# Set up check-in rewards

> To set up check-in rewards in Velarya, open Organization settings > Challenges, turn on the check-in challenge, enter the points per check-in in Reward, set Max check-ins per patient and Frequency limit, and select Save. Patients then earn those points when your front desk checks them in, within those limits.

- Source: https://velarya.com/help/set-up-check-in-rewards
- Who can do this: Admins and roles with Challenges (check-in/referral) at edit or above
- Plans: Scale, Branded, Connected
- Time: 5 minutes
- Last verified: 2026-10-01

## Before you begin

- Patients use the patient app: the Velarya app, or your own app on the Branded and Connected plans. The check-in challenge and their check-in code live there.
- Your front desk team's role has Check-in & scanning turned on, and Calendar & appointments at manage to move appointments to Arrived, as the Front Desk and Location Manager roles do by default: see Loyalty roles and permissions.

## Open the Challenges settings

The **Check-In** challenge is set on the **Challenges** page in **Organization settings**, below the **Refer a Friend** card, and applies to your whole practice.

1. Open the menu at the bottom of the left sidebar and select **Organization settings**.
2. Under **Client Experience**, select **Challenges**. The page opens with **Refer a Friend** at the top and **Check-In** below it.

![Organization Settings menu with Challenges selected under Client Experience](https://velarya.com/assets/help/set-up-check-in-rewards/challenges-nav-31e48442.webp)

## Turn on check-in rewards and set the points

The **Check-In** card holds three settings: the points a check-in earns, a lifetime cap and the minimum time between two check-ins for the same patient.

1. Turn on the switch at the top right of the **Check-In** card. The three fields become editable.

> **Good to know:** The check-in challenge goes live for patients when you save a **Reward** above 0 in step 5. Once a **Reward** is saved, the switch turns check-in rewards on or off at once.

2. Enter the points each check-in earns in **Reward**, as a whole number above 0. It starts at 0.
3. Enter the most check-ins a patient can ever earn points for in **Max check-ins per patient**, 1 or more, or leave it empty for unlimited.
4. Enter the minimum hours between two check-ins for the same patient in **Frequency limit**, a whole number from 1 to 8,760. It starts at 24.

![Check-In card switched on with a Reward of 100 points, a maximum of 10 check-ins and a 24-hour Frequency limit](https://velarya.com/assets/help/set-up-check-in-rewards/check-in-card-d046e82a.webp)

5. Select **Save** in the **Unsaved changes** bar at the top of the page. The bar closes, the challenge goes live, and the new settings apply from the next check-in. Patients now see the challenge in the app. **Discard** puts the three fields back to their saved values.

![The Unsaved changes bar at the top of the page, with the Save button outlined next to Discard](https://velarya.com/assets/help/set-up-check-in-rewards/check-in-save-1acc88bf.webp)

## How much can a patient earn from check-ins?

A patient earns the check-in **Reward** for each check-in, at most once per **Frequency limit**, until they reach **Max check-ins per patient**. Check-in points convert to wallet credit like every other Velarya point, at 100 points to $1.00, and are whole numbers, so nothing is rounded. The table shows how the three fields work together for one patient.

| Reward | Max check-ins per patient | Frequency limit | What one patient can earn |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 points | Empty (unlimited) | 24 hours | 50 points ($0.50) per check-in, at most once every 24 hours, with no total cap |
| 100 points | 10 | 24 hours | 100 points ($1.00) for each of their first 10 check-ins: 1,000 points ($10.00) in all |
| 250 points | 4 | 720 hours | 250 points ($2.50) at most once every 30 days, up to 1,000 points ($10.00) in all |

To set the points patients earn on what they spend, see [Set up points earning](https://velarya.com/help/set-up-points-earning). Check-in points are added on top.

## What do patients see?

Patients see the check-in challenge on the **Rewards** tab of the patient app, under **Challenges**, once the switch is on and a **Reward** above 0 is saved. The card's title gives the points each check-in earns, or, with a **Max check-ins per patient**, the total a patient can earn. The card also shows how many times the patient has checked in, and **Completed** once they reach your **Max check-ins per patient**.

Tapping the card opens the challenge, written from your settings:

| Part | What the patient reads |
|---|---|
| **How it works** | "Visit the clinic for your appointment.", "Open the app and check in at the front desk." and "Earn points for every valid check-in." |
| **More need-to-knows** | Your settings, such as "100 points per check-in.", "One check-in per 24h window." and "Max 10 check-ins per account.", or "Unlimited check-ins." with no maximum |
| **Check In** | A button that opens the patient's check-in code for your front desk to scan |

When staff check them in, the app confirms the check-in with the points earned, and a notification tells them the points were added. Every check-in that earns points appears in their activity as **Check-In**, with the points added. For how patients turn check-in points into wallet credit, see [How points work](https://velarya.com/help/how-points-work).

## Which check-ins earn points?

Velarya adds the check-in **Reward** when a staff member checks a patient in at the front desk, in any of these ways:

- Scanning the patient's code or looking them up in the **Check-in scanner**: see [Check in a patient with a QR code](https://velarya.com/help/check-in-a-patient-with-a-qr-code).
- Moving their appointment to **Arrived** on the **Front Desk** board.
- Selecting **Mark Arrived** on the appointment.
- Selecting **Check In** next to their booking in the **Front Desk** search.
- Selecting **Promote to appointment** for a walk-in linked to a patient.

