Use this helpful guide if you need assistance processing refunds or returns.
Table of Contents
Adjusting a Controlled Drug Report in Analytics Impacted by a Product Return
Processing a Partial Refund for a Deposit on a Checked In-Patient
Processing a Partial Refund to a Credit Card Using the Clover Device
Processing a Return for a Checked Out Patient
We’ve all been there; we accidentally overcharged a client for a service, or the client decides not to take home the prescription. How do we return a product or item? For this scenario, let’s say the client doesn’t want the prescription of Cerenia after they’ve been checked-out:
- Navigate to the patient’s invoice screen (patient does not need to be checked in
- Click +New Invoice at the top of the Invoices column
- Enter the Reason for Invoice and select Provider

- Add the item that needs to be returned, making sure to select the same prescribing Doctor for reporting purposes.
- Update the quantity and the price as a negative number and click on the orange checkmark, saving this line item to the Invoice. Negative quantity will help with accurate inventory reports.

- Now you can move forward to the Payments & Ledger screen to process the Refund.
- Don’t forget to Close the invoice!
📓 Please Note: While you can add any item to the invoice directly, any associated automatic charges will not appear on the invoice unless entered separately. For instance, if ‘IV fluids’ with an automatic charge needs to be returned, the automatic charge would need to be added separately.
Adjusting a Controlled Drug Report in Analytics Impacted by a Product Return
After completing the above steps in ‘Processing a Return for a Checked Out Patient’, head to the Analytics section. Click on Generate New Report for a date/time after you’ve adjusted the amounts of the controlled drug. Clicking on Generate will give you an On Demand report with the updated reporting information.
Processing a Refund
- If the patient is checked-out: click Business Office > Financials > then search/select an Account.
- If the patient is checked-in: click on the Payments & Ledger button on the patient’s Invoice screen.
- Select the patient that needs the refund. At this time, separate transactions are required for each pet.
- Select the Invoice that has the credit.
- Type: Refund.
- Method: Should match the previous Payment Method on the initial Invoice.
- If processing Credit/Debit Cards via your facility’s card terminals, a Transaction ID field appears and is required.
- If your hospital is using Gravity Payments and refunding a credit card – you must have the credit card present or approval from the client to collect their credit card number over the phone.
- *Terminal: For hospitals using Gravity Payments.
- *Postal Code: For hospitals using Gravity Payments.
- Amount: The amount of the Refund.
- Note: Overcommunicate if needed.
- Click on Initiate Transaction/Record Transaction. As long as there are no other outstanding balances, the Patient Balance should indicate $0.00.

* Non-Gravity Payment customers must process Credit/Debit card transactions using your facility’s card terminals. The “Payment” module in Instinct Invoice merely documents that the transaction has been processed elsewhere.
** Gravity Payment customers will see a specific Credit/Debit Card option instead of displaying Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover. These customers can process a card transaction directly from the Instinct Invoice using their Clover Device.
Processing a Partial Refund for a Deposit on a Checked In Patient
- Click on Payments & Ledger at the bottom of the Invoice.
- Select present Invoice Date.
- Payment type: Refund.
- Method: Should match the previous Payment Method on the initial Invoice.
- If processing Credit/Debit Cards via your facility’s card terminals, a Transaction ID field appears and is required.
- If your hospital is using Gravity Payments and refunding a credit card – you must have the credit card present or approval from the client to collect their credit card number over the phone.
- Amount: The amount of the Refund.
- Note: Overcommunicate if needed.
- Click on Initiate Transaction/Record Transaction. As long as there are no other outstanding balances, patient balance should state $0.00.

Processing a Partial Refund to a Credit Card Using the Clover Device
- Click on the merchant dashboard.
- Look up past transactions.
- Now you’re able to provide a partial refund without the card being present.
* For the above to occur, the admins of the hospital need to set this up with Gravity as it’s not enabled by default.
📓 Please Note: Processing a refund through the Clover Device will not capture that there was a refund performed in Instinct. You will want to process the same refund amount within Instinct to keep financial reports accurate.
💡 ProTip: Check out these links for more information about Gravity Payments, EMR Invoice Guide, and EMR Financials and Account Ledger Guide.
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