SMS Notifications

SMS Notifications

SMS notifications in EquiBillBook provide instant text message alerts for important business events. This guide explains how to configure and manage SMS notifications effectively.

What are SMS Notifications?

SMS notifications are text messages sent to your mobile number when specific events occur in EquiBillBook, such as payments received, low stock alerts, or important system updates. SMS notifications are ideal for time-sensitive alerts that require immediate attention.

Types of SMS Notifications

EquiBillBook can send SMS notifications for various events:

• Payment Notifications: Payment received, payment reminders, payment failures
• Invoice Notifications: Invoice created, invoice paid, invoice overdue
• Stock Alerts: Low stock warnings, out of stock alerts
• Booking Notifications: New bookings, booking confirmations, booking cancellations
• System Alerts: Account updates, security alerts, system maintenance
• Urgent Notifications: Critical business events requiring immediate attention

Enabling SMS Notifications

To enable SMS notifications:

1. Navigate to Settings → Notification Settings → SMS Notifications
2. Verify your mobile number is correct in your profile
3. Enable SMS notifications toggle
4. Select which notification types you want to receive
5. Configure SMS gateway settings (if not already configured)
6. Save your settings

SMS Gateway Setup

Before using SMS notifications, you need to configure an SMS gateway:

1. Go to Settings → Notification Settings → SMS Gateway Setup
2. Choose your SMS gateway provider
3. Enter gateway API credentials
4. Configure gateway settings (API URL, authentication)
5. Test SMS delivery
6. Save configuration

Supported SMS Gateways

EquiBillBook supports various SMS gateway providers:

• Twilio: Popular cloud communications platform
• MessageBird: Global SMS messaging service
• Nexmo/Vonage: Cloud communications API
• TextLocal: SMS gateway for India
• MSG91: SMS service provider
• Custom Gateway: Configure your own SMS gateway

SMS Gateway Configuration

Configure your SMS gateway:

• API Key/Token: Authentication token from gateway provider
• API Secret: Secret key for authentication
• Sender ID: Sender name or number (as per provider)
• API URL: Gateway API endpoint
• Country Code: Default country code for phone numbers
• Test Mode: Enable test mode for testing without sending actual SMS

Payment SMS Notifications

Configure payment-related SMS notifications:

• Payment Received: Instant SMS when payments are received
• Payment Reminder: SMS reminders for pending payments
• Payment Failed: Alert when payment attempts fail
• Payment Link Generated: SMS when payment links are created
• Payment Link Expired: Alert when payment links expire

Invoice SMS Notifications

Set up invoice-related SMS alerts:

• Invoice Created: SMS when new invoices are created
• Invoice Sent: SMS when invoices are sent to customers
• Invoice Paid: SMS when invoice payments are received
• Invoice Overdue: Alert when invoices become overdue

Stock Alert SMS

Configure stock-related SMS alerts:

• Low Stock Alert: SMS when items fall below minimum stock level
• Out of Stock: Alert when items are completely out of stock
• Critical Stock: Urgent alerts for critical stock levels

Booking SMS Notifications

Set up booking-related SMS notifications:

• New Booking: SMS when new table bookings are made
• Booking Confirmation: SMS confirmation for bookings
• Booking Reminder: SMS reminders before booking time
• Booking Cancellation: Alert when bookings are cancelled

SMS Message Templates

Customize SMS message templates:

1. Go to Settings → Notification Settings → SMS Notifications → Templates
2. Select the notification type you want to customize
3. Edit the SMS message (keep it concise, max 160 characters recommended)
4. Use variables for dynamic content (e.g., {CustomerName}, {Amount}, {InvoiceNumber})
5. Preview the message
6. Save changes

SMS Message Variables

Use these variables in SMS templates:

• Business: {BusinessName}
• Invoice: {InvoiceNumber}, {InvoiceAmount}, {DueDate}
• Customer: {CustomerName}, {CustomerPhone}
• Payment: {PaymentAmount}, {PaymentMethod}, {TransactionID}
• Stock: {ItemName}, {CurrentStock}
• Date: {Date}, {Time}

