What does patient referral software do?
It does four jobs that a paper card or a "tell your friends" sign cannot do:
- Makes the ask at the right moment. Right after a good visit, when the patient feels best.
- Makes sending easy. The patient sends a personal message, not a link to a form.
- Tracks it. You see each friend who claimed the offer, who sent them, and who came in.
- Handles the reward. If your clinic gives one, the system knows who earned it and when.
Why do clinics need it?
Most people trust a friend's recommendation more than any ad. In Nielsen's global survey, 92% of people said they trust recommendations from people they know. Referred customers are also worth more: a Wharton study of referral programs (Schmitt, Skiera and Van den Bulte, 2011) found referred customers were 16% more valuable and 18% less likely to leave.
The problem is that most referrals never happen. A patient says "I'll tell my sister about you" at checkout and forgets by the parking lot. Software closes that gap by letting them send the invite before they leave.
What should you look for?
- No app for patients. If a patient has to download something, they will not.
- Works on iPhone and Android. Texts and WhatsApp reach everyone.
- Sent from the patient's phone. A message from a friend gets opened. A message from a clinic number gets ignored.
- Proof the friend came in. A visit pass scanned at the desk beats guessing from booking notes.
- Reward settings that fit your college. Some Ontario health colleges restrict rewards for referrals. Your software should let you run a thank-you-only program. See referral rewards and college rules.
- Canadian privacy and anti-spam rules. PIPEDA, PHIPA and CASL. See CASL and referral texts.
- Works with your booking system. Jane, Mindbody, Vagaro, Cliniko or your own website.
How Clinvite works
- Scan. A QR sign sits on your counter or in your treatment room. The patient scans it with their camera.
- Tap. They type a friend's first name and tap Messages, iMessage or WhatsApp. The invite opens on their phone, already written, from them.
- Claim. The friend opens a page with your offer and claims it. They get a visit pass and your booking link.
- Visit. Your desk scans the pass when the friend comes in. Clinvite records the visit and, if you give one, the referrer's reward.
Along the way it can also ask for a Google review at the moment patients are happiest, without tying the review to any reward (Google does not allow that).
What does it cost?
| Plan | Monthly | Paid yearly | For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $149 per month | $129 per month | One location |
| Multi-location | $129 per location | $99 per location | 2 to 14 locations |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | 15 or more locations |
Canadian dollars. Unlimited scans, invites and visits. 14-day free trial. If your QR gets 20 scans and no friend claims in your first 30 paid days, your next month is free, applied automatically.
For comparison, review platforms that include a referral feature, such as Birdeye and Podium, are priced in the hundreds of dollars per location per month. See the full comparison.
See it on your own phone
Start a 14-day free trial, print your QR sign and have your first invite out today. From $149 a month per location, unlimited invites.
Common questions
What is the best patient referral software in Canada?
For a private clinic that wants more new patients from existing ones, look for software built for the moment after a visit: no app, invites sent from the patient's own phone, a visit pass to prove the friend came in, and reward settings that fit your college. Clinvite is built for exactly that and for Canadian rules (CASL, PIPEDA, PHIPA). Review platforms like Birdeye and Podium are broader tools with referrals added on.
Do patients need to download an app?
No. Patients scan a QR code with their phone camera and a web page opens. The invite goes out through Messages, iMessage or WhatsApp, which they already have.
Does it work with Jane App?
Yes. The friend books through your normal Jane booking link. Jane does not have a built-in refer-a-friend feature, so Clinvite sits beside it. See our Jane App referral guide.
How long does setup take?
About five minutes: pick your clinic type, add your booking link, print the QR sign.
Is it legal to text a patient's friend?
Clinvite never texts the friend from the clinic. The patient sends the invite from their own phone to someone they know. Messages between people with a personal or family relationship are outside CASL's consent rules. The friend then chooses whether to claim the offer and give the clinic their number.