With the higher cost of postage, emailing invoices through Front Desk is a straightforward way to reduce expenses and reduce time spent handling paper invoices.
In this article, we will cover the following:
• Configuring email settings
• Creating email templates
• Configuring the biller email address
• Sending invoices from the patient file
• Sending invoices in bulk
Configuring Email Settings
To use the Email features of Front Desk, confirm that your email settings are correctly configured in File > System Information > Email.
If you specifically wish to send invoices through your business email system set the MAPI or SMTP options. If you have issues sending emails in bulk through your email provider, use the Smartsoft Email Gateway options.
When using the Smartsoft Email Gateway it is important to set the Sender Name, the name used as the sender of your emails, and the Reply Email address to be able to receive any replies to your emails. Note that the email will come from client@frontdesk.smartsoft.com.au, however the Sender Name and Reply Email will be as specified.
Creating Email Templates
With your email configured the next step is to create default Email Templates that will be used when sending invoices.
Go to System > Standard Messages > Standard Emails
We suggest creating a separate template for Invoices, Receipts and Statements.
Once these templates have been created, you can set default templates for Receipts, Invoices and Statements in System Information > Invoice / Statement Defaults. This will save time and effort by automatically selecting the appropriate email template.
If required, email templates can be overridden per practitioner on the practitioner file.
Configuring the biller email address
To send invoices by email, the Statement/Invoice Preference on the Billing Details tab of the Patient file should be set to Email. Note that the Statement/Invoice Preference can be set per billing account.
Front Desk will default to sending invoices to the email address listed on the General tab of the Patient File. However, if the Billing Account includes a third-party email address this will be used instead:
Sending Invoices from the Patient File
There are multiple ways to email invoices from the patient file.
Firstly, invoices can be emailed directly from the Receipt or Bill windows. As seen below, the ‘Invoice Template’ has been selected automatically for outstanding items, while the ‘Receipt Template’ has been selected when all items are fully paid.
Users can either Send now using template or Edit before sending if the email needs further customisation.
For invoices that have previously been billed, email options are available when using the Reprint function on the Transactions tab.
After clicking the Reprint button, the easiest method is to select All Outstanding Invoices combined with the Un-issued Invoices Only option, as below:
Clicking Email with this selection will email all invoices that have not previously been issued. An invoice is considered issued once it has been printed, emailed or exported to PDF.
By scrolling across the Transactions window you can determine which invoices have already been issued.
Sending Invoices in Bulk
To send invoices and statements in bulk, go to Reports > Invoices / Statements.
The options available are similar to the Reprint window, with the easiest selection being All Outstanding Invoices combined with Un-issued invoices Only.
Once your selection has been made, click Invoices. This will display a window listing the invoices to be processed:
Click the Email button to process all the accounts marked with the ‘Email’ action. This will automatically send these invoices via email using the assigned template.
Note: The ‘Action’ represents the patient’s preferred method of receiving invoices and statements, which can be either printed, emailed or both. This can be set for ALL patients by clicking the Defaults tab, otherwise it can be set per patient under Billing Details.