Taking patient payments
Once you've connected Stripe, there are three ways to collect payment from patients.
1. Charge in person at checkout
From a patient's record, click + Charge.
- Enter the amount and a description (e.g. "Initial consult — 60 min").
- Pick a payment method:
- Use saved card if the patient has one on file.
- Send payment link to text or email them a Stripe checkout page.
- Tap or insert card (with a Stripe Terminal reader if you have one set up).
- Click Charge.
The patient receives a receipt by email automatically. The payment appears on their Timeline and on your Financial → Patient Payments page.
2. Send a payment link
For invoices you'd rather email rather than charge live, click Send invoice from the patient record. Fill in:
- Line items and amounts
- Optional message
- Due date
They get an email with a "Pay invoice" button that opens a Stripe-hosted checkout. When they pay, you're notified and the invoice is marked paid.
3. Auto-charge appointment fees
If your appointment types have a price set (see Calendar setup), you can configure ApexMentum to automatically:
- Send an invoice at booking time, OR
- Charge a stored card at booking time, OR
- Charge after the appointment is marked complete
From Settings → Payments → Auto-billing, pick the policy that fits your workflow.
Stored payment methods
When a patient pays once, Stripe stores their card (with their permission) so future charges are one-click. You can:
- View what cards a patient has on file from their record
- Remove a card if a patient asks
- Set a "default" card for auto-charges
Patients can also manage their own saved cards from the portal under Payments.
What about HSA/FSA?
HSA and FSA cards work in Stripe just like regular debit cards. The patient enters their card number and it processes normally. Stripe and the patient's HSA/FSA administrator handle the eligibility check on their side.
Cash, check, and external payments
For patients who pay outside of Stripe (cash, check, Venmo, etc.), record the payment manually:
- From the patient record, click + Record payment.
- Set method to Cash / check / other.
- Enter the amount and date.
This creates a payment record for your books but doesn't touch Stripe. The 2.9% ApexMentum platform fee does not apply to manually recorded payments.
Receipts
Every Stripe payment generates a receipt from your clinic, sent to the patient's email automatically. Patients can also view all their receipts in the portal under Payments.