Offer something extra and keep your regular rate in place. Eight options fit a health or wellness practice: a bonus session with a package, gift certificates, a limited-spot intake window, early access for past clients, a free resource with purchase, early enrollment in a group program, a charitable tie-in, and a thank-you for referrals. If you see Medicare or Medicaid patients, federal rules limit free items and services you give them (HHS Office of Inspector General).
A record 202.9 million people shopped over the five days from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday in 2025 (National Retail Federation). You can take part in that season and still protect your pricing. If you are still deciding whether to run a promotion at all, start with our decision framework. This post assumes you want to run one, and gives you eight offers with setup notes for each.
The 2026 dates: Black Friday is November 27, Small Business Saturday is November 28, Cyber Monday is November 30, and Giving Tuesday is December 1 (timeanddate.com, American Express Shop Small).
A discount changes your price. Added value changes what clients get for the same price.
The value of a service is harder to see than the cost of a product (how to price your online services), so spell out exactly what the extra is and what it is worth to the client.
Each offer below follows the same four parts: what it is, who it fits, how to set it up, and what to watch for.
What it is. A client buys a package at its regular price and gets one extra session or check-in.
Who it fits. Self-pay coaches, dietitians, and naturopathic doctors who already sell packages.
How to set it up. Add the bonus as a line in the package. In Practice Better, a package can bundle multiple service types and sessions, including program access and individual sessions (Feature Highlight: Packages). State in the package description what is included and what happens to unused sessions (cash-pay packages).
Watch for. Federal law defines remuneration to include free items or services. Offering remuneration to a Medicare or Medicaid beneficiary that you know or should know is likely to influence their choice of provider can bring civil monetary penalties (OIG). Keep this offer to self-pay services.
What it is. One person pays, and someone else receives the sessions or a set dollar amount.
Who it fits. Self-pay practices of any kind.
How to set it up. Decide whether the certificate is for a dollar amount or a named service, write the terms on it, and plan how you will contact the recipient directly to book, since they are the client.
Watch for. Federal rules cover a gift certificate issued in a set amount and redeemable at one business. You cannot sell one with an expiration date unless the funds last at least five years from the date it was issued, and the expiration date has to be disclosed on it. Promotional cards and certificates issued in paper form only fall outside that rule (12 CFR 1005.20). Then check your state's gift certificate law before you set terms.
What it is. You open a set number of new-client spots for a January start, and close the window when they fill.
Who it fits. Practices that control their capacity and want to fill the new year.
How to set it up. Count the hours you can add without cutting into current clients, then cap the spots at that number. Practice Better lets you set daily, weekly, or monthly limits by service type (scheduling). If you close for the holidays, plan start dates around your return (holiday closure checklist).
Watch for. The spot count has to be real. Professional codes require accurate statements about your services (APA Ethics Code, 5.01, Academy/CDR Code of Ethics, 2.e and 3.d).
What it is. People who already know you get first pick of spots, programs, or start dates before you announce publicly.
Who it fits. Any practice with a waitlist or a list of past clients.
How to set it up. Email your list a few days before your public announcement, with one deadline and one way to claim. Practice Better offers free email templates to promote your programs and services.
Watch for. Send it only to people who agreed to hear from you, and keep the message to the offer.
What it is. A guide, habit tracker, meal planning template, or set of journaling prompts that comes with a package or program.
Who it fits. Practitioners who already have teaching materials they can package.
How to set it up. Deliver it automatically. Practice Better programs can deliver content by email, and email-only programs work as lead magnets (programs).
Watch for. For Medicare and Medicaid patients, OIG treats gifts with a retail value of no more than $15 per item, or $75 per patient per year, as nominal, and never cash or cash equivalents (OIG policy statement).
What it is. Clients who enroll early in a January group program, challenge, or workshop get a bonus, such as an extra live Q&A call.
Who it fits. Practitioners who run group programs with a fixed start.
How to set it up. Fixed-date programs run from a fixed start date to a fixed end date (fixed-date programs), which gives early enrollment a clear deadline. Practice Better's guide to online challenges names a bonus kickstart call as an incentive (online challenges).
Watch for. Deliver the bonus you promised to every early enrollee, on the date you promised.
