Promotions Explained: Deal Types and When to Use Each

Pabau's Promotions feature lets you create discount codes, flash sales, and last-minute offers to attract new clients, reward loyal ones, and keep your calendar full during quieter periods. Rather than adjusting prices manually, you set up a deal once and Pabau applies it automatically wherever you choose to make it available.

There are three deal types available, each designed for a different purpose and used in slightly different ways.

Promotion

A Promotion is a code-based discount. Clients redeem it themselves by entering a unique code, either at the payment step of an online booking or at checkout at Point of Sale, where a team member enters it manually on the client's behalf. Because it requires a code, a Promotion gives you the most control over exactly who receives the discount and when - nothing is applied unless the code is entered.

When to use it:

• Targeted campaigns - sharing a code with a specific group, for example through an email newsletter or social media post.
• Loyalty rewards - giving returning or VIP clients a code as a thank-you.
• Seasonal offers - running a limited-time discount such as SUMMER20 around a particular event or time of year.
• Referral or welcome offers - codes like WELCOME15 for new clients booking for the first time.

A Promotion can be enabled for Online bookings, Point of Sale, or both, depending on where you want clients to be able to redeem it.

Flash sale

A Flash sale applies a discount automatically, with no code required. As long as an item meets the criteria you've configured such as the day, time, or location - the discount is applied instantly, both at Point of Sale and in Online bookings, without the client or team member needing to do anything extra.

When to use it:

• Filling quiet periods - for example, discounting appointments on a slow Monday or a historically quiet afternoon.
• Short, high-urgency windows - running a sale for a few hours or a single day to create a sense of urgency.
• Encouraging bookings in specific time slots - using time-of-day rules to only apply the discount during the hours you're trying to fill.

Because the discount shows automatically wherever it's active, Flash sales tend to work best for broad, visible promotions rather than discounts meant for a specific, limited audience.

With a clear understanding of each deal type, you can choose the one that best fits your clinic's goals.