Managing unallocated client payments

Unallocated client payments appear when a payment isn’t allocated to an invoice, or when a payment is added to an invoice that’s then deleted. When a payment amount is unallocated, it’s displayed as a client credit. Below, we'll cover:

• Viewing a client's unallocated payments
• Allocating a client payment
• Creating and allocating a credit invoice
• FAQs

Note: To view our guide on managing unallocated insurance payments, see Managing unallocated insurance payments.

Viewing a client's unallocated payments

To view a client’s unallocated payments:

1. Navigate to the client’s Billing tab
2. Click Billable items and update this to Unallocated

Note: You can also click Unallocated in the Client billing summary.

Allocating a client payment

To allocate a client payment to an invoice:

1. Select View next to the unallocated payment

2. Click Select invoice

Note: This option will only appear if there’s an invoice to allocate the payment to. If there are no unpaid invoices to allocate the payment to, the payment can be left as unallocated and applied as a credit towards future appointments.

3. Check the boxes next to the invoice(s) you want to allocate the payment to
4. Select Apply available credit

5. If the credit doesn’t cover the full amount of the invoice(s), choose a payment method to cover the remaining balance

Note: If you only want to apply the credit to an invoice and don’t want to select an additional payment method, you can adjust the Amount to match the credit amount being applied.

6. Confirm the payment

Creating and allocating a credit invoice

A fee adjustment invoice is a record of when an appointment's fee is changed. If an appointment's fee is reduced after an invoice has already been created, you'll be prompted to create a credit invoice for the fee adjustment to balance out the charge. 

To do this, click Uninvoiced Credit.

Note: The credit invoice will cover each appointment where the client's responsibility was reduced.

Note: For more information, see Creating fee adjustment invoices.

An unallocated amount from a credit will appear with the Invoice type.

You can allocate these the same way you would with an unallocated payment. For more information, see Allocating a client payment.

Reducing the appointment fee to $0

If the appointment's fee is reduced to $0, the original invoice may appear under Unpaid invoices in the client billing summary. Clicking this link may show that there are no items in the selected period.

There will also be a credit invoice for the original invoiced amount:

To resolve these amounts, allocate the credit to the original invoices. To do this:

1. Filter the client's Billing page to Billable items
2. Locate the appointment in question and click the first invoice listed

3. Click Add Payment
4. Check Apply available credit

5. Click Allocate credit

FAQs

Below, we'll cover frequently asked questions about unallocated client payments:

• Why is my client balance $0, but I still have unallocated amounts?
• Why can’t a payment be allocated?

Why is my client balance $0, but I still have unallocated amounts?

The Payments section of the Client billing summary includes all payments that have been added, including any that are unallocated. If this matches the Invoices amount, the balance will be $0. The client’s balance isn’t impacted by allocation status, meaning that a client can have a balance of $0 while still having unallocated payments.

If the client’s balance is correct and there’s unallocated payment(s), click Unpaid invoices to see which invoices don’t have payments allocated to them.

Why can’t a payment be allocated?

Payments can only be allocated to unpaid invoices. If a client doesn’t have any unpaid invoices in their Client billing summary, you won’t be able to allocate an unallocated payment.

If a payment was added and doesn’t have an invoice to be applied to, you can leave the unallocated payment as a credit and use it as a payment method for a future appointment.

Alternatively, cash, check, or external card payments can be deleted if they were added in error. Deleting an unallocated payment will clear it from the Client billing summary. To delete a payment:

1. Navigate to the client's Billing page
2. Sort by Transactions by client to locate the payment
3. Find the payment and click View

4. Click the trash icon

5. Click Delete payment

Important: Online card transactions can't be deleted. If a client has an unallocated online card payment, it can be left as is and used as a credit for a future appointment, or it can be refunded.