What it is. You donate a portion of what you earn during the offer to a named organization. Giving Tuesday, December 1, gives you a natural end date.
Who it fits. Any practice with a cause that matters to its clients.
How to set it up. State the exact percentage or dollar amount, name the organization, and say when you will donate. Then post the total after you give.
Watch for. Your code's accuracy rules apply here too (AAMFT Code, 9.2, NASW Code, 4.06(c)). Promise only what you will give.
What it is. A personal thank-you message to clients who refer someone to you.
Who it fits. Practices that grow by word of mouth.
How to set it up. Write the note yourself, and send it once the referred client books.
Watch for. Keep it to the message. The AAMFT Code says therapists do not "offer or accept kickbacks, rebates, bonuses, or other remuneration for referrals" (AAMFT 8.1), and the ACA, APA, and NASW codes also restrict payment for referrals (ACA A.10.b, APA 6.07, NASW 1.16(c)). California makes it unlawful for healing-arts licensees to offer a discount or other consideration as an inducement for referring patients (Cal. B&P § 650(a)). Ask your board before you add a gift, credit, or anything else of value.
Match your billing model to the offers below.
| Your practice | Best-fit offers | Skip if |
|---|---|---|
| Self-pay solo practice | Bonus session, gift certificates, intake window, early access | Your schedule is already full |
| Insurance-billed services | Early access, intake window, charitable tie-in | The offer adds a free item or service for Medicare or Medicaid patients above OIG's nominal value, or your payer contract restricts it |
| Group programs | Early enrollment with a bonus, free resource | The program has no fixed start date to anchor the deadline |
| Supplement or product sales | Free resource, early access | A free product for Medicare or Medicaid patients exceeds $15 per item or $75 per year |
This section is general information for planning. Rules vary by profession and by state or province, so confirm your plans with your licensing board, your professional association, or a healthcare attorney.
For the full decision checklist, including copay waivers and sliding scales, see should you run a Black Friday promotion for your practice?
Here is a three-line email you can adapt:
This month, every 6-session package comes with a bonus 30-minute check-in in January.
I have 8 spots, and the offer ends Tuesday, December 1, at 8 pm.
Reply to this email or book here to claim yours.
| Dates | Task |
|---|---|
| November 6 to 10 | Pick one offer and set the number of spots |
| November 11 to 20 | Build it: package, terms, booking page, emails |
| November 23 to 25 | Announce to your email list, then on social |
| November 27 to December 1 | Run the offer from Black Friday through Giving Tuesday |
| December 2 to 8 | Follow up with new clients, deliver bonuses, and post any donation total |
{{top-five-ai-marketing-tools}}
Add value. A bonus session, a free resource, a limited-spot intake window, early access for past clients, or a gift certificate each keeps your regular rate in place and gives clients a reason to act before a deadline. Pick the one that fits your capacity and your billing model.
Check two sets of rules first: your licensing board's and gift certificate law. Federal rules bar an expiration date on a gift certificate issued in a set amount unless its funds last at least five years, with exceptions such as paper-only and promotional certificates (12 CFR 1005.20). Check your state's law as well, and plan how you will contact the recipient directly, since they are the client.
Tie the window to a real limit, such as the number of spots you can fill. Practice Better's guide to online challenges suggests opening a program for 3 to 5 days after a challenge, with a bonus or limited-time offer (online challenges). Whatever length you choose, state the end date and keep to it.
Yes, when the promise is accurate. State the percentage or amount, name the organization, and follow through, since your code's accuracy rules apply to the offer. Giving Tuesday falls on December 1, 2026, which gives the offer a natural end date.
Pick a bonus that moves the client toward the result the package promises, such as an extra check-in, a follow-up review, or a guide they will use between sessions. In Practice Better, a package can bundle sessions, services, and program access together (Feature Highlight: Packages).
Email them before you post anywhere else. Lead with what they get, give one deadline and one way to claim, and write in the voice they already know from you. Practice Better offers free email templates to promote your programs and services.
Pick one offer this week, set your spots and your terms, and announce it to your list first. You keep your rate, your clients get something real, and your offer reflects how you already work. Practice Better holds your packages, programs, and scheduling limits in one place. Start a free trial.
