Payment Notifications

Payment Notifications

Payment notifications keep you informed about payment link activities and help you manage payment collection efficiently. This guide explains how to configure and manage payment notifications in EquiBillBook.

What are Payment Notifications?

Payment notifications are alerts and messages sent to you (and optionally to customers) about various payment link events, such as when a payment is received, when a link expires, or when a payment fails. These notifications help you stay updated without constantly checking the system.

Types of Payment Notifications

EquiBillBook can send notifications for:

• Payment Link Generated: When a new payment link is created
• Payment Link Opened: When customer opens/clicks the payment link
• Payment Initiated: When customer starts the payment process
• Payment Successful: When payment is completed successfully
• Payment Failed: When a payment attempt fails
• Payment Link Expiring: Reminder before link expiration
• Payment Link Expired: When a payment link expires
• Payment Received: Confirmation when payment is recorded

Notification Channels

Notifications can be sent via:

• Email: Notifications sent to your registered email address
• SMS: Text messages to your mobile number
• WhatsApp: WhatsApp messages (if WhatsApp integration is configured)
• In-App Notifications: Notifications within EquiBillBook dashboard
• Push Notifications: Browser or mobile app push notifications (if enabled)

Configuring Payment Notifications

To set up payment notifications:

1. Navigate to Settings → Notification Settings
2. Find the Payment Notifications section
3. Enable or disable specific notification types
4. Select notification channels for each type
5. Configure notification preferences
6. Save your settings

Email Notification Setup

For email notifications:

1. Ensure your email address is verified in your profile
2. Go to Notification Settings
3. Enable email notifications for payment events
4. Choose which events trigger email notifications
5. Customize email templates if needed
6. Test email delivery

SMS Notification Setup

For SMS notifications:

1. Verify your mobile number in your profile
2. Configure SMS gateway in Settings (if not already done)
3. Enable SMS notifications for payment events
4. Select which events trigger SMS notifications
5. Note: SMS may have additional costs

WhatsApp Notification Setup

For WhatsApp notifications:

1. Configure WhatsApp integration in Settings
2. Connect your WhatsApp Business account
3. Enable WhatsApp notifications for payments
4. Select notification events
5. Test WhatsApp message delivery

In-App Notifications

In-app notifications appear in your EquiBillBook dashboard:

• Usually shown as a bell icon with notification count
• Click to view all notifications
• Mark notifications as read
• Filter notifications by type
• These are enabled by default

Notification Preferences

Customize when and how you receive notifications:

• Immediate: Receive notifications as soon as events occur
• Daily Digest: Receive a summary of all events once per day
• Weekly Summary: Weekly summary of payment activities
• Only Important: Receive only critical notifications (payments, failures)
• Quiet Hours: Disable notifications during specific hours

Customer Notifications

You can also send notifications to customers:

• Payment Link Sent: Notify customer when link is shared
• Payment Reminder: Remind customer about pending payment
• Payment Received: Confirm payment receipt to customer
• Payment Failed: Notify customer if payment fails
• Link Expiring: Remind customer before link expires

Payment Success Notifications

When payment is successful, you receive:

• Immediate notification with payment details
• Customer name and amount
• Payment method used
• Transaction ID
• Reference number
• Link to view payment details

Payment Failure Notifications

When payment fails, you're notified with:

• Failure reason (insufficient funds, card declined, etc.)
• Customer information
• Payment amount
• Timestamp of failure
• Suggested actions

Expiration Reminders

Set up reminders before payment links expire:

1. Enable expiration reminders in notification settings
2. Set how many days/hours before expiration to send reminder
3. Choose notification channels
4. Customize reminder message if needed

Notification Templates

Customize notification messages:

• Edit email templates for payment notifications
• Customize SMS message templates
• Add your business branding
• Include relevant payment details
• Use variables for dynamic content (customer name, amount, etc.)

Managing Notification Settings

To manage your notification preferences:

1. Go to Settings → Notification Settings
2. Review all notification types
3. Enable/disable specific notifications
4. Change notification channels
5. Update preferences as needed
6. Save changes

Notification History

View past notifications:

• Access notification history from dashboard
• Filter by date, type, or status
• View notification details
• Check delivery status
• Resend failed notifications if needed

Bulk Notification Settings

For multiple payment links:

• Send bulk reminders for pending payments
• Notify multiple customers at once
• Schedule reminder campaigns
• Track bulk notification delivery

Best Practices for Notifications

• Don't over-notify: Enable only essential notifications to avoid notification fatigue
• Use multiple channels: Combine email and SMS for important events
• Customize messages: Make notifications clear and actionable
• Test notifications: Verify notifications work correctly
• Review regularly: Check notification settings periodically
• Respect quiet hours: Avoid sending notifications during off-hours
• Monitor delivery: Ensure notifications are being delivered

Troubleshooting Notifications

If you're not receiving notifications:

• Check notification settings are enabled
• Verify email address and phone number are correct
• Check spam/junk folders for emails
• Verify SMS gateway is configured correctly
• Check notification history for delivery status
• Test notification delivery
• Contact support if issues persist

Notification Privacy

Important privacy considerations:

• Notifications may contain sensitive payment information
• Ensure notification channels are secure
• Don't share notification access with unauthorized users
• Review notification content for sensitive data
• Comply with data protection regulations

Disabling Notifications

To temporarily or permanently disable notifications:

1. Go to Notification Settings
2. Disable specific notification types
3. Or disable all notifications (not recommended)
4. Save changes
5. You can re-enable them anytime

Notification Reports

Generate reports on notifications:

• Notification delivery statistics
• Failed notification reports
• Notification frequency analysis
• Customer engagement with notifications

Properly configured payment notifications help you stay informed about payment activities, respond quickly to issues, and maintain better communication with customers. Set up notifications according to your business needs and preferences.