Overview
You can include the first month of a membership in a Reward or Offer to drive enrollment. This feature helps new membership programs gain traction or boost enrollment numbers during a campaign.
Below are three creative ideas with sample Admin Panel copy: $1 first month, 50% off the first month, and a sign-up bonus gift.
This article is for practice owners and managers configuring memberships and promotions.
Before You Start
You must have Administrator or Manager access to edit memberships and create promotions.
Open Memberships from Catalog → Services → Memberships.
For building memberships from scratch, see Build a membership (Admin Panel).
For sign-up bonus setup, see Add a sign-up bonus to a membership (Admin Panel).
Why It Matters
Membership enrollment promotions help you:
Lower the barrier to first purchase with a low first-month price.
Create urgency with limited-time discounts.
Incentivize without deep discounting using sign-up bonuses instead of price cuts.
How It Works
Rewards and Offers: Configure a promotion in the Admin Panel that applies to membership enrollment (for example, first month for $1 or 50% off first month).
Sign-up bonus: Add a one-time reward at enrollment (such as a complimentary skincare item). See the sign-up bonus article for setup.
Remove bonuses after a campaign: You can delete a sign-up bonus for new members only without removing bonuses already earned by current members.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Idea 1: Offer the first month for $1
Why this works: Once patients experience membership benefits without a large upfront commitment, they are less likely to cancel.
Promotion offer message:
Interested in a membership?
Promotion offer headline:
Enroll today and unlock your first month for just $1!
Sample description text:
“Upgrade your experience with us. Enroll in any one of our memberships today and unlock your first month for just $1!”
Idea 2: Offer 50% off the first month for a limited time
Why this works: Patients respond to limited-time deals. A half-off first month creates urgency to enroll now.
Promotion offer message:
TODAY ONLY
Promotion offer headline:
Enroll in one of our memberships and receive 50% off your first month!
Sample description text:
“Everyone deserves to experience the exclusivity of a membership. Today ONLY, all new members receive HALF-OFF for their first month! Offers like this don’t happen often. Sign up TODAY!”
Idea 3: Offer a gift with enrollment using a sign-up bonus
Why this works: Discounting works best in moderation. Excessive discounting can reduce perceived value. A sign-up bonus incentivizes enrollment without cutting price.
You can keep the sign-up bonus vague (complimentary skincare item of their choosing) or list specific items.
Sample description text:
“Sign up for any of our memberships and receive a complimentary skincare item of your choice when you arrive for your next visit!”
Remove a sign-up bonus after a promotion ends
Go to Catalog → Services → Memberships
Open the membership you want to edit.
Choose whether to edit for existing and new members or new members only:
To remove sign-up bonuses from new members who have not redeemed yet, choose edit for new and existing.
To remove the bonus for future enrollments only, choose new members only. This does not remove sign-up bonuses from current members who already earned them.
Scroll to Sign-up bonus and click Delete above the add sign-up bonus button.
Save and publish the membership.
For full sign-up bonus workflows, see Add a sign-up bonus to a membership (Admin Panel).
Best Practices and Pro Tips
Time-box discount offers (for example, TODAY ONLY) to drive urgency without training patients to wait for deals.
Use sign-up bonuses when you want to protect membership price integrity.
Track enrollment weekly during a campaign and adjust offer strength if conversion is low.
Remove expired bonuses promptly so new members do not see outdated gifts.
Common Mistakes and FAQs
Q: Will deleting a sign-up bonus remove it from current members?
A: Only if you choose the edit option that affects existing members. Choosing new members only leaves current member bonuses intact.
Q: Can I combine a $1 first month with a sign-up bonus?
A: Yes, if your pricing strategy allows. Monitor margin and perceived value.
Q: Where do I create the promotion offer itself?
A: Use your promotions or automated offers workflow in the Admin Panel. See Create an automated offer (Admin Panel) or your promotions hub articles.
Next Steps and Support
Need help? Email support@repeatmd.com