# Dental payment processing: collect appointment deposits

Source: https://fragment.dev/solutions/dental-payment-processing

## How do you use Fragment for dental payment processing?

Use Fragment checkout for dental payment processing when a patient accepts an appointment deposit. Create a Payment tied to the appointment and record settlement automatically. Keep the collected amount as a deposit until the practice approves applying it to completed treatment.

| Operation | Who handles it? |
| --- | --- |
| Authorize the dental appointment and collectible amount | Your application |
| Collect a card payment from the patient | Fragment checkout and payments API |
| Post settlement and processing-fee accounting | Fragment, using your Payment Type |
| Apply funding to completed dental treatment | Your application posts `dental_deposit_apply` |

## Set up the Ledger and Payment Account

Use the [Quickstart](/guides/quickstart) to configure your SDK and create a Ledger with the [example schema](/examples/vertical-ai/dental--dental-appointment-deposits/schema.json). Use `dental-practice` as its `ik`. Configure a Payment Account before collecting payments. The schema marks `assets/payments` with `payment: { "enabled": true }`.

- `assets/payments`
- `liabilities/deposits:<id>/available`
- `income/dental-services:<id>`
- `expenses/payment-fees`

Collected funds remain a liability until an authorized application entry moves them to income. Processing fees are a separate expense.

| Account | What it tracks |
| --- | --- |
| `assets/payments` | Card receipts less processing fees |
| `liabilities/deposits:<appointment_id>/available` | Funds available for this record |
| `income/dental-services:<appointment_id>` | Recognized income |
| `expenses/payment-fees` | Fragment processing fees |

## Define the Payment Type

Add `dental_deposit` to `payments.types` in your Schema. Its `payment.amount` reads the server-approved `amount`. Add the settlement accounting below to these fields; the [complete schema](/examples/vertical-ai/dental--dental-appointment-deposits/schema.json) contains both.

```json title="Payment Type fields"
{
  "type": "dental_deposit",
  "typeVersion": 1,
  "status": "active",
  "payment": {
    "amount": "{{amount}}",
    "direction": "payin"
  }
}
```

Set `accounting.settled.lines` to these four lines. Fragment supplies `settled_amount` and `fragment_fee_amount`; your application supplies `appointment_id`. The patient receives credit for the gross amount. The Payment Account receives that amount less the processing fee.

```json title="Settlement lines"
[
  {"key": "settlement", "account": {"path": "assets/payments"}, "amount": "{{settled_amount}}", "system": "payment_settlement_line"},
  {"key": "fee", "account": {"path": "assets/payments"}, "amount": "-{{fragment_fee_amount}}", "system": "payment_fee_line"},
  {"key": "receipt", "account": {"path": "liabilities/deposits:{{appointment_id}}/available"}, "amount": "{{settled_amount}}"},
  {"key": "fee-expense", "account": {"path": "expenses/payment-fees"}, "amount": "{{fragment_fee_amount}}"}
]
```

## Create a Payment from your backend

Resolve the approved dental appointment, payer, and amount from authenticated application records. Call `createPayment` with a stable idempotency key. Amounts are integer strings in USD cents. Return the Payment to your frontend; keep API credentials on your server.

```typescript title="Create a $100 card payment"
const { createPayment } = await fragment.createPayment({
  ik: 'dental_deposit-1-v1',
  ledgerIk: 'dental-practice',
  type: 'dental_deposit',
  typeVersion: 1,
  parameters: { appointment_id: '1', amount: '10000' },
});
if (createPayment.__typename !== 'CreatePaymentResult') {
  throw new Error(createPayment.message);
}
return { payment: createPayment.payment };
```

## Embed Fragment checkout in your product

Mount `Checkout` inside `PaymentElements` from `@fragment-dev/payment-elements`. Pass the Payment returned by your backend and the payer's email. The Payment starts in `needs_payment_method`. Your Pay button calls `confirm()` to charge the card.

Checkout flow: your backend creates a Payment, your frontend renders Fragment checkout, and the customer confirms the card. [View the diagram](https://fragment.dev/solutions/dental-payment-processing#embed-fragment-checkout-in-your-product).

Place checkout in the dental appointment screen. Use `onConfirmed` to update that screen. Verify the Payment's settled status on your backend before marking the receipt available.

```typescript title="PaymentCheckout.tsx"
import { Checkout, PaymentElements, type Payment } from '@fragment-dev/payment-elements';
import { PayButton } from './PayButton';

type Props = { payment: Payment; email: string; onConfirmed: () => void };

export const PaymentCheckout = ({ payment, email, onConfirmed }: Props) => (
  <PaymentElements>
    <Checkout
      payment={payment}
      billingDetails={{ email }}
      onConfirmed={onConfirmed}
      onError={(message) => console.error(message)}
    >
      <PayButton />
    </Checkout>
  </PaymentElements>
);
```

Disable the Pay button until checkout can confirm the Payment. Show errors beside the form so the customer can correct their card details.

```typescript title="PayButton.tsx"
import { usePayment } from '@fragment-dev/payment-elements';

export const PayButton = () => {
  const { confirm, canConfirm, isConfirming, isLoading, error } = usePayment();
  return <>
    <button type="button" disabled={isLoading || !canConfirm || isConfirming}
      onClick={() => canConfirm && confirm()}>Pay by card</button>
    {error && <p role="alert">{error}</p>}
  </>;
};
```


## Inspect the allowed entry types

Fragment posts settlement accounting automatically. Your application posts the separate business entry after authorization. Do not submit native settlement entries through `addLedgerEntry`.

### `payment_dental_deposit_settled`

Records the gross card receipt and processing fee. Credits the available funds for this record.

