Setting up messaging

Go to Settings, then Messaging. This is where your text and WhatsApp arrangement is configured and where you can see what messaging is costing you.

Before you enable a paid channel

Work out roughly what you will send. A hundred bookings a month with one reminder each is a hundred messages, and knowing that number in advance is better than discovering it on a bill.

What to use SMS for

The day-before reminder, and cancellations somebody needs to know about now. Both are worth paying for because both directly protect revenue.

What not to use it for

Anything that could wait for an email. Newsletters, offers and general updates all belong on a channel that costs nothing.

Keep an eye on it

Check what you are spending occasionally rather than never. Messaging costs creep up quietly as your booking volume grows.

Common questions

Do I need to set anything up to send email?

No. Email works from the start. Messaging setup is only for SMS and WhatsApp.

What happens when I run out of credit?

Sends stop rather than failing silently, so you find out before your customers do.

Can I cap what I spend?

Watch the messaging area and keep paid channels to the notifications that genuinely need them. That is the effective control.