When a patient or company challenges a payment with their bank, Atlas.md brings the full case into the EMR: the amount, the reason, the deadline, and any available response.
What you can do about it depends on how the payment was made. Card payments have a formal dispute process you can respond to. ACH reversals generally don’t, although you can respond when a bank opens a proof-of-authorization inquiry.
Where to Find Disputes
From your dashboard, click on Billing, then Disputes.
The link turns red in your navigation whenever a dispute is waiting for a response, so you don’t have to go looking for it.
The page lists each case’s patient or company, associated invoice, disputed amount, fees, status, date opened, and response deadline, when applicable.
Select a row to open the full details. Users without billing access cannot view this page.
Atlas.md also emails your clinic’s main address when a dispute or inquiry opens or changes status, including when a bank payment is reversed, a dispute is won or lost, or an inquiry is dropped. Card dispute and inquiry emails include the response deadline and a direct link to the case.
Card Disputes
When a cardholder disputes a charge, their bank returns the disputed amount to them before your clinic has a chance to respond. The amount is deducted from your next payout, and a chargeback fee is added to your next Atlas.md subscription invoice.
Open the case to choose between:
- Respond to dispute: Submit evidence that the charge was legitimate. The cardholder’s bank reviews your response and makes the final decision.
- Accept dispute: Concede the dispute and close the case. The amount stays with the cardholder. This cannot be undone.
If you respond, check the Evidence due by date in the dispute list or detail view. The cardholder’s bank sets this deadline, and it varies by case.
You only get one evidence submission, so gather everything before sending your response.
See our support article on how to respond to a card dispute for more information.
Bank Payments (ACH)
ACH Reversals
When a patient disputes a bank payment and their bank reverses it, the reversal is final. There is no evidence-submission or appeal process.
Patients generally have up to 60 calendar days from the payment date to reverse a payment from a personal bank account. For a business bank account, the window is two business days.
When this happens:
- The payment is reversed, and the amount is deducted.
- An ACH chargeback fee is added to your next Atlas.md subscription invoice.
- Atlas.md removes the bank account from the patient’s record because its debit authorization is no longer valid.
The case remains under Billing > Disputes, but there is no response option.
Talk to the patient before collecting the payment again. They will need to connect their bank account again or use another payment method.
Other Bank-Payment Returns
Bank payments can also be returned because of insufficient funds, incorrect account details, or another processing issue.
If a return arrives after the payment initially appears successful, Atlas.md handles it like a reversal: the amount is deducted, a fee applies, and the bank account is removed. The case shows the reason, such as Insufficient Funds.
Contact the patient to resolve the underlying issue before trying to collect the payment again.
Proof-of-Authorization Inquiries
Occasionally, a bank asks for proof that an account holder authorized a debit. This is an inquiry, and you can respond to it.
When an inquiry opens:
- No fee is applied.
- The patient’s bank account stays on their record.
- You can submit evidence using the same response form used for card disputes.
Respond by the deadline shown on the case. Otherwise, the inquiry is accepted and closed automatically.
What Does a Dispute Cost?
Depending on the case, the costs can include:
- The disputed amount, deducted from your payout
- The original payment-processing fee, which is not returned
- A chargeback or reversal fee, added to your next Atlas.md subscription invoice
- A response fee, applied if you respond to a card dispute
If you win a card dispute, the disputed amount, chargeback fee, and response fee are returned. The original payment-processing fee is not.
See our Additional Payment Processing Fees page for current amounts.
Reducing Disputes
Help patients recognize their payments by sending confirmations, keeping your clinic name recognizable on statements, and following up on failed payments early. For ACH payments, let patients connect their own accounts so the authorization is clearly theirs.
If you need help with a case, contact Atlas.md support before the response deadline.
