminders with a payment link are scheduled by the platform and included in the subscription.

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