Nobody should have to hand over a card number before knowing what they’re actually paying for. On DrOnline247.ie, the fee for whichever consultation you choose is shown clearly before you confirm payment — what you see is what you’re charged, with nothing tacked on afterwards. We won’t quote you a figure here, because the exact fee depends on the specific service and can be adjusted from time to time; what we will do is explain, honestly, what that fee covers, what it doesn’t, and where things like medical cards and private insurance actually fit in.
For life-threatening emergencies in Ireland, call 999 or 112. Do not wait for an online appointment.
Complete the secure booking form below — same appointment flow as our main booking page. Fee is shown before you pay.
The number appears before the card details, not after
Every service on DrOnline247.ie — a general consultation, a video appointment, a phone-only call, or something specific like dermatology or a prescription renewal — shows its fee at the point of booking, before any payment is taken. You pick the appointment type, see the fee attached to that exact service, and only then decide whether to go ahead. There’s no step in the process where the number shifts after you’ve already committed.
Fees aren’t identical across every service, because appointments aren’t identical either. A quick review to renew a medication you’ve already been on for years is a different job for the GP than a first look at a new, undiagnosed symptom, and the fee structure reflects that honestly rather than charging one flat rate regardless of what’s actually involved on the call.
We’ve deliberately left exact euro figures off this page. Prices get reviewed and occasionally adjusted as services change, and we’d rather you see the correct, current fee at the moment you book than read a number here that might be a little out of date by the time you act on it. The commitment stays the same either way: the fee shown before you pay is the fee you’re charged.
What that fee actually buys you
Your fee covers a full consultation with an IMC-registered GP by secure video or phone — the time needed to take a proper history, ask the questions that actually matter, look at anything visible over the camera, and reach a sensible plan with you rather than rush to a conclusion. It also covers whatever documentation comes directly out of that consultation, such as a written summary of what was discussed and agreed.
If a prescription is clinically appropriate, sending it electronically to a chemist of your choice is part of that same fee, not an extra charge bolted on afterwards. The same goes for a sick note or medical certificate, where the GP judges one is warranted — it’s included in the consultation you’ve already paid for.
For services built around a specific, narrower need — a prescription renewal or a treatment refill review, say — the fee reflects a focused clinical review suited to that type of appointment, still carried out by a fully registered GP taking the time to do it properly rather than treating it as a formality.
What it was never going to cover
The fee pays for the GP’s time and the plan reached during your appointment — not the medication itself. If a prescription is issued, you pay the chemist directly for whatever’s dispensed, exactly as you would with a script from any GP practice in the country. It also doesn’t cover tests, scans, specialist referrals, or any in-person treatment that comes out of your consultation; those are billed separately by whoever actually provides them.
If your GP decides mid-consultation that your concern genuinely needs an in-person look rather than remote care — a physical examination, say, or something urgent — you won’t be charged a second online fee simply for being pointed in the right direction. You’ve already paid for the assessment that led to that advice.
Medical cards, insurance, and the honest answer
We get asked fairly often whether a medical card or GP visit card covers an online consultation, and the honest answer is no — DrOnline247.ie currently operates as a privately paid service, settled at the time of booking rather than invoiced afterwards. We’d rather say that plainly than let anyone book under a different impression. Your existing medical card or GP visit card entitlements through your own registered practice are completely unaffected either way; nothing on this site changes what you’re entitled to through the public system.
Private health insurance is a different story, and it varies a good deal from one insurer and plan to the next. Some policies do offer a degree of cover or cash-back for GP consultations, including online ones, so it’s worth checking your own policy documents or ringing your insurer directly if that matters to you — we can’t promise a blanket answer here because it genuinely depends on the plan.
For anyone with a medical card who’d be better served sticking with their usual practice for ongoing or routine care, we’d say exactly that rather than steer you towards a paid consultation regardless. DrOnline247.ie is an additional option for when speed, privacy or convenience matter most on a given day, not a replacement for the public system.
Weighing it against waiting
For a lot of what brings people to DrOnline247.ie — cold and flu symptoms, a flare-up of a known skin condition, a repeat prescription, a sick note — getting seen quickly by a properly qualified GP matters at least as much as where the appointment happens to take place. Waiting a week or two for an in-person slot, when the same thing could be assessed thoroughly by video or phone today, rarely does the patient any favours.
That said, we’re not going to pretend online care is automatically the better or cheaper option in every single case. If your own practice can see you quickly, at a fee you’re happy with, and the GP there already knows your history, that might genuinely be the better call on a given day. Decide with the full picture in front of you, not because we’ve talked you into one option over the other.
Refunds, and what happens if we get it wrong
Paying for healthcare only works if people trust what happens when something goes sideways — a technical fault that stops a consultation going ahead, an appointment that needs cancelling at short notice, that sort of thing. Our full policy on cancellations, rescheduling and refunds is set out properly on our policies page, with the actual timeframes and conditions spelled out rather than summarised vaguely here.
The short version is straightforward: if something on our end means you didn’t get the consultation you paid for, we put it right. We’d encourage you to read the policies page in full before booking if the specifics matter to you, since that’s where the detail actually lives.
If you’re comparing us against another option
It’s reasonable to shop around before booking any paid consultation, and we’d rather you compare like with like than take our word for it. When you’re weighing one service against another, ask the same question of each: is the fee shown clearly before you pay, or only once you’re halfway through a booking form? Does it cover a proper consultation with a doctor who’ll actually take a history, or a shorter, scripted exchange dressed up as one? Those answers tend to matter more than the headline number on its own.
We don’t think DrOnline247.ie is automatically the right fit for every single consultation a person might need — we’ve said as much elsewhere on this page — but we do think the fee you’re shown should be the whole story, not the opening offer. If you ever feel unsure whether a quoted price covers what you think it covers, ask before you confirm. A straight answer to that question, before payment, is really the whole point of this page.
Want your exact fee before committing to anything?
Choose the service you need and the fee for that exact appointment is shown clearly before payment — nothing extra gets added after.
The fee for your chosen service is shown clearly during booking, before you enter any payment details, so you know the cost before you commit to anything.
Are there hidden extras after I’ve paid?
No. The fee shown before payment is the fee charged. Anything that follows — medication from the chemist, separate tests — is billed by those providers directly, not added to your consultation fee.
Can I use my medical card for an online consultation?
Not currently — DrOnline247.ie is a privately paid service. Your medical card entitlements through your own registered GP practice remain completely unaffected.
Will insurance cover it?
Possibly, depending on your insurer and plan — some policies offer cover or cash-back for online GP consultations. It’s worth checking your own policy or ringing your insurer directly.
Can I get a refund if something goes wrong?
Our policies page sets out exactly when a refund or credit applies, including technical issues or appointments cancelled with reasonable notice.
Does the fee cover any medication prescribed?
No. The fee covers the GP’s assessment and advice. If a prescription is issued, you pay the chemist separately for the medication itself.
Medical Emergencies
For Urgent Medical Care Or in Life Threatening Emergencies call 999 or 112 immediately.