I got a notification about a previous or recent appointment that includes a link to my medical bill. Could this be fraudulent?
What action should I take?

Answer:
These notifications are legitimate. Collectly is a patient engagement platform used by 3,000+ healthcare organizations to send appointment reminders, digital check-in messages, and secure links to medical bills on behalf of your healthcare provider.

If you've recently had — or have an upcoming — appointment with a provider that uses Collectly, a message containing a link to your bill is expected.

That said, phishing attempts that imitate medical communications do exist, so it's reasonable to verify before clicking. A few quick checks:

1. The message should reference a healthcare provider you've actually visited or are scheduled to see.
2. Payment links direct to a Collectly domain (such as pay.collectly.co) or a subdomain branded for your provider.
3. Collectly will never ask for your Social Security number, login credentials, or full card details over text or email — payment information is only entered through the secure payment portal.

If anything still looks off, don't click the link. Contact your healthcare provider's billing department directly using the phone number on a previous statement or their official website to confirm the message is from them. For more detail on verifying a communication, see the next FAQ below.

You can also reach Collectly support at support@collectly.co .

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How do I verify that a text or email from Collectly is real?

Answer:
A genuine Collectly message will (1) reference a healthcare provider you've recently visited or are scheduled to see, (2) link to a Collectly domain — such as pay.collectly.co or a subdomain co-branded for your provider — and (3) never ask for sensitive information like your Social Security number, login credentials, or full card details outside of the secure payment portal.

To confirm a specific message, contact your healthcare provider's billing department directly using a phone number from a previous statement or their official website, and ask whether they've sent you a notification through Collectly. If you'd like us to verify it on our end, email support@collectly.co with details of the message.

Is Collectly HIPAA compliant and secure?

Answer:
Yes. Collectly is built to support HIPAA compliance and operates under industry-standard security controls. As a Business Associate to our healthcare customers, we sign Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) and protect Protected Health Information (PHI) with encryption, role-based access, audit logs, secure data handling procedures, trained personnel, and a documented incident response program.

In addition to HIPAA, Collectly maintains:

• HITRUST i1 Validated status, reassessed annually by an independent third party.
• Controls aligned to SOC 2's Security, Availability, and Confidentiality criteria — including encryption at rest and in transit, SSO/MFA, least-privilege access, continuous monitoring, vendor risk management, and a documented incident response program.
• PCI DSS Level 1–certified payment processing, so card data is encrypted and tokenized end-to-end with strict key management and regular security testing.

For a full overview of our security program, visit our Security & Compliance page.

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Is Collectly a debt collection agency, and will using it affect my credit score?

Answer:
No. Collectly is not a debt collection agency, and using Collectly will not affect your credit score. We're a patient engagement and payments platform that helps healthcare organizations send appointment reminders, deliver digital statements, accept online bill payments, and manage payment plans — none of which is debt collection activity.

Collectly has no relationship with credit bureaus and does not report to them. Our Terms of Use also prohibit our customers from using the platform for first-party or third-party debt collection.

Note that healthcare providers may independently pursue debt collection through a separate agency, but any such activity is outside of Collectly. If you believe someone is trying to collect a debt through Collectly, or otherwise misusing the platform, contact support@collectly.co and we'll investigate.

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Why was my credit card charged by my healthcare provider through Collectly?

Answer: Collectly is a payments facilitator for healthcare organizations and never receives or holds patient funds directly — every charge processed through Collectly is initiated by your healthcare provider.

Common reasons your card may have been charged include:

• You stored your card with a provider that uses Collectly and enrolled in AutoPay.
• You shared your card details over the phone with the provider's billing team.
• You paid a medical bill through Collectly's secure payment portal.
• You set up a payment plan, and an installment was charged on its scheduled date.

If you believe the charge was unauthorized, take these three steps:

1. Dispute the charge with your bank. If your card was used without consent, the healthcare organization typically loses the dispute.
2. Contact the billing department of the healthcare provider that charged your card to verify the legitimacy of the charge.
3. Reach out to Collectly via the live chat in your account or by emailing support@collectly.co. We can place your account on a temporary hold while we confirm authorization with the provider.

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I have just paid my medical bill through Collectly. Who is the recipient of these funds — Collectly or my healthcare provider?

Answer:
Your healthcare provider receives the payment. Collectly acts only as a payments facilitator — funds are routed directly to the healthcare organization that billed you. Collectly never holds, retains, or has access to patient payments.

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What payment methods can I use to pay my medical bill on Collectly?

Answer:
Collectly supports a wide range of payment methods so you can settle your medical bill in whichever way is easiest for you:

• Credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover)
• Apple Pay and Google Pay for one-tap mobile payments
• FSA and HSA cards for eligible healthcare expenses
• eCheck / ACH bank transfer directly from your checking account

You can pay through the secure link your healthcare provider sends — no login or account creation required — and the payment portal is mobile-friendly, so most patients complete checkout in under a minute. The exact mix of payment options may vary slightly depending on your healthcare provider's configuration; if a method you'd like to use isn't shown, contact your provider's billing department.

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Can I set up a payment plan or financing for my medical bill through Collectly?

Answer:
Yes — many healthcare providers that use Collectly let patients pay their medical bill in installments rather than as a single lump sum. If your provider offers payment plans, you'll see the option directly in the secure payment link they send you, where you can choose a plan length, select your monthly payment date, and enroll in just a few taps — no account creation required.

Once enrolled, your scheduled installment is automatically charged to the card or bank account you save on file, so you don't have to track each due date. You can update your payment method, change your payment date, or pay off your balance early at any time through the link in your statement or by contacting your provider's billing department.

A few things to keep in mind:

• Plan terms are set by your healthcare provider, not by Collectly. Eligibility, minimum balance, plan length, and any related terms vary by provider.
• Collectly is not a lender. We're the platform your provider uses to offer and manage payment plans, and funds are routed directly to your healthcare provider.
• If your provider offers extended financing through a third-party partner, that option may also appear during checkout.

If you don't see a payment plan option but would like one, contact your provider's billing department directly to ask whether one can be set up for your account.

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