Onboard a new client practice

For: Agency Owner · Time: 30–60 min spread over the first week · Frequency: Every new contract

Trigger

You've signed a new practice as a client. They want you to handle credentialing, billing, or both. You have their basic info (legal name, tax ID, NPI, addresses, provider roster).

Outcome

The practice exists in Credentik as a BillingClient, has providers loaded, is wired to your scheduling/eligibility integrations if applicable, and has at least one user account (the practice owner) so they can log in and see their own data.

Where

• Billing Services — Clients tab → "Add Client"
• Providers — bulk-add staff
• Organizations — practice as an organization (separate from BillingClient)
• Settings → Users — create their login

Steps

1. Billing Services → Clients → Add Client. Fill in legal name, tax ID, primary address, contact email. This creates the BillingClient record — the SUBJECT of the billing relationship.
2. Add the practice as an Organization too if you'll credential providers under it. Organizations vs Billing Clients: Organization = the legal entity providers are tied to for credentialing; Billing Client = the entity you invoice. Often the same, sometimes not (e.g. a multi-location practice with one TIN but multiple sites).
3. Add their providers. Use Bulk Import → Providers if you have a roster CSV, or one-by-one via Providers → New. For each provider you need: NPI (the platform fetches NPPES data on save), taxonomy, primary specialty, state licenses (added separately below).
4. Add licenses for each provider. Licenses page → New. For multi-state providers, add one row per state. Set expiration dates so renewal alerts fire ~60 days out.
5. Set their payer plan. What payers do you intend to enroll them with? Create draft applications now via Applications → New → status="draft". Even drafts give you a queue you can work down.
6. Create their user login. Settings → Users → Invite. Role = organization (read-only on agency data, full-access to their own practice's data). Send the invite email.
7. Set their billing terms in Billing Services → Clients → [client name] → Billing. Per-claim rate, percent of collections, or flat retainer. This drives the invoices you generate later.
8. Welcome email. Use the Send Branded Email flow or your own email tool. Include: their login link, who their day-to-day contact is on your team, where to find their dashboard.

Watch-outs

• Don't credential before contract. Drafting applications is free but submitting them locks you into a payer's effective date. Some payers backdate effective dates to submission, others don't. Confirm contract terms before clicking Submit.
• Tax ID dedup. If you accidentally create the same practice twice (e.g. once as BillingClient, once as Organization with same TIN), you'll fragment their claims and confuse A/R reporting. Use the duplicate-check tool at Duplicates after onboarding.
• Branding inheritance. Patient-facing artifacts (statements, pay links) use YOUR agency branding by default. If the practice wants them branded with THEIR logo instead, set a per-practice override: Agency Ops (Billing Services) → Clients → Branding on their row. Blank fields fall back to your agency brand.
• The practice user can't see other practices. Role=organization is automatically scoped via TenantScope + the BillingClient join. Don't worry about leaks, but DO test by logging in as them once.

Related jobs

• Bill the practice for your services — next step after they go live
• Decide which payers to enroll them with — sets up the credentialing queue
• Practice Admin → First login — what THEY see when they log in

Something on this page doesn’t match what you see in the app? Email support@credentik.com and we’ll fix the guide.