{{free-trial-simple-text}}
Offer something extra and keep your regular rate in place. Eight options fit a health or wellness practice: a bonus session with a package, gift certificates, a limited-spot intake window, early access for past clients, a free resource with purchase, early enrollment in a group program, a charitable tie-in, and a thank-you for referrals. If you see Medicare or Medicaid patients, federal rules limit free items and services you give them (HHS Office of Inspector General).
A record 202.9 million people shopped over the five days from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday in 2025 (National Retail Federation). You can take part in that season and still protect your pricing. If you are still deciding whether to run a promotion at all, start with our decision framework. This post assumes you want to run one, and gives you eight offers with setup notes for each.
The 2026 dates: Black Friday is November 27, Small Business Saturday is November 28, Cyber Monday is November 30, and Giving Tuesday is December 1 (timeanddate.com, American Express Shop Small).
A discount changes your price. Added value changes what clients get for the same price.
The value of a service is harder to see than the cost of a product (how to price your online services), so spell out exactly what the extra is and what it is worth to the client.
Each offer below follows the same four parts: what it is, who it fits, how to set it up, and what to watch for.
What it is. A client buys a package at its regular price and gets one extra session or check-in.
Who it fits. Self-pay coaches, dietitians, and naturopathic doctors who already sell packages.
How to set it up. Add the bonus as a line in the package. In Practice Better, a package can bundle multiple service types and sessions, including program access and individual sessions (Feature Highlight: Packages). State in the package description what is included and what happens to unused sessions (cash-pay packages).
Watch for. Federal law defines remuneration to include free items or services. Offering remuneration to a Medicare or Medicaid beneficiary that you know or should know is likely to influence their choice of provider can bring civil monetary penalties (OIG). Keep this offer to self-pay services.
What it is. One person pays, and someone else receives the sessions or a set dollar amount.
Who it fits. Self-pay practices of any kind.
How to set it up. Decide whether the certificate is for a dollar amount or a named service, write the terms on it, and plan how you will contact the recipient directly to book, since they are the client.
Watch for. Federal rules cover a gift certificate issued in a set amount and redeemable at one business. You cannot sell one with an expiration date unless the funds last at least five years from the date it was issued, and the expiration date has to be disclosed on it. Promotional cards and certificates issued in paper form only fall outside that rule (12 CFR 1005.20). Then check your state's gift certificate law before you set terms.
What it is. You open a set number of new-client spots for a January start, and close the window when they fill.
Who it fits. Practices that control their capacity and want to fill the new year.
How to set it up. Count the hours you can add without cutting into current clients, then cap the spots at that number. Practice Better lets you set daily, weekly, or monthly limits by service type (scheduling). If you close for the holidays, plan start dates around your return (holiday closure checklist).
Watch for. The spot count has to be real. Professional codes require accurate statements about your services (APA Ethics Code, 5.01, Academy/CDR Code of Ethics, 2.e and 3.d).
What it is. People who already know you get first pick of spots, programs, or start dates before you announce publicly.
Who it fits. Any practice with a waitlist or a list of past clients.
How to set it up. Email your list a few days before your public announcement, with one deadline and one way to claim. Practice Better offers free email templates to promote your programs and services.
Watch for. Send it only to people who agreed to hear from you, and keep the message to the offer.
What it is. A guide, habit tracker, meal planning template, or set of journaling prompts that comes with a package or program.
Who it fits. Practitioners who already have teaching materials they can package.
How to set it up. Deliver it automatically. Practice Better programs can deliver content by email, and email-only programs work as lead magnets (programs).
Watch for. For Medicare and Medicaid patients, OIG treats gifts with a retail value of no more than $15 per item, or $75 per patient per year, as nominal, and never cash or cash equivalents (OIG policy statement).
What it is. Clients who enroll early in a January group program, challenge, or workshop get a bonus, such as an extra live Q&A call.
Who it fits. Practitioners who run group programs with a fixed start.
How to set it up. Fixed-date programs run from a fixed start date to a fixed end date (fixed-date programs), which gives early enrollment a clear deadline. Practice Better's guide to online challenges names a bonus kickstart call as an incentive (online challenges).
Watch for. Deliver the bonus you promised to every early enrollee, on the date you promised.
