Overview
Special Offers in RepeatMD come in two redemption types: In-App and In-Office. An In-App offer applies a discount automatically at checkout inside your app. An In-Office offer is claimed in person by showing a QR code to your staff. Both are built in the same Special Offers tab, but they differ in how you set them up and how patients use them.
This article is for practice owners, managers, and admins who build offers in the Admin Panel, and for any staff who need to understand what patients see and how each offer is redeemed.
Before You Start
You need Admin Panel access with either Admin, Manager, or Marketing permissions to create Special Offers.
Decide upfront whether the offer should apply automatically at checkout (In-App) or be redeemed in person with staff (In-Office). This choice changes the fields you fill out.
Have your offer details ready: title, preview text, image, included or excluded services, promo code, and start and end dates.
In-App offers let you choose a discount type and the exact services it applies to. In-Office offers do not include a system-applied discount, so your team applies the agreed pricing manually at the time of the visit.
Why It Matters
Offering both types lets you match the promotion to how you want patients to act. In-App offers drive immediate, self-serve purchases in the app and remove friction at checkout, which is ideal for online conversion and same-day revenue. In-Office offers bring patients through the door and put the redemption moment in front of your staff, which creates an opportunity to consult, upsell, and book the next visit. Using the right type for each campaign improves conversion and keeps pricing consistent for your team.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Create an In-App Special Offer
In your Admin Panel, go to the Special Offers tab.
Click Create a New Special Offer.
Under Offer Type, select In-app.
Set Visibility to Public (all patients can see it) or Private (only accessible with a promo code).
Under Available Locations, select All or choose specific locations.
Enter an Offer Title and Preview Text.
Upload a Linked Image (max 2MB).
Choose your Discount Type (percentage, dollar amount, free service, or Buy X Get Y) and set the amount.
Under Included Services, use the Includes or Excludes toggle and select the services the discount applies to.
Set offer usage to Multi-Use or Single-Use.
Add a Promo Code.
Set the Offer Window with a start and end date.
Add Offer Details and an optional disclaimer.
(Optional) Click Create a text message to pair the offer with a text announcement.
Click Publish offer, or Save as draft to finish later.
Create an In-Office Special Offer
In your Admin Panel, go to the Special Offers tab.
Click Create a New Special Offer.
Under Offer Type, select In-office.
Under Available Locations, select All or choose specific locations.
Enter an Offer Title and Preview Text.
Upload a Linked Image (max 2MB).
Add a Promo Code.
Set the Offer Window with a start and end date.
Add Offer Details and an optional disclaimer.
(Optional) Click Create a text message to pair the offer with a text announcement.
Click Publish offer, or Save as draft to finish later.
An In-Office offer does not include a Discount Type or an Included Services selection. There is no system-applied discount. Instead, the patient scans a QR code to redeem and shows their redemption to your staff in person, and your team applies the agreed pricing manually at checkout.
How Patients Redeem Each Offer
In-App: Apply at Checkout
The offer appears on the patient's Discover screen with an Apply offer to cart button and a Learn More link. The Learn More page lists the included services and the discount.
When the patient taps Apply offer to cart, the discount is applied automatically. In the cart, the offer shows as applied (for example, "Summer Open House applied!"), the discounted price is reflected in the line item, and the savings appear under Discount (Promotion) in the order summary. The patient then taps Checkout now to complete the purchase.
In-Office: Scan the QR Code with Staff
The offer appears on the patient's Discover screen with a Redeem offer button and a Learn More link. The Learn More page instructs the patient to scan the QR code in-office and show it to staff to claim the offer.
When the patient taps Redeem offer, a QR code is displayed. The patient shows it to your staff during their visit, and your team applies the offer pricing at the in-office checkout.
Best Practices and Pro Tips
Match the type to the goal. Use In-App offers when you want patients to buy in the app right away. Use In-Office offers when you want them to come in so your team can consult and upsell.
Write clear preview text. The preview text is what patients see first on the Discover screen, so state the value plainly, for example "Save 15% on select services."
Double-check included services on In-App offers. The discount only applies to the services you select, so confirm the list before publishing.
Brief your front desk on In-Office offers. Because there is no automatic discount, your team needs to know the correct pricing to apply when a patient presents the QR code.
Use the disclaimer line for the end date. Adding the expiration (for example, "Offer ends 06/05" or "Cannot combine with other offers") sets clear expectations and reduces questions at checkout.
Pair offers with a text message. A text announcement drives patients back into the app and increases redemptions.
Common Mistakes and FAQs
Q: Why doesn't my In-Office offer have a discount field?
A: In-Office offers are redeemed in person by showing a QR code to staff. There is no system-applied discount, so your team applies the pricing manually at checkout. This is expected behavior, not a missing setting.
Q: Can an In-App offer be redeemed in the office?
A: No. An In-App offer applies automatically at checkout inside the app. If you want patients to redeem in person, create an In-Office offer instead.
Q: Why can't I set Public or Private visibility on my In-Office offer?
A: Visibility settings apply to In-App offers. In-Office offers use the QR code redemption flow, so the Public and Private options are not part of that setup.
Q: The discount isn't applying in the patient's cart. What went wrong?
A: Confirm the offer type is In-App, the offer is within its active date window, and the service in the cart is one of the included services. If the service is excluded or outside the offer window, the discount will not apply.
Q: Can I switch an offer from In-Office to In-App after publishing?
A: The offer type defines how the offer is built and redeemed. If you need to change the redemption method, create a new offer with the correct type rather than editing the existing one.
Q: What is the difference between Single-Use and Multi-Use?
A: Single-Use means a patient can redeem the offer once. Multi-Use means it can be redeemed more than once during the offer window.
Next Steps and Support
Once your offer is live, consider building a full campaign around it. See How to Create a Campaign in Your RepeatMD App (Admin Panel) to pair your offer with a Custom Shop Category, Site Wide Promotion, and Text Message.
To launch proven seasonal promotions without building each piece yourself, see Introducing Done-For-You Promos.
Need help? Email support@repeatmd.com.