Taking card payments over the phone
This guide shows you how to charge a patient's card over the phone in the SynchPay portal, whether you're using a card already on file or a new one. It also covers what to say about the $3 convenience fee, how the credit and debit setting works, and what to do when a patient offers American Express.
Before you start
Open the patient's profile. Select Customers, search by name, account number, or ID, and select the patient.
Know the amount the patient owes.
SynchPay does not accept American Express. See If the patient offers American Express below.
What to say: the fee conversation
Ask how the patient wants to pay before you mention the fee. The fee depends on the answer, so leading with it confuses patients who were going to pay a different way.
Step | What to say |
|---|---|
1. Ask | "How would you like to make a payment today?" |
2. If card, ask the type | "Is that a credit card or a debit card?" |
3a. Credit card | "There's a $3 convenience fee for credit card payments taken over the phone, so your total today is [amount plus $3]. You can skip the fee by paying straight from your bank account. I can text you a secure link right now. Which would you prefer?" |
3b. Debit card | No fee. Continue to the steps below. |
3c. Bank account | No fee. See How patients pay with SynchPay (account-to-account). |
Get the patient's OK on the total before you select Submit.
Why you have to ask: SynchPay can't tell a debit card from a credit card by its number. The credit or debit setting you choose decides whether the fee is added, so it has to match what the patient tells you. If the patient isn't sure, most debit cards say "Debit" on the front.
Option 1: Charge a card on file
Use this when the patient says, "You already have my card."
In the payment section on the right side of the profile, choose Card.
Select the saved card. Confirm the last four digits with the patient.
Enter the amount owed. Don't add the fee yourself.
Set the card type to Credit or Debit, based on the patient's answer. For credit, the $3 fee is added automatically.
Check the outlet. It fills in from your user account; change it if the payment belongs to a different outlet.
Read the total back to the patient.
Select Submit.
Example: A patient owes $10 and pays with a credit card. Enter $10. The portal adds the $3 fee and charges $13.
Option 2: Add a new card and charge it
Use this when the patient has a new card or no card on file.
In the payment section on the right side of the profile, choose Card, then add a new card.
Enter the card details the patient gives you. The card brand logo appears once you enter the number.
If someone other than the patient is paying (a family member or caregiver, for example), open the billing address section and enter that person's name and billing address. This keeps the payer's details off the patient's profile.
Select the card you just added.
Enter the amount owed, set the card type to Credit or Debit, and check the outlet.
Read the total back to the patient.
Select Submit.
The new card is saved to the patient's profile for future payments. If the patient asks you to remove it, select the X next to the card under saved cards.
Verify it worked
The payment appears right away in the table at the bottom of the patient's profile, with the total charged. For credit cards, that total includes the $3 fee.
If you see an error instead, the card was declined. The table shows the payment as denied, with a reason when the card network provides one. See How to confirm a patient's payment went through for what each reason means.
If the patient offers American Express
SynchPay doesn't accept Amex. You'll know it's Amex when:
The patient reads you a 15-digit number (Visa, Mastercard, and Discover numbers are usually 16 digits)
The number starts with 34 or 37
The Amex logo appears when you type the number
Stop before you select Submit, and say: "I'm sorry, we're not able to accept American Express. Do you have a Visa, Mastercard, or Discover card, or would you like to pay from your bank account at no charge?"
Where the $3 fee applies
How the patient pays | Fee |
|---|---|
Credit card, taken by phone in the SynchPay portal | $3 |
Debit card, taken by phone in the SynchPay portal | None |
Bank account (account-to-account) | None |
Patient pays on their own, online or in the SynchPay app | None |
Wellness private-pay patients | None |
Common issues
The patient objects to the fee. Offer the bank option. It's free, takes about 30 seconds, and happens on the patient's own phone. See How patients pay with SynchPay (account-to-account).
The patient doesn't know if it's credit or debit. Ask them to check the front of the card. If they still can't tell, follow FOX's SOP.
You charged the fee by mistake, such as selecting credit for a debit card. Refund the fee. See How to refund a payment.
The patient returned a paper statement with card details. The current statement form doesn't ask whether it's a credit or debit card. Until the updated form is in use, follow FOX's SOP for mailed-in card payments.
The portal asks for a mobile phone number. Enter the patient's mobile number. This field is set to become optional in a future update.
The patient wants to pay with Apple Pay. Apple Pay isn't available yet.
The patient wants automatic monthly charges. Card-on-file payments are charged one at a time today. Recurring authorization for cards is coming; bank payments already support it.