Procedure
Apply a discount
Apply a discount to an invoice in Vault within your approved limits, record the reason, and show the adjusted total to the patient.
A discount lowers what a patient owes on a bill by a recorded amount. This page walks the billing counter through applying a discount in Vault within your approved limits, recording the reason, and showing the adjusted total to the patient.
Where a discount sits
Vault resolves a price in a set order: the base rate from the charge master, then the tariff or rate card for the payer, then the adjustments, which give the final price. A discount is one of those adjustments.
Applying a discount records an adjustment against the account. The original charge holds as it was raised, so the account shows both the charge and the discount side by side.
The charge stays as it was raised
A discount records as its own entry, so the account carries the full story: the charge at its raised price, and the discount that lowered it. The two stay legible together for anyone reading the account later.
Discount limits
Each member of counter staff carries an approved discount limit. A discount within your limit applies at once. A larger discount routes to an approver and applies once they approve it.
| Discount | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Within your approved limit | Applies at once, recorded against your name. |
| Above your approved limit | Routes to an approver, applies once approved. |
| A full discount on the bill | Held for a staff member who carries the full-discount right. |
Apply the discount
- 1
Open the account
Open the patient's account and find the charge or the bill you want to adjust. The account shows each charge at its raised price.
- 2
Choose what the discount applies to
Select the target, a single charge or the whole bill. The counter shows the amount that stands before any discount.
- 3
Enter the discount
Set the discount as an Amount or a Percentage. If it sits within your approved limit, it applies at once. If it runs above your limit, Vault routes it to an approver, and it applies once they approve it.
- 4
Record the reason
Choose the Reason from the list. The reason is drawn from a fixed set, so every discount carries a clear, comparable ground.
- 5
Apply and show the total
Select Apply. The adjusted total shows on the account, and the discount records as its own entry against your name. Show the adjusted total to the patient.
A discount above your limit waits for approval
When a discount runs above your approved limit, Vault holds it pending until an approver signs it off. The account shows the discount as pending, and the effect applies the moment the approval lands. If you need the discount sooner, ask the approver to review it.
Common questions
When do I use a discount rather than a credit note?
Apply a discount before you finalise the bill, to lower what the patient owes. Once a bill is finalised, correct it with a credit note instead.
The discount I need is above my limit. What happens?
Enter it as normal. Vault routes it to an approver and holds it pending, and the discount applies once the approver signs it off.
Can I change the reason after I apply a discount?
The reason is fixed to the entry once applied. To change the ground, reverse the discount and apply a fresh one with the reason you meant.
Related tasks
Read how the price resolves through base rate, tariff and adjustments in the pricing waterfall.
Correct a bill after it is finalised in issue a credit note.