### `dental_deposit_apply`

Apply funding to completed dental treatment. The schema rejects an entry that makes available funds negative.

## Apply collected funds after approval

Confirm the patient's accepted treatment estimate and deposit policy before creating the Payment. After settlement, apply $70 of the $100 receipt to completed dental treatment. The entry leaves $30 available. Your accounting policy determines the recognition date. Use the [AddLedgerEntry mutation](/examples/vertical-ai/AddLedgerEntry.graphql) with these variables.

```json title="AddLedgerEntry variables"
{
  "ik": "dental_deposit_apply-1-v1",
  "entry": {
    "ledger": {
      "ik": "dental-practice"
    },
    "type": "dental_deposit_apply",
    "typeVersion": 1,
    "parameters": {
      "appointment_id": "1",
      "amount": "7000"
    }
  }
}
```

## Walk through the expected balances

These diagrams show a $100 card receipt followed by a $70 application, leaving $30 available. The assumed $3 fee illustrates accounting; it is not a pricing quote. Fragment supplies the actual fee. Only `dental_deposit_apply` is posted by your application.

<a id="step-1-payment-settled"></a>

### Step 1: payment-settled

[Link to this step](https://fragment.dev/solutions/dental-payment-processing#step-1-payment-settled)

Amount parameters, in cents: settled_amount=10000, fragment_fee_amount=300. Expected outcome: `posted`.

Expected result: The assets/payments balance increases from 0 to 9,700 USD cents. The available funds balance increases from 0 to 10,000 USD cents. The expenses/payment-fees balance increases from 0 to 300 USD cents.

Entry: `payment_dental_deposit_settled`. Posted changes (USD cents):

- `assets/payments`: +9700
- `liabilities/deposits:1/available`: +10000
- `expenses/payment-fees`: +300

Balances after this step (USD cents):

- `assets/payments`: 9700
- `liabilities/deposits:1/available`: 10000
- `income/dental-services:1`: 0
- `expenses/payment-fees`: 300

<a id="step-2-funds-applied"></a>

### Step 2: funds-applied

[Link to this step](https://fragment.dev/solutions/dental-payment-processing#step-2-funds-applied)

Amount parameters, in cents: amount=7000. Expected outcome: `posted`.

Expected result: The available funds balance decreases from 10,000 to 3,000 USD cents. The income balance increases from 0 to 7,000 USD cents.

Entry: `dental_deposit_apply`. Posted changes (USD cents):

- `liabilities/deposits:1/available`: -7000
- `income/dental-services:1`: +7000

Balances after this step (USD cents):

- `assets/payments`: 9700
- `liabilities/deposits:1/available`: 3000
- `income/dental-services:1`: 7000
- `expenses/payment-fees`: 300

## What happens if the card payment fails?

Store the Payment identifier with the dental appointment and operation key. A client callback alone does not establish settlement. Recover server-side status when the response is lost.

| Situation | Application behavior |
| --- | --- |
| Card is declined | Keep the receipt unavailable. Let the payer correct checkout or use the documented `retryPayment` flow. |
| Request times out | Recover the operation with its existing key and exact payload. |
| Payment remains processing | Display its pending state and avoid creating a second collection. |
| Payment settles | Use the automatically posted entries; do not post a second receipt. |

## Enforce the application-side input contract

Authorize each application of collected funds against the business record. The balance condition prevents overuse; it does not replace business approval. Bind the payer, Ledger, record, and amount on your server. The [application contract](/examples/vertical-ai/dental--dental-appointment-deposits/application-contract.json) records these checks.

| Check | Required behavior |
| --- | --- |
| Ownership | Resolve the record from the authenticated payer's permissions. |
| Amount | Validate positive integer cents against the approved amount. |
| Retry | Reuse each operation's key and exact payload. |
| Concurrent requests | Serialize decisions for the same record and recover in-flight operations. |

## Check the dental business rules

Confirm the patient's accepted treatment estimate and deposit policy before creating the Payment. Keep those decisions in the dental practice's application and pass only approved identifiers and amounts to Fragment.

| Situation | Handling |
| --- | --- |
| Insurance estimate changes | Determine the patient's responsibility in the practice system before applying their deposit. |
| Treatment is rescheduled | Keep the deposit associated with the authorized appointment record and preserve its payment history. |
| Clinical information | Use an opaque appointment identifier in Payment parameters. Keep treatment details in the clinical system. |

## Test the checkout and accounting flow

Use a sandbox Ledger and the [documented test cards](/guides/make-payments#testing). Compare actual entries with the [illustrative snapshots](/examples/vertical-ai/dental--dental-appointment-deposits/scenarios.json). The snapshots do not execute checkout or prove settlement.

1. Collect through checkout, then apply part of the settled funds after approval.
2. Verify the Payment status, gross receipt, fee expense, and remaining balance.
3. Retry with the same key and verify that the operation does not duplicate its financial effect.
4. Test a decline, a lost response, and concurrent collection requests.

## Sources and companion files

- [Make Payments: Payment Types and embedded checkout](/guides/make-payments)
- [Quickstart: SDK and Ledger setup](/guides/quickstart)
- [Posting Ledger Entries](/guides/post-ledger-entries)
- [Payment schema](/examples/vertical-ai/dental--dental-appointment-deposits/schema.json)
- [Illustrative accounting results](/examples/vertical-ai/dental--dental-appointment-deposits/scenarios.json)
- [Payment and Ledger Entry request variables](/examples/vertical-ai/dental--dental-appointment-deposits/requests.json)
- [Application contract](/examples/vertical-ai/dental--dental-appointment-deposits/application-contract.json)