Dental end-of-day reconciliation: matching the day sheet, the batch and the bank

The three-way match

Each night, compare totals by payment type: card, cash, check and patient financing. Then compare card totals to the processor batch, and batch totals to bank deposits as they settle — often one or two business days later.

• Practice-management day sheet → payments by type and provider
• Processor batch report → gross card sales, refunds and fees
• Bank deposit → net settlement after fees (or gross, if fees are billed monthly)

The exceptions that cause most problems

• Payments taken at the terminal but never posted to the patient ledger
• Refunds processed on a different day than the original charge
• Batches that close after midnight and land in the next day
• Fees netted from deposits so totals never match exactly
• One deposit containing several batches

Make it a routine, not a project

Assign one person to the close, keep a dated exceptions log and resolve each item within a set number of days. Monthly, reconcile the clearing account to zero. An integration that posts card payments automatically can reduce manual entry — verify it works with your specific software before relying on it.

Common questions