Why do long-time patients sometimes see “New Patient” fees when booking?

This usually happens when a returning patient books using a different profile than the one they originally used.

If the system can’t match the booking to their existing record, the patient is treated as “new,” which triggers the New Patient fee.

“Different” can mean:

• They booked using a new or different mobile number
• They created a new profile instead of selecting their original one
• They booked via the web and clicked New Patient instead of logging into the app

Here is how you can handle it depending on the situation:

Scenario A: The request is still "Pending"

If you haven’t accepted the booking yet, this is the easiest fix.

👌🏼 What to do:
Ask the patient to cancel the request and book again.

💡 Helpful tip:
Remind them to log in to the NowServing App using the same mobile number they used previously and select their original profile.

Scenario B: They are "Old" to you, but "New" to the App

If the patient has always seen you in person and is using the app for the first time, the system doesn’t yet know they’re the same patient.

👌🏼 What to do:
Send them your NowServing link. Once they open it, their app profile will automatically link to your existing record.

💡 Pro tip:
You can also schedule the visit yourself and set the correct fee. When the patient accepts the invite, they’ll see the rate you set.

Scenario C: You already accepted the booking

If payment has already gone through and the fee is wrong, you have two easy options:

• Void and resend the bill: Void the current bill and send a new bill through the system.

• Handle refund manually: Since SeriousMD only supports full refunds, any partial refund or fee adjustment must be handled outside the platform (for example, via bank transfer or GCash).

🌟 TLDR: Encourage patients to always log in with the same profile when booking.

Questions or stuck on a step? Our support team can guide you through the process.

Seeing patients in person and expecting them to message or upload lab results on NowServing?

Patients who didn’t book through NowServing, or who haven’t received a NowServing link from you yet, won’t be able to message or upload files by default.

For messaging to work, their NowServing profile needs to be verified and linked to their patient record in SeriousMD.

Why this step matters

Messaging, file uploads, and access to notes only work after a patient’s NowServing profile is connected to the record you have of them in your SeriousMD account.

Without this link, patients simply won’t see the option to message you.

How to send a NowServing link to a patient

1. Open the patient record
2. Click the (…) icon for more options
3. Select Send NowServing Link → Invite

Once the patient completes profile verification, you’re all set!

This only needs to be done once per patient.

Do I always need to send a NowServing link manually?

Not necessarily!

If you send the patient any of the following:

• A prescription
• A lab request
• A medical certificate
• Any other note

They’ll receive a notification with a link.

When the patient clicks that link:

• They’ll be prompted to download the app (if they don’t have it yet)
• Create or log in to their account
• Verify their profile

This process links their profile automatically.

What does it mean when a patient is “verified” or “linked”?

Once a patient is linked to you on NowServing, they can:

• Message you and upload files (e.g. lab results)
• See updates for current and future consultations
• View their next consultation date
• Access notes you send (prescriptions, lab requests, medical certificates)
• Keep a record of online payments made to you
• Confirm appointments when you send confirmation reminders
• See their number in the queue
• Easily book future appointments with you

✅ To avoid issues with messaging or file uploads, make sure your in-person patients are linked on NowServing before asking them to send lab results or messages.

Does cancelling, marking an appointment as No Show or removing the appointment from your queue automatically refund the patient? 🤔

The short answer is No.

If a patient has already paid, you’ll need to process the refund separately.

How to refund a patient

1. Go to Billing > History
2. Locate the patient’s payment
3. Click the (…) icon for more options
4. Select Void

Once voided, the payment will be refunded to the patient.

Important note:
If the payment was made more than 7 days ago, it can no longer be refunded directly on your end.

Please contact the support team and provide the payment details so they can help with processing the refund.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Do I need to wait for my payout before refunding the patient?

​No. You don’t need to wait for your payout. You may void the payment yourself, or ask the team to void it for you.

The refunded amount will not be included in your next payout.

What if I’ve already received my payout — how do I refund the patient?

You can still refund the payment through the platform. The refunded amount will be adjusted in your next payout.

Can I refund the patient directly (cash or bank transfer) instead of through SeriousMD?

We strongly recommend processing refunds within SeriousMD. Patients pay a service fee on top of your professional fee.

If you refund them directly, the service fee isn’t automatically returned and would need to be handled separately.

Refunding through the platform avoids extra steps and back-and-forth for both you and the patient.

If I decline an appointment request, will the patient be refunded?

Yes they will! Once declined, the patient's payment will be automatically refunded back to them.

How long does it take for the patient to receive their refund?

• For GCash payments, refunds are usually instant, but this may vary.
• For credit or debit card payments, refunds may take 30–45 business days, depending on the bank.

If the patient hasn’t received the funds after this period, we recommend that they contact their bank directly.

Here are a few important things to keep in mind when accepting appointments on the platform.

⏱ How long do I have to respond to an appointment request?

By default, you have 24 hours to respond to a patient’s appointment request before it expires.

Why is this important?

So that patients aren’t left waiting for a response after their selected appointment date has already passed.

🔁 What is a “Reply Time Guarantee”?

The number of hours an appointment request stays pending is called your reply time guarantee.

👉 This can be adjusted anytime in your clinic settings, depending on how quickly you usually respond to requests.

💬 Can I message the patient before accepting?

