Procedure

Take a deposit

Record an advance deposit against a visit in Vault, note the amount and method, and give the patient a receipt they can keep.

You record an advance deposit against a visit in Vault, the billing tool. Note the amount and the method, then hand the patient a receipt they keep. A deposit is money a patient pays in advance, held against a visit before charges are raised.

Before you start

The patient has an open visit.

You have the patient's record open.

You know the amount to collect.

If the patient has no open visit, open one first.

Methods

You choose one method as you record the deposit.

Method	When you use it
Cash	The default, collected at the counter.
Card	A card terminal at the counter.
Online	A payment link or gateway, where the site has one set up.

Take the deposit

1
Open the visit's account
Open the patient's visit and go to its billing panel. The deposit action sits with the visit's account.
2
Enter the amount
Enter the deposit amount, for example INR 10,000. The amount holds against the visit until charges draw it down.
3
Choose the method
Pick the method: Cash, Card or Online. Cash is the default. An online option appears where a payment gateway is set up for the site.
4
Take the payment
Collect the payment and confirm. The deposit records against the visit's account. If an online payment times out, the record stays Pending and holds the amount, so you avoid collecting it twice.
5
Give the receipt
Print or send the receipt. It shows the amount, the method and the visit, and the patient keeps it as proof of what they paid.

A deposit stays fixed

A recorded deposit stays fixed. A correction is a fresh entry, such as a refund, that sits beside the original rather than an edit to it, so the money trail reads true from the deposit to the final bill.

How a deposit settles

The deposit holds as a credit on the visit's account. As charges are raised through the visit, they draw against the deposit first. At discharge, the account settles: a balance owed is collected, and any deposit left over is refunded. Read deposits and payments for how the account carries the money through.

Common questions

Is a deposit the same as a payment for a charge?

A deposit is money held in advance, before charges exist. A payment settles charges already raised. Read take a payment.

What happens to a deposit at discharge?

The account settles the deposit against the final charges. A surplus is refunded, and a shortfall is collected before the discharge clears.

Can I edit a deposit I entered wrong?

Leave the original and add a correcting entry, such as a refund. The pair keeps the money trail honest.

Clear the discharge once the visit's account is settled.