Planet DDS Standalone Payments

Keywords: Standalone Payments, terminal payment, payment link, manual payment, saved card, surcharge, refund, void, Stripe, payment portal
Summary
This article covers how to use Planet DDS Standalone Payments, a payment portal for newly acquired offices collecting patient payments before full Denticon or Cloud 9 onboarding. Topics include taking terminal, payment link, and manual payments, charging saved cards, managing refunds and voids, surcharging, user roles, and transitioning to Denticon or Cloud 9.


Overview
Standalone Payments lets your newly acquired office start collecting patient payments right away, before you're fully onboarded to Denticon or Cloud 9. Deposits go directly into your organization's bank account from the first transaction.

Access is provided through a portal set up by your Planet DDS Account Manager. Once your account is provisioned, you'll receive login credentials and can start taking payments the same day.

When you're ready to go live on Denticon or Cloud 9, your Stripe account carries over automatically. No new application or re-enrollment needed.

Note: Standalone Payments is designed for the window between when a DSO closes on an acquisition and when that office is fully live on Denticon or Cloud 9. It is not intended as a standalone processor for practices outside of a Planet DDS onboarding relationship.


Taking a Terminal Payment
When you log in, you'll land on the Overview page, which shows a real-time summary of payments collected and transactions for the day.

To take a terminal payment:

1. Select your active terminal from the device list.
2. Use the search field to find the patient. If they're not in the system yet, click Add Patient and enter their name, email, phone number, and date of birth. You can also add an optional Legacy Patient ID to link the record to your previous practice management system.
3. Enter the payment amount and a brief service description.
4. Click Process Payment. The charge is sent to the terminal. Just have the patient tap, insert, or swipe their card.
5. A confirmation screen appears once the payment is approved. A receipt is automatically emailed to the patient.
    

Sending a Payment Link
Payment links let patients pay remotely from any device without needing to be present.

1. Go to Payment Links and click Create Link.
2. Select the patient and enter the balance amount. If surcharging is enabled, the breakdown will show automatically.
3. Set an expiration timeframe (e.g., 30 days) and click Generate Payment Link.
4. Share the link with the patient by sending it to their email directly from the portal, copying the URL, or printing the QR code for them to scan in the office.
   
5. The patient opens the link, enters their name and card details, and completes the payment on a secure page. Credit cards have the surcharge applied if enabled; debit, HSA, and FSA cards are always exempt.
6. Once paid, the link shows as Completed in your Payment Links list and a receipt is sent to the patient automatically.

Manual (Phone) Payments
For payments taken over the phone:

1. Go to Manual Payments and select the patient.
2. Enter the payment amount, any applicable notes, and review the surcharge amount if applicable. Then, enter the payment information and click Review the surcharge amount if applicable, then click Charge Card to process the payment.
   

3. Once approved, click Email Receipt to send the patient their confirmation.

    

Charging a Saved Card
Cards are saved to the patient's profile after their first payment. To charge a saved card:

1. Find the patient and select their saved card.
2. Enter a service description, and amount and click Charge. Any applicable surcharge is applied automatically.
3. Click Email Receipt to send confirmation.

You can remove a saved card from the patient's profile at any time.

The Overview Dashboard
Every transaction appears on the Overview dashboard in real time. You'll see today's total collected, transaction count, and a filterable transaction list with the following statuses: Pending, Successful, Settled, Failed, and Refunded.

Refunds, partial refunds, and same-day voids are all handled directly from this screen.

Supported Payment Methods

For in-person payments you'll need a Stripe Reader S710 or S700. Contact your Account Manager to request one.

Refunds & Voids
All refunds and voids are handled from the Overview dashboard.

Full refund: Refunds the full amount, including any surcharge collected.
Partial refund: Refunds any amount up to the original payment. Surcharge is refunded proportionally.
Same-day void: Cancels a charge before it processes. Available the same day only.

Location Users can void. Refunds require Location Admin or higher.

Surcharging
Surcharging is off by default. If your organization enables it, the rate is set between 0 and 3% by your Org Admin. Debit, HSA, and FSA payments are always exempt. Patients see the surcharge amount before they pay.

Standalone Payments Portal User Roles