Yes, but the rules tightened on 1 January 2026. The General Chiropractic Council's new Code of Professional Practice says a chiropractor must set the clinical plan of care separately from any payment plan, give a clear contract with refunds for unused care, never sell a plan that runs beyond the initial clinical plan, and never pressure a patient to commit financially to long-term treatment. Prepaid packages, memberships and credit for care are all caught.
What changed in January 2026?
The GCC published its new Code of Professional Practice on 31 December 2024, and it took effect on 1 January 2026. Standard C10 is new and specific. It says a chiropractor must:
"determine and share a clinical plan of care for the patient separately (and independently) from any financial payment plan. You must provide a clear contract for any financial payment plan which must include arrangements for refunds for unused care. You must not offer a financial payment plan that extends beyond the amount of care set out in your initial clinical plan of care for the patient. You must not pressure the patient to commit financially to long term treatment."
(GCC Code of Professional Practice, Standard C10)
Other standards back it up. C9 says your clinical judgement must not be prejudiced by financial or commercial interest. A2 says you must not pressure the patient to accept your advice. F3 says consent must be given voluntarily, without pressure or undue influence.
What counts as a "financial payment plan"?
The Code's glossary is broad. A financial payment plan is "any arrangement where the patient enters into a financial contract in advance of care that will entitle them to more than one care visit, product or service". It includes pre-payment, membership models and credit agreements. It excludes direct debit arrangements set up on a pay-as-you-go basis.
| Arrangement | Is it a payment plan under the Code? |
|---|---|
| Pay per visit at the desk | No |
| Pay-as-you-go direct debit | No (expressly excluded) |
| Block of 6 or 12 visits paid up front | Yes |
| Monthly membership that entitles the patient to visits | Yes |
| Care financed through a credit agreement | Yes |
| Discounted bundle of visits plus products | Yes, if paid in advance of care |
How do you sell a plan without breaching C10?
Treat it as two separate conversations, in this order.
1. The clinical plan. After assessment, the chiropractor explains the recommended plan of care: what, how often, for how long, and how progress will be reviewed. This is a clinical recommendation, made on clinical grounds alone.
2. The payment options. Separately, the patient is shown how they can pay: per visit, pay-as-you-go direct debit, or a prepaid plan if you offer one. If you offer a plan:
- It must not cover more care than the initial clinical plan.
- It needs a clear written contract.
- The contract must include refund arrangements for unused care.
- The patient must be free to choose pay-per-visit without pressure.
The Code also requires visible, easy to understand information on fees and charging policies, including the patient's right to change their mind about their care (Standard G3). So your price list, plan terms and refund policy should be public, not produced only at the end of a first visit.
What about consumer law?
The GCC Code sits on top of general consumer law, not instead of it. The Code itself reminds chiropractors to comply with legal requirements including consumer protection. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, terms that may be unfair include one letting a business keep sums paid when the consumer decides not to go ahead, without equivalent compensation the other way, and one requiring a disproportionately high sum for services not supplied (Consumer Rights Act 2015, Schedule 2). A plan with a clear refund for unused care is easier to defend on both fronts.
Does this change how you keep patients coming back?
It changes the tool, not the goal. Under the old model, a prepaid block did the work of keeping a patient on their plan. Under C10, a plan can only cover the initial clinical plan and cannot be pushed, so continuity has to come from ordinary good practice: rebooking the next visit before the patient leaves, reminders so visits are not missed, and easy rescheduling when life gets in the way.
That is admin, and it is where Remi helps. It answers calls and WhatsApp messages at any hour so patients can book, move or cancel when it suits them, and sends reminders 48 hours, 24 hours and 2 hours before each appointment. On the Complete plan it can also send win-back messages to patients who have not rebooked. None of it involves selling a plan. If you want to see how that fits a chiropractic diary, here is how an AI receptionist set up for chiropractors handles rebooking.
Checklist: is your payment plan C10-ready?
- Clinical plan of care decided and explained before payment options are discussed
- Pay-per-visit always offered as an option
- No plan covers more care than the initial clinical plan
- Written contract for every plan, including how refunds for unused care work
- Fees, plan terms and refund policy published and easy to find
- Patients told they can change their mind about their care
- Complaints process published, including the right to go to the GCC
- Team briefed: no pressure, no "today only" discounts tied to signing up
The short version
Chiropractors can still offer prepaid packages, memberships and credit for care, but since 1 January 2026 the GCC Code's Standard C10 requires the clinical plan to be set separately from any payment plan, a clear contract with refunds for unused care, no plan longer than the initial clinical plan, and no pressure to commit long term. Pay-as-you-go direct debits are outside the definition. Publish your fees and plan terms, always offer pay-per-visit, and keep patients on track with rebooking and reminders rather than up-front commitments.