Frequently Asked Questions
What is FlexPayments?
FlexPayments is a payment processing solution built inside Flex that integrates with Open Dental. Your team takes payments, stores cards, sends payment requests, and manages statements inside Flex — and those payments automatically post back to the correct patient ledger in Open Dental.
Flex handles the payment workflow. Open Dental remains your source of truth for the patient record and ledger.
How does FlexPayments work with Open Dental?
Payments are processed inside Flex Dental Solutions. Once completed, Flex automatically posts the transaction details back to the patient's ledger in Open Dental.
This means:
- No retyping payment amounts in Open Dental
- No manual posting of refunds
- No separate merchant portal for transaction history
Your team works in Flex for payment collection, and Open Dental stays updated automatically.
Do we still reconcile dental payments?
Yes — practices should still reconcile deposits as part of normal financial controls.
FlexPayments provides reporting to support reconciliation, and transactions are automatically posted to Open Dental to reduce posting errors. However, like any processor, offices will compare their payout reports with ledger totals as part of standard accounting procedures.
Flex simplifies posting — it does not eliminate financial oversight.
Can we collect more than just outstanding balances?
Absolutely. FlexPayments supports multiple collection workflows:
- Collect outstanding balances via text or email
- Take pre-payments directly from treatment plans
- Set up recurring payment plans that run automatically
- Collect deposits to reserve appointments (when using FlexSchedule)
- Process in-office payments via terminal
- Securely store cards on file
FlexPayments supports payments before, during, and after the appointment.
How do dental treatment plan prepayments work?
When reviewing a treatment plan in Flex, your team can collect a pre-payment and allocate it directly to selected procedure codes. Once processed, the payment is posted back to Open Dental and properly allocated.
This helps:
- Secure commitment before high-value treatment
- Improve case acceptance
- Reduce post-treatment billing
It’s one of the most powerful workflow features of FlexPayments.
Can we set up automatic recurring payment plans?
Yes. FlexPayments allows practices to configure recurring payment plans that automatically charge the patient’s stored card on a set schedule.
Payments run automatically and post back to Open Dental — reducing manual follow-up and improving A/R predictability.
Where do we actually take payments?
Payments are processed inside Flex. Open Dental remains installed locally as your practice management system.
Flex handles:
- Card storage
- Payment processing
- Statement sending
- Payment requests
- Reporting
Open Dental receives the posted transaction.
Is FlexPayments embedded inside Open Dental?
FlexPayments is not embedded directly inside Open Dental’s desktop interface.
It is integrated with Open Dental. Payments are processed in Flex and automatically synced back to the Open Dental ledger.
The integration ensures data accuracy while keeping payment workflows centralized in Flex.
Does FlexPayments support in-office and remote payments?
Yes. FlexPayments supports:
- In-office terminal payments
- Card-on-file transactions
- Keyed-in payments (if enabled)
- Text-to-pay links
- Email payment requests
All transactions sync back to Open Dental once processed.
What reporting is available?
FlexPayments provides transaction reporting, payout visibility, dispute tracking, and payment history within Flex.
Offices can use these reports alongside their Open Dental ledger as part of their normal financial reconciliation process.
Is Buy Now, Pay Later available?
Buy Now, Pay Later options will be introduced in future phases. At initial launch, FlexPayments focuses on integrated payment processing, recurring payment plans, and streamlined collections.
How does FlexPayments improve workflow?
FlexPayments reduces manual posting, simplifies payment collection, and centralizes payment workflows inside Flex — while keeping Open Dental updated automatically.
It supports:
- Faster pre-collection
- Cleaner ledger posting
- Automated recurring plans
- Reduced data entry errors
The goal is not to replace Open Dental — but to enhance how payments move through it.
