How to Manage Recurring Payments in Flex

This guide ensures you can efficiently manage recurring payments in Flex while keeping payments synchronized with your practice management system.

You will learn how to:

1. View and Edit existing plans
2. Update payment information
3. Manage declined payments
4. Manage declined payment notifications to patients
5. Refund a successful recurring payment
6. Change payment amounts
7. Change due dates
8. Cancel Plans and Cancel Payments

Important Details:

• A recurring payment plan can either be standalone in Flex or linked to your practice management system. If linked, the data entered in your Open Dental will determine the charge amounts and dates. It is best to manage linked plans in your practice management system, For questions, please contact Open Dental.
• The Flex user must have permissions in Flex to manage Recurring Payments. To update a user's permissions, view this article: How Do I Change User's Permissions?
• Payments taken through this feature automatically post to your patient’s Open Dental Account.
• Flex checks for plans requiring a payment every 30 minutes to ensure payment is received on time.

Viewing and Editing a Plan

1. Navigate to Recurring Payments and locate the plan in the search results.
2. View details such as:
   • Creation Date
   • Patient Name
   • Card Number (last four digits)
   • Total Treatment Amount
   • Remaining Balance
   • Number of Payments
   • Next Payment Date
   • Plan Status (Active or Canceled)
   • Declined Payment Attempts
3. To edit, select the plan and click Edit.

Back to Menu

Updating Payment Information

1. 1. Click Edit on the payment plan.
   2. Select Manage Cards to update the payment method.
   3. If adding a new card: 
      • Capture manually or use a terminal device.
      • Enter the requested card details (card Number, CVV, and expiration date).
   4. Ensure the correct card is selected and click X in the top right to Save.

Back to Menu

Managing Declined Payments

• • • Flex checks for plans requiring a payment every 30 minutes.
    • When found, it processes the payment automatically and inserts that payment in your practice management system.
    • If a card declines, Flex will reattempt five additional times on consecutive days.
    • If still declined, an email notification is sent to the office.
    • You can update the card being charged by choosing the plan, then selecting Edit.
    • See above: Updating Payment Information.
    • Reset Payment Attempts will reset the attempts and Flex to automatically try again.

Back to Menu

Manage declined payment notifications to patients                                *Available to Legacy 3rd-Party Payments Beta users on version 7.15.0 and above*

• • Enable these notifications in the Payments settings tab. This allows you to send automatic text and email notifications to patients when their card declined payment.
  • Set how many days after the 5th failed attempt Flex should send the notification.

Back to Menu

Refunding a Payment

1. 1. Select the Payment Plan.
   2. Click on the specific payment to be refunded.
   3. Tap Refund.
   4. The refund is processed, and your practice management system updates automatically.

Back to Menu

Change Payment Amounts

1. 1. 1. Select the Payment Plan.
      2. Click on a future payment.
      3. Tap Change Amount and enter the new amount.
      4. Refresh the table to reflect the new balance and click X in the top right to Save.

Back to Menu

Change a Payment Due Date

1. 1. 1. Select the Payment Plan.
      2. Click on the payment to be adjusted.
      3. Tap Change Due Date and select the new date.
      4. Optionally, update all future payments to the same new date and complete Step 5 below.
      5. If applicable, choose the new payment frequency (Monthly, Weekly, etc.).
      6. Click Submit at the bottom to Save.

Back to Menu

 

Cancelling Plans and Payments

Cancel a Plan

1. 1. 1. Select the Payment Plan.
      2. Click Cancel.
         • Doing this will cancel the entire plan. This action CANNOT be undone.

Cancel a Payment

1. 1. 1. Select the Payment Plan.
      2. Click Edit.
      3. Choose the specific payment to be cancelled.
      4. Click Cancel.
         • Doing this will cancel this payment only, not the entire plan. This action CANNOT be undone.

Back to Menu

Looking for more?

➡️To create a new recurring payment plan view: How to Set Up Recurring Payments in Flex

If you found this information helpful, please like and/or comment below!

If you have questions, please contact Flex Support.

Thank you!