Wrong amount, wrong method, wrong patient: each has a clean fix that keeps the audit trail honest. Editing around the mistake is the one thing not to do.
One method for every mistake
A recorded payment can't be changed, so every entry error is fixed the same way: void the wrong payment with a reason, then record the right one. The invoice goes back to owing the amount when you void, and comes right again when you re-record. The voided entry stays visible, struck through, so the day's takings and the patient's statement explain themselves.
| What went wrong | What to do |
|---|---|
| Wrong amount | Void it, then record the amount the patient really paid. If they paid more than the invoice, the difference becomes account credit on its own. |
| Wrong invoice | Void it on the invoice it landed on, then record it against the right one from that invoice, or from Add Payment on the Payments page where you can spread it across several. |
| Wrong payment method | Void it, then record it with the right method. This matters at the end of the day, because the Payments page totals by method. |
| Wrong patient | Void it, then record it on the correct patient's invoice. |
| The patient paid, but shouldn't have | Not a void. Refund it, so the money goes back; see Refund an invoice. |
See Void a payment for the steps and the payments that can't be voided: refunds, payments on written-off invoices, and payments on invoices refunded since. A card payment taken online can be voided only if the money wasn't really taken; otherwise refund it.
Check the result
After re-recording, open the patient's Account summary on their record, which shows invoices owing, credit available and a ledger of every charge and credit with a running balance. If the stored credit and the ledger ever disagree, the summary says so; that's worth reporting to support rather than adjusting by hand.