The message staff see after each check-in says whether points were added, and names the reason when they were not.

| Situation | What Velarya does |
|---|---|
| An appointment is checked in twice, for example moved to Arrived and then scanned | Adds the points once: each appointment earns one check-in |
| An appointment is moved straight to **In Session** or **Completed** on the board, past **Arrived** | Adds no check-in points: the move into **Arrived** is the check-in |
| An appointment is moved to **Arrived** by mistake | Keeps the check-in and its points; take the points off with **Adjust** next to **Rewards** on the patient's profile, as [Adjust a patient's points or wallet credit](https://velarya.com/help/adjust-a-patients-points-or-wallet-credit) shows |
| The patient checked in less than the **Frequency limit** ago, at any of your locations | Adds no points; the message says the patient already checked in within that many hours |
| The patient has reached **Max check-ins per patient** | Adds no points; the message says the patient has reached the check-in limit |
| The patient has no appointment today | Adds the check-in points only, at most once a day |
| The **Check-In** switch is off, or no **Reward** above 0 is saved | Checks in the appointment and adds no points; the message says check-in rewards are not active |

**Rewards** > **Check-Ins** in the left sidebar lists every check-in that earned points at the location you are working in, newest first, with the patient, the location, the points and the time. **Export** downloads the list as a CSV file. Admins with more than one location can choose **All locations** in the menu at the bottom of the left sidebar to see every location together. For every check-in path and limit with a worked example, see [How check-in rewards work](https://velarya.com/help/how-check-in-rewards-work).

## If something goes wrong

**The fields on the Check-In card are grayed out.** The challenge is switched off. Turn on the switch at the top right of the card, and the fields become editable. With a **Reward** already saved, this also turns check-in rewards back on at once.

**Challenges isn't in my Organization settings menu, or the Check-In card is read only.** Seeing the page needs **Challenges (check-in/referral)** at **view**, and changing it needs **edit** or above. Ask an Admin to update your role: see [Loyalty roles and permissions](https://velarya.com/help/loyalty-roles-and-permissions).

**The card shows "Must be at least 1".** The **Frequency limit** is empty or below 1. Enter a whole number of hours from 1 to 8,760 in **Frequency limit**, such as 24.

**The card shows "Enter 1 or more, or leave empty for no limit".** **Max check-ins per patient** is 0 or below, and the field is outlined in red. Enter 1 or more, or clear the field for no cap.

**The card shows "Set the points for a check-in (above 0) and save before turning Check-In on."** The switch is on and **Reward** is 0. Enter the points each check-in earns, 1 or more, and select **Save**.

**The card shows "Must be 8760 or less".** The **Frequency limit** is more than 8,760 hours, which is a year. Enter a smaller number of hours, such as 720 for 30 days.

**The card shows "Cannot be negative".** The **Reward** is below 0. Enter the points each check-in earns, 1 or more, and select **Save**.

**A patient didn't get check-in points.** Check that the **Check-In** switch is on, **Reward** is above 0, and the staff member's role has **Check-in & scanning** turned on: without it, the appointment still moves to **Arrived** and no points are added. The message staff saw at check-in names the reason no points were added, such as the **Frequency limit** or **Max check-ins per patient**. Both limits count check-ins at every location, so the earlier check-in may be at another one.

**Patients don't see the challenge in the app.** The card appears on the **Rewards** tab only while the **Check-In** switch is on with a **Reward** above 0 saved, and only to patients signed in to your practice in the app.

## Frequently asked questions

### Do patients earn check-in points on top of points for what they spend?

Yes. Check-in points are a separate award from the points a treatment earns under your Earning Rule. A patient who checks in for a $200 facial, at 5 points per $1 and a check-in Reward of 50, earns 1,000 points for the treatment and 50 for the check-in: 1,050 points in all, worth $10.50 of wallet credit.

### Can a patient earn check-in points more than once a day?

Yes, when your Frequency limit is shorter than 24 hours and that much time has passed since their last check-in. The Frequency limit counts hours from the last check-in, not calendar days: with the default of 24 hours, a patient checked in at 10:00 on Monday earns no check-in points at 9:00 on Tuesday. Each appointment earns its check-in points once, and check-ins without an appointment earn them at most once a day, whatever the Frequency limit.

### What happens if I change the check-in settings later?

Changes to the check-in challenge apply from the next check-in after you select Save. Points patients already earned stay on their balance. Raising Max check-ins per patient lets patients who reached the old limit earn again, up to the new one, and lowering it stops anyone who is already at or above the new limit from earning more.

### Do check-ins at different locations count together?

Yes. The Frequency limit and Max check-ins per patient count a patient's check-ins at every location of your practice together. A patient who checks in at one location in the morning earns no check-in points at another that afternoon while the Frequency limit runs. Rewards > Check-Ins shows the location of each check-in.

### Can I pause check-in rewards without losing patients' points?

Yes. Turn off the switch on the Check-In card, and the check-in challenge leaves the Rewards tab of the patient app. Your front desk still checks in appointments, with no points added, and those check-ins don't count toward Max check-ins per patient. Points patients already earned stay on their balance, and turning the switch back on brings back your saved Reward and limits.