This article gives you an overview of the Collections module in Motivity PM — where to find it, how it's organized, and what each section, column, and icon means. The Collections module is your central hub for managing all incoming payments, reconciling claims, and handling denials.
💡 Billing Module vs. Collections Module: The Billing Module handles the generation and submission of claims. The Collections Module handles the responses from funders and payers.
To navigate there, hover over the black M icon and select Collections. You'll see options for Payment Posting and Denials.
Invoice vs. Payment: What's the Difference?
Before diving in, it's helpful to understand the difference between these two terms:
Invoice (Claim) — A request for payment submitted to a payer for services that were provided. In Motivity, the terms "invoice" and "claim" are used interchangeably.
Payment — The payer's response indicating how much they approved, paid, reduced, or denied. This is also called remittance information — the details a payer sends explaining how a claim was processed.
⚠️ Important: Motivity does not receive or process the actual movement of funds. Instead, Motivity receives payment information — typically through an Electronic Remittance Advice (ERA) — from the payer. That information is then used to post payments and adjustments, and to route any remaining patient or secondary insurance responsibility to the appropriate invoices.
Navigating the Payment Posting Screen
When you first land in Payment Posting, you'll see a set of financial summary tiles at the top of the screen:
Total Open Payments — Payments received but not yet fully applied to invoices
Open Payments of Patient Responsibility — Patient responsibility totals still needing to be applied to individual dates of service
Closed Invoices — Invoices that have been fully reconciled
Closed Payments — Payments that have been applied and closed
Claims Require Action – Authorization Change — Claims where the funder was changed via "Appointment Transfer" after billing
Below the tiles, each row represents one Explanation of Benefits (EOB) and displays:
Payment Number — A unique identifier for the payment
Payor Name — The insurance company or funder who issued the payment
Payment Method — How the payment was received
Date of Payment — When it was received
Total Amount — The full payment amount
Amount Applied — How much has been matched to invoices
Unapplied Balance — What still needs to be reconciled
Search, Filters, and the Watch List
At the top of the screen you'll find search and filter options. By default, the module displays all payments that are not yet closed — keeping your team focused on open items that need attention.
You can search by:
Payor name
Patient name
Payment number
Invoice number
Motivity Claim ID
You can also apply a date range filter to narrow results to a specific timeframe. To locate a payment regardless of whether it's open or closed, use the search feature — it surfaces results across both statuses.
The Watch List allows billing teams to flag payments or claims that need additional monitoring or follow-up. To add a claim to the Watch List, select the star icon on the individual claim line.
Managing Unapplied Payments
The Unapplied Amount column tells you how much of a payment has not yet been allocated to an invoice. The goal is to bring this balance to zero before closing a payment — do not close a payment while there is still an unapplied balance, as this can cause reconciliation errors and make it harder to track outstanding funds.
Payment Row Icons
On the right side of each payment row you'll find the following icons:
Info Icon — Displays payment details such as reference numbers and payment dates
Timeline Icon — Shows the payment history, including when it was posted and which user made updates
Close Payment Button — Turns green when all amounts have been applied and the payment is ready to be closed. Once closed, the payment is stored in the Closed Payments section at the top of the screen
Edit Icon (Red Pencil) — Allows you to edit payment details such as the payment amount
Delete Icon — Allows you to delete payments that have not yet been applied to any invoices. This icon disappears once a payment has been fully or partially applied
EDI Icon (Black Hamburger) — Indicates that ERA payment information is available from your payer. This icon only appears after ERA enrollment has been completed through your clearinghouse. Keep in mind that Motivity displays this information but does not process or receive actual payments
Closed Payments and Invoices
Once all amounts have been applied and the payment is fully reconciled, the Close button turns green — that's your signal it's ready to be closed. Closed payments and invoices are stored in the Closed Payments and Closed Invoices sections at the top of the Collections module. These records are never lost — your team can always access and review them by searching within either section.
Reopening a Closed Payment
Navigate to Closed Payments and select the blue circular arrow icon on the far right of the payment row. Once reopened, adjustments can be made and the payment can be reapplied as needed.
Reopening a Closed Invoice
Navigate to Closed Invoices and select the red circular arrow icon. This resets the amounts previously applied, allowing your team to make corrections and reapply as needed.
Have questions about navigating the Collections module? Reach out to our support team — we're happy to help! 💙