What it is. You donate a portion of what you earn during the offer to a named organization. Giving Tuesday, December 1, gives you a natural end date.
Who it fits. Any practice with a cause that matters to its clients.
How to set it up. State the exact percentage or dollar amount, name the organization, and say when you will donate. Then post the total after you give.
Watch for. Your code's accuracy rules apply here too (AAMFT Code, 9.2, NASW Code, 4.06(c)). Promise only what you will give.
What it is. A personal thank-you message to clients who refer someone to you.
Who it fits. Practices that grow by word of mouth.
How to set it up. Write the note yourself, and send it once the referred client books.
Watch for. Keep it to the message. The AAMFT Code says therapists do not "offer or accept kickbacks, rebates, bonuses, or other remuneration for referrals" (AAMFT 8.1), and the ACA, APA, and NASW codes also restrict payment for referrals (ACA A.10.b, APA 6.07, NASW 1.16(c)). California makes it unlawful for healing-arts licensees to offer a discount or other consideration as an inducement for referring patients (Cal. B&P § 650(a)). Ask your board before you add a gift, credit, or anything else of value.
Match your billing model to the offers below.
| Your practice | Best-fit offers | Skip if |
|---|---|---|
| Self-pay solo practice | Bonus session, gift certificates, intake window, early access | Your schedule is already full |
| Insurance-billed services | Early access, intake window, charitable tie-in | The offer adds a free item or service for Medicare or Medicaid patients above OIG's nominal value, or your payer contract restricts it |
| Group programs | Early enrollment with a bonus, free resource | The program has no fixed start date to anchor the deadline |
| Supplement or product sales | Free resource, early access | A free product for Medicare or Medicaid patients exceeds $15 per item or $75 per year |
This section is general information for planning. Rules vary by profession and by state or province, so confirm your plans with your licensing board, your professional association, or a healthcare attorney.
For the full decision checklist, including copay waivers and sliding scales, see should you run a Black Friday promotion for your practice?
Here is a three-line email you can adapt:
This month, every 6-session package comes with a bonus 30-minute check-in in January.
I have 8 spots, and the offer ends Tuesday, December 1, at 8 pm.
Reply to this email or book here to claim yours.
| Dates | Task |
|---|---|
| November 6 to 10 | Pick one offer and set the number of spots |
| November 11 to 20 | Build it: package, terms, booking page, emails |
| November 23 to 25 | Announce to your email list, then on social |
| November 27 to December 1 | Run the offer from Black Friday through Giving Tuesday |
| December 2 to 8 | Follow up with new clients, deliver bonuses, and post any donation total |
{{top-five-ai-marketing-tools}}
Add value. A bonus session, a free resource, a limited-spot intake window, early access for past clients, or a gift certificate each keeps your regular rate in place and gives clients a reason to act before a deadline. Pick the one that fits your capacity and your billing model.
Check two sets of rules first: your licensing board's and gift certificate law. Federal rules bar an expiration date on a gift certificate issued in a set amount unless its funds last at least five years, with exceptions such as paper-only and promotional certificates (12 CFR 1005.20). Check your state's law as well, and plan how you will contact the recipient directly, since they are the client.
Tie the window to a real limit, such as the number of spots you can fill. Practice Better's guide to online challenges suggests opening a program for 3 to 5 days after a challenge, with a bonus or limited-time offer (online challenges). Whatever length you choose, state the end date and keep to it.
Yes, when the promise is accurate. State the percentage or amount, name the organization, and follow through, since your code's accuracy rules apply to the offer. Giving Tuesday falls on December 1, 2026, which gives the offer a natural end date.
Pick a bonus that moves the client toward the result the package promises, such as an extra check-in, a follow-up review, or a guide they will use between sessions. In Practice Better, a package can bundle sessions, services, and program access together (Feature Highlight: Packages).
Email them before you post anywhere else. Lead with what they get, give one deadline and one way to claim, and write in the voice they already know from you. Practice Better offers free email templates to promote your programs and services.
Pick one offer this week, set your spots and your terms, and announce it to your list first. You keep your rate, your clients get something real, and your offer reflects how you already work. Practice Better holds your packages, programs, and scheduling limits in one place. Start a free trial.
{{free-trial-simple-text}}
