# Payment Methods Overview

## Introduction

A **payment method** defines how a patient or payer settles a bill — cash, card, cheque, insurance credit, e-wallet, and so on. HMIS supports 19 distinct payment methods that can appear on any bill type (OPD, inpatient, pharmacy, channelling). Understanding payment methods is essential for cashier operations, reporting, and reconciliation.

## Supported Payment Methods

| Payment Method | Description |
|---|---|
| Cash | Physical currency; affects the cashier's drawer cash balance |
| Card | Debit or credit card; recorded but does not add to cash drawer |
| Credit | Billed to an insurance or credit company for later settlement |
| Cheque | Paper cheque; tracked with cheque number and bank |
| Slip | Bank pay slip / deposit slip |
| Voucher | Pre-purchased voucher (e.g., gift voucher, welfare voucher) |
| IOU | Deferred internal payment (staff IOU) |
| Agent | Payment collected via an agent or third party |
| eWallet | Mobile wallet payment (e.g., eZ Cash, FriMi) |
| PatientDeposit | Deducted from an existing patient deposit balance |
| PatientPoints | Loyalty points redeemed |
| OnlineSettlement | Payment settled via online transfer |
| Staff | Staff-specific payment arrangement |
| Staff_Welfare | Staff welfare fund payment |
| MultiplePaymentMethods | Split payment across two or more methods |
| OnCall | On-call arrangement (deferred to payroll) |
| OnlineBookingAgent | Payment via online booking platform |
| None | No payment (zero-value bills, write-offs) |

## How Payment Methods Affect Reporting

- **Cash** flows into the cashier's drawer and appears in the physical cash tally at shift end.
- **Card, Cheque, Slip, eWallet** appear in the non-cash section of cashier summaries.
- **Credit** creates a receivable against the insurance/credit company — tracked separately in CC management.
- **PatientDeposit** draws down the patient's deposit balance without generating a new cash collection.
- **MultiplePaymentMethods** split a single bill across two or more methods — each sub-payment is tracked individually.

## Split Payment (Multiple Payment Methods)

1. When collecting a bill, select **Multiple Payment Methods**.
2. Enter the amount for each method (e.g., Rs 5,000 Cash + Rs 3,000 Card).
3. The total must equal the bill amount.
4. The system records a separate payment record for each method.

## Configuration

Payment methods available at your facility depend on the payment scheme configured for each service or ward. See [Payment Schemes](Finance-Payment-Schemes.md) for details.

## Technical Reference

| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Enum | `com.divudi.core.data.PaymentMethod` (19 values) |
| Split payment | `MultiplePaymentMethods` type triggers multi-line payment entry |
| Related | [Payment Schemes](Finance-Payment-Schemes.md), [OPD Discount Rules](Finance-OPD-Discount-Rules.md) |