SMS Character Limits

Important considerations for SMS messages:

• Standard SMS: 160 characters (single message)
• Long SMS: Messages longer than 160 characters are split into multiple messages
• Unicode: Special characters reduce limit to 70 characters per message
• Cost: Longer messages may incur higher costs
• Best Practice: Keep messages concise and clear

SMS Notification Preferences

Customize SMS notification preferences:

• Immediate: Receive SMS as soon as events occur
• Only Urgent: Receive only critical/urgent notifications
• Business Hours Only: Receive SMS only during business hours
• Quiet Hours: Disable SMS during specific hours
• Daily Limit: Set maximum number of SMS per day

SMS Delivery Settings

Configure SMS delivery options:

• Retry Failed SMS: Automatically retry failed SMS deliveries
• Retry Attempts: Number of retry attempts (default: 2)
• Delivery Reports: Track SMS delivery status
• Delivery Receipts: Receive confirmation when SMS is delivered
• Failed SMS Alerts: Get notified when SMS delivery fails

SMS Notification History

View your SMS notification history:

• Access from Settings → Notification Settings → SMS History
• Filter by date range, notification type, or status
• View SMS content and delivery status
• Resend failed SMS if needed
• Export SMS history

Bulk SMS Notifications

Send bulk SMS notifications:

• Send SMS to multiple recipients
• Schedule bulk SMS campaigns
• Personalize messages for each recipient
• Track delivery status
• Manage SMS recipient lists

SMS Costs and Billing

Important considerations for SMS costs:

• Per SMS Cost: Each SMS may incur a cost (varies by provider)
• Long Messages: Messages split into multiple SMS cost more
• International SMS: Higher costs for international numbers
• Monthly Limits: Some plans have monthly SMS limits
• Cost Monitoring: Monitor SMS usage and costs
• Budget Alerts: Set alerts for SMS spending limits

SMS Notification Best Practices

• Keep messages short: Concise messages are more effective and cost less
• Use for urgent alerts: Reserve SMS for time-sensitive notifications
• Respect quiet hours: Don't send SMS during off-hours unless urgent
• Test delivery: Verify SMS gateway is working correctly
• Monitor costs: Track SMS usage and costs regularly
• Use templates: Create reusable message templates
• Personalize messages: Include relevant details (name, amount, etc.)

Troubleshooting SMS Notifications

If you're not receiving SMS notifications:

• Verify your mobile number is correct and verified
• Check SMS gateway configuration is correct
• Test SMS delivery from settings
• Verify SMS gateway account has sufficient credits/balance
• Check SMS notification history for delivery status
• Verify notification settings are enabled
• Check gateway API logs for errors
• Contact SMS gateway provider support
• Contact EquiBillBook support if issues persist

SMS Privacy and Compliance

Important privacy and compliance considerations:

• Consent: Ensure recipients have consented to receive SMS
• Opt-out: Provide easy opt-out mechanism (e.g., reply STOP)
• Data Protection: Protect phone numbers and personal data
• Regulations: Comply with SMS marketing regulations (TCPA, GDPR, etc.)
• Content: Review SMS content for sensitive information
• Security: Secure SMS gateway credentials

Disabling SMS Notifications

To disable SMS notifications:

1. Go to Settings → Notification Settings → SMS Notifications
2. Disable specific notification types
3. Or disable all SMS notifications
4. Save changes
5. You can re-enable them anytime

SMS Notification Reports

Generate reports on SMS notifications:

• SMS delivery statistics
• Failed SMS reports
• Notification frequency analysis
• SMS cost analysis
• Recipient engagement metrics

Properly configured SMS notifications provide instant alerts for important business events, helping you respond quickly to critical situations. Configure SMS notifications according to your business needs, keeping in mind costs and best practices.