Yes! While the appointment request is still pending, you may message the patient if you need more details or want to clarify anything.

📌 Important:
Messaging the patient will automatically extend the appointment request for an additional 7 days.

If the appointment request is not accepted within the extended period, it will automatically be cancelled.

⚠️ Don’t forget to ACCEPT the appointment

If you message the patient and intend to proceed with the consultation, make sure to ACCEPT the appointment.

If the request remains pending:

• It will eventually be automatically cancelled
• If the patient paid upon booking, the payment will be automatically refunded

💬 Need help or have questions?

If anything is unclear or if you need help with adjusting your settings feel free to reach out to us via chat.

To kick off the year smoothly, here are 5 quick things to review to make sure your clinic details, schedules, and fees are all up to date for your patients.

New Year To-Do Checklist

☑️ Update your clinic schedule

• Go to Clinics > Edit

• Update your availability, then Save

☑️ Review and update your consultation fee (for paywall users)

• Go to Clinics > Edit

• Update your consultation fee, then Save

Note: Don’t forget to also review your fees under Billing > Catalog > Services!

☑️ Block 2026 holidays

• Visit: https://seriousmd.com/doctor/app/coverage/holidays
• Toggle Block all bookings for your non-working dates

☑️ Update your PTR number

• Go to: https://seriousmd.com/doctor/app/doctorprofile/prescription-info
• Update your PTR number and Save

☑️ Let patients know your clinic is open!

• Request a QR sticker to display in your clinic here: https://seriousmd.com/doctor/app/invite-patient/

• For online sharing, generate your QR here:
  ​https://seriousmd.com/doctor/app/invite-patient/qr-banners

✨ Happy New Year, and here’s to a great year ahead!

Planning to close or adjust your clinic schedule this holiday season? Here are the most common scenarios and how you can set them up:

1. Add a Day Off (Block specific dates)

Via Web:
Go to Calendar → click the + button (right side of your screen) → select Add Day Off → set your date range → Save.

Via the SeriousMD app:
Go to Calendar → click the + button (left side of your screen) select Create Day Off → set your date range → Save.

2. Close Certain Clinics but Keep Others Open

Go to Clinics → click Edit beside the clinic you want to close.

• If you want to close a physical clinic:
  Set Question #3 to No.

• If you want to close your online clinic:
  Set Question #5 to No.

Don’t forget: Switch it back to Yes once you're ready to accept bookings again after the holidays.

3. Shorten Your Clinic Hours Temporarily

Go to Clinics → click Edit on the clinic you want to adjust → go to Question #4 → update your clinic hours.

If your scenario is different and you’re unsure which setup to use, just message us and we’ll recommend the best option.

We’ve updated the payment links sent to your patients when you issue an Online Bill.

These links will now appear as smd.now/[code] instead of the longer payments.seriousmd.com format.

It’s the same secure SeriousMD payment system, just shorter, cleaner, and easier for patients to recognize.

Learn more about this update here ⬇️

If patients often ask, “Doc, may senior/PWD discount po ba?”, this is something you can do.

Automatically apply PWD and Senior Citizen discounts during booking. 👍

Here's how to set it up:

Step 1: Go to Clinics > Edit
​
​Step 2: Under How much will patients pay, choose Varies by Patient Type

Step 3: Tick PWD and Senior, set your rates, and Save

Once their ID is uploaded, the system does the math for you. 😉

For Seniors: As long as they enter their correct birthdate, they’ll be given the option to upload their Senior ID.

📝 Note: You can set this up whether or not you use the paywall feature. For non-paywall users, your fee will show up as a range (ex. 300-500) since you have set varying fees per patient type.

​It’s also a great way to let patients know how much to prepare before their appointment.
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Sometimes patients may come back with requests or issues related to their notes, prescriptions, or certificates. Here’s how you can quickly address common situations:

1. Patient’s Name Was Incorrect in the Records

If a patient booked online with the wrong spelling of their name:

• Open the Patient Record
• Click the Edit icon and update the patient's information

• Resend the files (prescription, med cert, etc.) to the patient

The updated notes will now reflect the corrected patient information.

2. Patient Requests a Prescription Again, But the Date is Old
If a patient asks for the same prescription you issued before, don’t resend from the old encounter (this will keep the old date). Instead:

• Create a New Prescription (click the + icon > Prescription)
• Use the Represcribe option in the left panel to quickly pull up previously issued meds

• Send the new prescription to the patient

This ensures today’s date is reflected on the Rx.

💡 Note: Resending directly from an old encounter will always show the date of that encounter. Creating a new prescription guarantees that the Rx shows the correct date.

❓ Have another note-related concern you’re not sure how to handle? Just send us a message and we’ll be happy to guide you!

Patients can now earn points when they have their lab tests done at Exact Check Diagnostics with branches in Quezon City (Banawe and Libis). 🙌

Here’s how it works:

1. Issue a lab request through SeriousMD. (Each request comes with a unique QR code.)
2. Patients present this QR code at Exact Check Diagnostics.
3. Once scanned, points are automatically credited! 🎁

This means every successful referral to Exact Check Diagnostics not only helps patients get their tests conveniently done, but also rewards them along the way.

👉 Click below to explore Exact Check Diagnostics’ services and locations.

💡Know a facility or hospital that should join the Connected Care Network? Let us know!