Discount rules
Create controlled discounts, verify their exact price outcome, and manage scope, priority, and safeguards.
What discount rules are for
Discount rules make discounts intentional and auditable. Instead of allowing staff to change prices informally, the lab can define approved rules for campaigns, contracts, patient groups, internal approvals, or special cases.
Discounts affect order totals, cashier collection, reports, and owner visibility. Treat them as finance configuration, not as simple labels.
What to define
A useful rule should make clear who can use it, when it is valid, whether it is a percentage, final price, or fixed amount off, and whether it applies to all catalog items, one catalog type, one category, or selected tests.
If your lab uses separate approval policies, document them in the rule name or internal notes so cashiers and reception supervisors know when to escalate.
How discounts interact with pricing
Pricing is resolved from the test and the selected cash, insurance, contract, or price-list context. One eligible automatic discount rule may then change that price. When more than one rule is eligible, the rule with the lower priority number wins. If two rules have the same priority, the most recently updated rule wins.
By default, a discount does not reduce a price created by a price-list item override. Turn on Apply after price list overrides only when that is intentional. Keep Protect manual prices on when staff-entered item prices must remain unchanged.
Using the live pricing preview
The preview on the Create and Edit pages uses the same pricing, priority, minimum-price, contract, and override rules used by live orders.
- Enter the discount value and choose the catalog scope.
- Choose the eligible price context. For selected price lists, add the lists to the rule first.
- Use Preview price context to inspect the cash/base result or an exact price list.
- Review Current price, This rule, and Effective after save for each affected test.
- Check the outcome label. It explains whether this rule wins, an existing higher-priority rule wins, or a manual or price-list override protects the current price.
- Search by an English or Arabic test name when reviewing a large catalog.
The preview is a simulation. Draft, disabled, expired, and archived rules do not affect live orders even though the preview can show what their result would be. Future rules are simulated at their configured start time.
Good governance
Use short validity periods for campaigns. Keep old rules inactive instead of deleting them when finance may need historical explanations. Avoid broad discounts named "Manager Discount" unless the approval process is clear.
The status shown in the rule list is effective status. A configured Active rule is shown as Scheduled before its start time and Expired after its inclusive end time. Active and Scheduled configuration states are applied only while the current server time is inside the period.
Common mistakes
Do not use discounts to fix a wrong base price. Correct the price setup instead.
Do not create overlapping discounts without reviewing priority conflicts in the preview. A lower number has higher priority; it does not mean a larger discount.
Do not rely on verbal approval. If an exception is approved, make it visible in the system or record it in the correct finance workflow.
Reviewing discount usage
Review active discount rules with finance at least monthly. Look for rules used more often than expected, rules still active after a campaign ended, and discounts that should be replaced by a contract, package, or corrected base price.
When a discount changes, tell reception and cashier staff what changed before they receive live orders. A technically correct rule can still cause confusion if the team does not know which patient, campaign, or approval path it belongs to.