Question

How do we set up our Payments to automatically pass on the cost of the platform fee ($2.45) to the patient?  
 

Solution

Enabling the 'Platform fee' setting in the HotDoc Dashboard automatically passes on the platform fee to patients.

• For example, if the cost of an appointment is $80 and the platform fee is $2.45, we will automatically add the fee and charge the patient $82.45 and your practice will receive $80. 

Please review the cost of your appointments in your Dashboard to ensure the amount entered is the same amount you would like to receive from the patient ($80). Changes will come into effect immediately after enabling this feature.
 

For reconciling your HotDoc payments to the invoices in your practice software, you should use the 'subtotal net' in the reporting section moving forward. There will be no need for you to add a manual expense to account for a fee.

How to enable the setting

1. In the Dashboard, go to Payments > Payment Setup > Accounts.
   
   
    
2. Tick the box next to Patient pays platform fee. 
   
   
    
3. A pop-up modal will then appear:
   1. If you are setting up payments for the first time - Skip this modal, tick the box and select the green button to continue:
      
      
      
       
   2. If you are already using HotDoc Payments - Review the Estimated Costs for all your appointment types to ensure the cost is the amount you want to receive from the patient: (eg. $80 not $82.45). 
      
      To do this, click the green Payments Setup > Appointment Setup link:
      
      
      
      
   3. You'll be directed to the Payment Setup > Appointment Setup page to review the costs and select Edit if required:
      
      
       
   4. Adjust the amount, entering what you want to receive from the patient and press Save, then go back to the payment setup and repeat the steps for your other appointment types:
      
      
       
   5. Go back to Payments Setup > Accounts and tick the box next to patient pays platform fee, then tick the box in the modal, and select Start passing on the fee now.
      
      
       
4. We will start automatically add on the platform fee for all payments related appointments or requests, when you collect payment. Please see How to collect a payment for a patient's appointment for more information. 
    
   • Note: If you're already using payments, any appointments that were made prior to enabling this setting, when collecting payment for these appointments you may need to manually adjust the amount to collect to avoid overcharging the patient. 
      
5. When a patient adds a payment method, they'll be advised a platform fee will be added to the cost of their appointment and receive an email with this information once payment has been collected. To see what the patient will see, please view Payments - The Patient Journey.
    

6. When reconciling your HotDoc payments to your invoices, you should use the subtotal net amount in the reporting section, and do not need to account for the fee.

   For more information, please see: How do I reconcile my HotDoc payments to the receipts in my practice software? How do I use Payments Reporting to reconcile payouts to my bank account? How do I reconcile my payments if I pass on the platform fee to patients?   Payments Reporting and Reconciliation FAQs