Overview
Private special offers are hidden from the patient’s Discover experience. Patients redeem them only when they enter the promo code at checkout in the app. That lets you distribute exclusive discounts through text, email, print, social media, or in-person handoffs without exposing the offer to every app user.
Private offers are available to all practices with Special Offers access. No additional enablement is required.
This article focuses on when and how to use private offers. For the Public vs. Private visibility setting and table column, see Public and private special offers (Admin Panel).
Before You Start
You need Administrator, Manager, or Marketing access to create Special Offers.
Private offers require the In-app offer type. In-office QR offers use a different redemption flow.
Private offers do not support the Free Service discount type. Use percentage or dollar-off discounts instead.
Have your promo code, eligible services, and offer window ready before you publish.
Copy the promo code from the Admin Panel after publishing so you can share it through your chosen channel.
Why It Matters
Private offers help you:
Reward specific patients without advertising the discount to your entire app audience.
Run VIP, military, first-responder, and influencer programs with unique or shared codes.
Support referral and partner campaigns where only code holders should qualify.
Control distribution across print, text, email, and social while keeping checkout automatic once the code is entered.
How It Works
Visibility = Private: When you set Visibility to Private on an in-app Special Offer, the offer does not appear on Discover. Patients must enter the promo code during checkout to apply the discount.
Promo code is the key: After you publish, copy the code from the offer record and share it through any channel. Anyone with the code can redeem while the offer is active (subject to single-use or multi-use settings).
Public vs. private: Public offers are visible to all patients in the app. Private offers are code-gated. See Public and private special offers (Admin Panel) for the full comparison and Visibility column in the Special Offers table.
Not the same as sitewide promotions: Private special offers are individual discounts redeemed by code. Sitewide promotions promote a custom shop category app-wide. Use sitewide articles when you want homepage banners and category takeovers instead of a hidden code offer.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Create a private special offer
Log in to your Admin Panel.
Click Special Offers in the MedCommerce Engine section of the left-side navigation.
Click Create a New Special Offer.
Under Offer Type, select In-app.
Set Visibility to Private.
Configure locations, title, preview text, image, discount type, included services, usage (single or multi-use), promo code, and offer window.
Click Publish offer.
Share the promo code
Open the published offer in Special Offers.
Copy the promo code.
Distribute through your chosen channel, for example:
Text message to VIP patients
Email to a segmented list
Flyers or handouts at an open house
Business cards for local partners
Social posts or influencer kits
Patients enter the code at checkout in the app to apply the discount.
Best Practices and Pro Tips
Use memorable but unique codes for tracked campaigns (for example,
VIPSPRING26vs. genericSAVE10shared everywhere).Set an end date on time-bound campaigns so expired codes stop working automatically.
Brief your front desk on which private campaigns are active so staff can help patients enter codes.
Pair with a text message when you want to drive patients back into the app to redeem.
Use public offers for broad sales and private offers for exclusivity — not every promotion needs to be hidden.
Common Mistakes and FAQs
Q: Why can’t I set my offer to Private?
A: Only In-app offers support Public and Private visibility. In-office offers use QR redemption and do not use the Visibility setting.
Q: Why is Free Service not available on my private offer?
A: Private offers do not support the Free Service discount type. Use a percentage or dollar amount off instead.
Q: Will patients see my private offer on Discover?
A: No. Private offers are hidden until the patient enters the promo code at checkout.
Q: Can I use a private offer for a sitewide sale?
A: No. Sitewide promotions promote a custom shop category with optional attached special offers. Private offers are standalone code-gated discounts. See Create a sitewide promotion with a special offer for sitewide setup.
Q: Do I need to enable private offers separately?
A: No. Private visibility is available to all practices with Special Offers access.
Q: Can I share one code with multiple patients?
A: Yes, unless you configure the offer as Single-Use per patient. Multi-Use allows repeat redemptions during the offer window.
Next Steps and Support
Public and private special offers (Admin Panel) — Visibility setting and Special Offers table
Creating Special Offers — full offer builder reference
In-app vs. in-office special offers (Admin Panel) — offer types and redemption flows
Need help? Email support@repeatmd.com