This article explains what happens when a stored card payment fails, how to identify it, and what actions to take.

Why can a stored card fail/decline?

When a patient requests an appointment at your practice that you have configured to require a credit/debit card to be stored in the lead-up to the appointment, there is a possibility that the card may decline when you attempt to charge it. 

Reasons a stored card may fail include: 

• Insufficient funds
• The card was declined (generic response from the bank)
   

How will you know if a payment has failed?

When a patient has been seen for their appointment and it is time to collect payment from their stored credit/debit card, there is a slight chance it could decline. 
(This is the same if you were manually swiping or tapping a card on an EFTPOS machine).

If the card does decline, it will immediately inform you via the following methods:

1. The 'Payment Status' will be updated in the HotDoc Dashboard to Payment Failed:
   
   
    

2. If the payment was attempted via the Sidebar, it will show as declined at the time of the attempt. In the Payment Activity list, it will then appear as “Payment failed.” 

    

3. HotDoc will insert a note into the appointment within your Practice Management System: 
    

• When a payment fails due to insufficient funds initially, HotDoc will insert the below note: 

  Payment failed: insufficient_funds
  Patient notified, retrying on <insert Date/Time>

• When a payment continues to fail due to insufficient funds before a retry, we will insert the below note: 

  Retry failed

• When a payment continues to fail due to insufficient funds before a retry or for any other failure reasons, we will insert the below note: 

  Payment failed
  Patient notified, sent link to pay

4. You will also receive a daily email with the subject line "HotDoc Payments to action" if you have any outstanding in your Dashboard:
   
   
    

   This will be sent to the email address registered in your Dashboard under Payments > Payment Setup > 'Account' tab > Contact's Email Address field.

How will the patient know their card has failed?

As soon as the patient's card fails/declines, an SMS will be sent to the mobile number in the patient's file:

 

The patient will then be required to enter their payment method and make the payment.
 

Can a stored card be retried if it has failed?
The clinic will not have the option to manually re-try the card after it fails.

If the payment method is declined, HotDoc will send the patient an SMS requesting them to add a new payment method. HotDoc may automatically re-try the charge again 24 hours after the first charge if the card failed due to insufficient funds and if the patient hasn't taken action from the SMS they were sent.

If HotDoc is unable to take the funds at that point, the practice will receive an email informing them of the unpaid appointment so they can phone the patient directly.

What to do if the patient pays the clinic directly via another method?

If the patient phones the practice or visits the reception to pay via another method, you will need to cancel the HotDoc Payment Request in your Dashboard:

1. Navigate to your HotDoc Dashboard > Payments > Booking Activity > Failed Payments
    
2. Locate the payment in the list and click the Cancel button:
   
    
3. To proceed, click Yes, Cancel:
   

Alternatively, ready-to-collect and failed payments can be cancelled through the Sidebar:

1. Click Cancel > Yes, cancel payment 

2. The payment will then appear as cancelled on the Payment completed today list.